Sea Mistress Read Free Page B

up Bess’s hair. “Says he offered to carry some flour into the kitchen for her, and anything else she might want brung in from the stores.”
    Bess was surprised. She didn’t really believe that all seamen were common louts, for Uncle Joeson was a sailor and he was a sweetheart.
    Why would Mr. Garret help a servant?
    â€œThere,” Mary murmured as she finished fastening tiny lavender flowers onto Bess’s pinned-up curls. She smiled. “You look lovely, Miss Metcalfe. Mr. Garret will think so, too.”
    â€œMr. Garret?” Bess said. “Why should I care what Mr. Garret thinks?”
    Why, indeed, she thought. Yet, she did for some unknown reason, although she’d never openly admit it to anyone.
    The men were seated at the dining room table when Bess put in an appearance. Captain Johnson and her uncle rose upon seeing her. Seth Garret, she noted, was slower in following their lead.
    Irritated, she greeted the other two men warmly and then addressed Seth as if she could barely tolerate his presence.
    â€œI trust you’ve found your room comfortable,” she said, her dark eyes glacial.
    Seth seemed amused, which annoyed her more. “The room is adequate. Thank you.”
    Bess’s lips firmed. The man could at least show a little more appreciation, she thought. She had given him the manor’s nicest guest room, a well-lighted bedchamber with blue wallpaper, rich mahogany furniture and a magnificent view over the back flower gardens and lawn. Yet Seth Garret seemed to care little about his surroundings.
    Captain Johnson pulled out Bess’s chair, and she thanked him and sat down, conscious of Seth Garret’s stare. Dinner conversation was gracious and lively between the two older gentlemen and Bess, who made it a point to entertain her two “uncles”. Seth Garret said little, answering only when directly spoken to, and then answering only in monosyllables.
    As the evening lengthened, Bess’s irritation became anger. Edward Metcalfe was seated at the head of the table with Seth Garret in the place of honor at the other end. Bess and Joel Johnson were positioned on the sides opposite one another with Bess to her uncle’s left and the captain to Edward’s right.
    When Edward and Joel began to reminisce about the days of their youth, Bess studied Seth, who was eating his dessert. His continued silence grated on her nerves.
    â€œSo, tell me, Mr. Garret, why do you like the life of a sailor?” she asked, hoping to provoke a reaction from him. “Don’t you like people?” Anger, she thought, was better than this polite indifference.
    Seth set down his fork and fixed her with his blue gaze. “I like people well enough, Miss Metcalfe. It’s the silly social games that people play that I find difficult to tolerate.” With a great show of movement, he picked up the eating utensil again and resumed eating.
    Bess’s face brightened with outrage. The man was deliberately trying to annoy her! She wouldn’t let him get off lightly! “How old were you when you first went to sea?” she demanded.
    He stopped and stared at her with his fork inches away from his mouth. “Old enough to make my own decisions and leave home, Miss Metcalfe.” He opened his lips and ate his pie. Fascinated, Bess watched the movement of his jaw as he chewed and then the bob of his throat as he swallowed. Within seconds he had eaten his slice of apple pie.
    â€œWere you ever a cabin boy?” she asked as he pushed away his empty plate.
    He arched one eyebrow as he gave her a thorough lookover. “Do I look like a boy to you?”
    Bess blushed. There was something sexual about his expression, his low tone. She flashed the other two occupants of the room a glance, but they were too deep in their conversation to notice her and Seth.
    â€œWhat? No comment, Miss Metcalfe?” Seth arched his eyebrows. “You’ve had plenty to