Page 221 of Storm over the Caribbean
“I did not.” His stony face was implacable. “Iearnedit.”
I watched with amusement as Leah’s mouth formed a little “O”.
“R-really?”
“Yes. Really.” Extending his hand, he cocked his head at her. “Would you like to learn more?”
“Yay! Can I?” Like an eager puppy, Leah leapt out of my grip and into my husband’s arms. “Can I really?”
I blinked, staring. Mr Rikkard Ambrose was…good with children?
Had pigs learned to fly?
Well, little yellow ones, maybe.
“Shall we, Mrs Ambrose?”
My eyes re-focused to see my husband extending a hand towards me. Unable to keep a smile from my face, I grabbed hold of it and squeezed. “We shall.”
And together, the three of us headed down the hallway and stepped into the elevator. The moment we reached the bottom of the shaft, we stepped out into the entrance hall, and…
A hush fell over the cavernous room.
Complete and utter silence.
Apparently, I had underestimated what the reaction to our appearance would be. Mr Ambrose with a gagged man imprisoned in a wooden crate? No problem. An everyday occurrence. But Mr Ambrose with a happily smiling little girl in his arms?
The horror!
From all around, people stared at us with eyes as wide as saucers. Leah waved. Somewhere at the back of the hall, someone dropped a stack of papers.
Mwahahaha!
This was gold! If they were reacting like this because of a scruffy little ex-pirate, what would they do once I’d actually given birth, and Mr Ambrose came in here with a chubby, rosy-cheeked baby in his arms?
I giggled.
“Something amusing, Mrs Ambrose?”
“What? N-no, nothing at all.”
Do not smirk. Do not smirk.
“Then let’s go. We have wasted enough time.”
And, side by side, we strode through the hall and out the door. A carriage was already waiting outside and, with a shiver, I quickly strode towards it. After several weeks spent on a Caribbean island, the English autumn air was just a teensy-weensy bit too chilly. Soon, we were warmly bundled up inside, and Mr Ambrose thumped his cane against the roof.
“Drive!”
The coach jerked forward and rattled down the road.
I cocked an eyebrow. “You didn’t even tell him where we are going.”
“No.”
“Let me guess…he was already informed beforehand because it is more efficient?”
He blinked. “How did you know?”
