Moonwitch

Selena glanced up briefly as she bent over one of her trunks. “You forget, Edith, that decision is for my husband to make.”

“But you could have persuaded him! What will I do now? How am I going to live?”

“I’m sure the estate will continue to provide you the allowance Papa designated in his will.”

Edith laughed harshly. “How can I possibly survive on such a mere pittance?”

“We have been over this before, Edith, time and again. Your allowance is no ‘mere pittance.’ Most people would consider themselves wealthy to receive such a regular income. You will simply have to learn to live within that limit.”

“But I can’t!”

Losing patience, Selena stuffed a protruding ruffle within the trunk and closed the lid with more force than necessary. “Perhaps you should sell some of your jewelry then, starting with the emeralds you purchased last week. The proceeds should keep you in style for quite some time.”

“Sell my jewelry! Why, that’s absurd.”

“Then I suggest,” Selena said, giving her stepmother a hard look, “that you marry Avery. You deserve each other, I think.”

“You are acting out of spite! You are angry with me for taking Avery from you.”

“On the contrary. I am quite grateful. I am also,” Selena added more quietly, “grateful that you were discreet in your affaire with him. You could have caused a scandal to my father’s memory, and for that I don’t think I could have forgiven you.”

“Is that your last word?” Edith demanded.

Selena glanced around the room, her gaze falling on the carefully wrapped portraits of her parents; Beth had been quite thorough in her packing. “Yes, it is,” Selena answered softly. She felt a keen measure of satisfaction; it was only poetic justice that Edith would never have the plantation she’d coveted.

“You know,” Selena added, meeting Edith’s furious gaze once more, “it used to distress me that we were never able to become friends. I always wondered if there was something I could have done, could have said, to make you hate me less. Now I see how misplaced my worry was. You’re so filled with greed and hatred, Edith, that I truly pity you.”

Edith’s jaw clenched. “Keep your pity for your new husband. He’s the one who will need it, being married to you. You’ll never be able to satisfy a man like the captain. Never!”

Selena winced. When Edith had turned and flounced from the room, she gave a sigh. It was a relief to know she would never have to deal with her stepmother again, but their discussion had left a sour taste in her mouth.

She closed the remaining trunks and went down the corridor to the morning room, where she was greeted with a loud squawk.

“Hello! Hello! Will you dance?”

Selena smiled at the vivid green-and-yellow parrot in the cane-constructed cage. “No, my fine fel

low. I’ve had enough dancing for one day, thank you. I’ve come to take you with me. At least I shall have one familiar face to accompany me on my new venture.”

Horatio tilted his head to one side, giving her what looked like a sympathetic look. But he couldn’t understand, not really, Selena reflected as he set up a new chatter.

“Dance! Awk! Dance!” he cried, ruffling his feathers, and only became silent when she covered the cage with a dark blue cloth.

When she could delay no longer, she carried Horatio’s cage out to the carriage where Beth and Drew Thorpe waited. They had insisted on accompanying her to the docks, for which she was grateful. She needed their comforting presence as she gazed for the last time on her beloved home. Even so, tears blurred her vision as she gave the gracious, galleried house one last, long look.

A boat was waiting to take her to the Tagus, her husband’s large, schooner-rigged merchant vessel. She could see it lying in the harbor, looking sleek and fast with its tall, raking masts and graceful, billowing sails.

Her solicitor was at the docks, as well, and so was the governor. With a twinkling smile, Governor Ramsay bestowed his blessing on Selena and presented her with the proper authorization papers to give to Kyle, releasing the Tagus from the harbor.

Homesick already, Selena felt tears well in her eyes as she said goodbye to her dearest friends. But as she stepped into the six-oared pinnace, she made a determined effort to brush away her tears, and she fixed her gaze on the distant schooner that would carry her away from her island.

Kyle wasn’t there to greet her when she awkwardly negotiated the rope ladder and stepped on deck, but his first mate immediately came forward with a welcoming smile. Selena remembered meeting Mr. Nathan Hardwick earlier that day at her wedding celebration. She had danced with him, too, she thought, recalling now his handsome features and dark hair. Tall and lean, he was several years older than she, yet he had a boyish look about him.

There was an unmistakable look of admiration in Hardwick’s eyes as he gave her a gallant bow. “Good evening, Mrs. Ramsey. The captain ordered me to escort you below.”

“Below?” Selena asked hesitantly, extremely reluctant to enter the bowels of the schooner. With her dread of ships, it was bad enough being on deck in the fresh air and fading sunlight.

“Yes, madam, to your cabin.”