Hart's Passion (Pirates & Petticoats Book 2) Read Online Free PDF Page A

and himself. Keelan had heard the northern colonies were more tolerant of the British and more likely to offer safer passages to Great Britain. Since she would be with Captain Hart, Daniel offered to travel to Boston on a passenger ship. Slaney would accompany him. From there, they’d find a ship bound for England. Both had family there, and with the letters of recommendation she’d provided, both should easily find employment.
    Her stomach quivered as if it contained a thousand butterflies. The night of the ball, when Landon had taken her into his arms in the moonlit garden and asked her to sail away with him, he’d given her hope that she’d spend her life with someone of her choosing. Her uncle’s choice, Pratt, was an aging plantation owner. Doctor Garrison was a colorless, bland physician. Hart had offered her an opportunity to flee from her father’s and Uncle Jared’s scheme to be certain she was “properly” wed and cared for before the start of the harvest season.  
    What Papa and Uncle Jared didn’t realize, was over the years while Papa was at sea, her mother spent every moment in the shop, leaving no time to develop any kind of relationship with her daughter. Keelan had learned at an early age how to take care of herself. Unlike many women, Keelan did not need a husband to do that for her.
    To request Landon take her to the Wind Briar country cottage now, with the United States and England on the brink of another war, would be unreasonable. She couldn’t ask him to put his ship and his crew at risk of being captured and pressed into the Royal Navy.
    Yet, every moment since Papa had told her she wasn’t his daughter, she’d wondered what her sire was like. Her need to learn his identity burned hotter each day. If Daniel found her father’s trunk and kept it safe for her, she would retrieve it when she could.
    Early this morning, Slaney had started to pack their things. It was important they depart quickly, before Uncle Jared approached the topic of her future. Only Slaney and Daniel knew of her plans. The rest of the family simply assumed she and Garrison had a tiff, but were still engaged. Dr. Garrison hadn’t mentioned anything either. Perhaps he was of a mind that the wine, which had affected her more than she’d expected, had been to blame, and she hadn’t meant what she’d said when she told him she didn’t want to marry him and that kissing him was “like kissing a barn door.”
    She cringed. While true, it was still a terrible thing to blurt out even though she’d been tipsy.
    “I wish we didn’t have to sneak away,” she muttered to Slaney. “Uncle Jared and Aunt Sarah were kind to move to Twin Pines to help Papa and me. We had no knowledge of running a plantation, and Uncle Jared’s management was a godsend. I would have preferred to be able say goodbye properly.”
    “I know, lass,” Slaney replied, closing the trunk. “But yer uncle is responsible for ye now, and he promised your Da’ to see ye married to Dr. Garrison. Both took a likin’ to yer suggestion to rent out the plantation to Mr. Pratt and use the rents to help ye open yer shop in town. If yer uncle caught wind of your promise to go back to Wind Briar or run off with Captain Hart, he’d marry ye off this instant, instead.”
    Aunt Sarah would want her to stay and marry Dr. Garrison and start a safe, placid life in Charleston. Her uncle would have been happier if she’d agreed to marry Mr. Pratt because of his wealth and landholdings. Pratt, a neighboring plantation owner, not only had a penchant for overindulging in food and drink but was heavy-handed with his slaves as well.
    Keelan shuddered. She’d rather be a spinster.  
    “Well, after we’re gone, Uncle Jared can sell the plantation to Mr. Pratt outright. I’m sure he’ll be happy to be rid of the responsibility. Accounting for people as one would do with livestock isn’t right, and I’m simply not comfortable with it.” She closed the lid on the