Malia Martin Read Online Free PDF Page B

noticed a man’s hands before. Captain Ashley’s hands made her feel very light-headed, his hands , for goodness sake.
    “Is that the Station House?” he asked suddenly, interrupting Leslie, and causing Pru to blink.
    “Excuse me, Mrs. Redding,” he said quickly. “I did not mean to interrupt. I was just wondering if that is the Station House, there”—he pointed with one of his long, masculine fingers—“on the cliff.”
    “Why, yes, yes it is,” Leslie answered, her troubled gaze swerving to intercept Pru’s.
    “You ladies wouldn’t mind, would you, if I walked over there?” He had already started for the door, so it didn’t seem he was going to wait for their answer. “I will probably be back before you’re finished, Lady Farnsworth.” And he was gone.
    Pru’s shoulders slumped as she let out a long sigh.
    “This is going to be dreadfully difficult,” Leslie said, staring at the door through which the captain had just left.
    “We will handle it.”
    “Well, of course, there is that.” Leslie turned a worried look on Pru. “But I was actually referring to this, this … thing between the two of you.”
    Pru buried her face in her hands. “It is obvious, then?”
    “Quite.”
    Pru looked at her friend through her fingers. “As you know, Leslie, I have never been in this situation before. And, God knows, I would much rather it happen with someone else. Is there a potion I could take? A remedy, perhaps?” If anyone knew of a potion or remedy for such a malady it would be Leslie Redding.
    “Oh, if only there were.” Leslie sighed, pushing back a strand of dull brown hair laced with gray that had fallen out of the coil at her neck. “I most certainly would have taken it long ago.”
    Pru went quickly to sit next to her friend. She draped an arm around Leslie’s ample shoulders. “Well, at the very least, I must push this … thing with the captain from my thoughts. I really must keep my mind on business.”
    “And you can, Pru, I know you can. You are the strongest woman I have ever known.” She turned and hugged Pru. Prudence loved to be the recipient of one of Leslie’s embraces; the woman was soft and always smelled of baking bread.
    “I am just a bit sad, though,” Leslie said, “that you cannot act upon this attraction to the captain. He is very much attracted to you, dear. I could sense it in the air. And it would be so good for you to be loved.”
    Pru pushed away. “What a silly thing to say, really! I am loved.”
    Leslie smiled and winked. “Ah, but to be loved in the way the captain would love you is something every woman should experience.”
    “You mean …”
    Leslie waggled her brows. “I mean that every woman should have a lover like the captain somewhere in her life.”
    Taking the captain as a lover, the very thought made Pru dizzy. “It will happen again,” she said without much conviction, “with someone else.” Of course, she had lived thirty-one years before it had happened at all.
    “At least I know now what the attraction part feels like,” Pru said with a bit more excitement. “Perhaps now that I’ve felt attraction, I will be able to feel it more easily with someone else?” Not a lot of conviction rang through that statement. Pru sighed.
    Leslie shrugged, but there was not a lot of hope in her gaze.
    “You can feel it for more than one person, that much I know, at least,” Pru said urgently. “I mean, look at you …” She stopped mid-sentence, completely mortified with herself.
    Leslie just smiled halfheartedly.
    “Oh, dear, Leslie, I am sorry.”
    Leslie waved her hand. “Don’t worry your pretty head over me. Patrick, my long-lost love, worshiped me enough to make up for my current heartache.” She stood quickly. “And, anyway, we should not worry about such things now.” She went to squint out the window. “You should go after him, Pru. The thought of him in the excise station gives me the willies.”
    “Oh, Pimpton and Lyle are