Page 37 of All is Fair in Love
“What happened?” he demanded.
As if you really care.
If he gave a damn about her, Jonathan wouldn’t have left her sleeping alone in the warehouse. But that was what he had done every night since they had arrived. He was out drinking, and Lord knew what else, until the sun came up or he ran out of coin. Where Poppy was or with whom likely didn’t even merit his time or consideration.
Poppy held back those words. This wasn’t about protecting her; it was about his manly pride. “Mister Saunders paid me a visit. He had a note in his hand. I had a loaded pistol. We discussed the issue of the barrels and the ropes. I granted him a painful understanding of the situation. Whether he truly gets that, only time will tell,” she replied.
She held his gaze, silently challenging him to finally step up and show that he cared about her welfare. Her hopes for him to take an interest in the shipping business had died many months ago. But she was the woman he was supposed to be marrying. The future mother of his children. That has to count for something.
“Well then, I expect you will deal with any problems in the same efficient way you normally do. Just let me know if you need anyone beaten up, though I am sure you could also handle that if you had to,” he replied in a voice dripping with disdain.
Or not.
He gave a tired put-upon sigh and let go of Poppy’s arm. “I’m going to go back to the boat and get some sleep. My head is pounding, so I’ll grab some of the laudanum from your cabin.”
And that was it. No offer to go and have chat with the neighbors. No suggestion that perhaps he might consider staying in the warehouse with her at night. Nothing.
Jonathan wandered off in the direction of the Empress Catherine, leaving Poppy to tend to her flowers.
She was considering where she could put some more pots, one for herbs, when Jonathan reappeared. “One last thing,” he said.
He had better not be asking me for more money.
“Yes?”
“One of the chaps in the tavern last night happened to make mention of the tall white-haired gentleman from next door. Apparently, everyone knows that he has put in a bid for the spice contract. And he has made it clear that he fully expects to win it. Thought you might want to know.”
The events of last night might have surprised her, but this particular piece of news left Poppy shaken to the core.
“Do you think that is why he has been so unwelcoming? But he couldn’t know that we are also in the running for the tender, could he?” replied Poppy.
The bids were meant to be secret; that was why they had been sealed. The only way for anyone else to know about the Basden Line bid would have been for either her or Jonathan to have let that information slip.
Please don’t you have said anything to anyone.
Jonathan shook his head. “If he does, he didn’t hear it from me. You and I might not agree on many things, but this contract is important. Word is the young Saunders is taking over from his father and is keen to build his reputation as a hard-nosed bastard. The old man is well-regarded around the docks, but Francis Saunders is yet to make his mark.”
Her suspicions were confirmed. Other people in the docks saw Francis Saunders as just an eager pup trying to show everyone that he was better than his papa.
“I have been made aware of Francis Saunders and his ambitions. He has already been to see the superintendent of the London Docks, querying the Basden Line Shipping Company’s ownership of the warehouse. Hopefully last night will have given him enough to think about so that when it comes to dealing with us in the future, he might be more circumspect,” she replied. He better be. Or next time I aim a pistol at him, I won’t miss. Hulking Viking or not, a bullet will still stop Francis in his tracks.
At least Jonathan seemed to be thinking along the same lines as her this morning. As her future husband, he had a vested interest in making sure that the Basden Line got a fair shot at winning the spice contract.
“Do you think you could continue to keep an ear to the ground for any other useful tidbits while you are out and about? After last night, I don’t want any more nasty surprises.” Poppy wanted to be ready just in case Francis did have a change of heart.
“Aye aye, captain,” replied Jonathan, giving Poppy a half-hearted salute. He tipped his hat, then walked away, whistling as he went. His self-important swagger had her stomach tightening into a knot.
Jonathan would never love her or be her true partner in life. He cared about the contract and the money it would bring. But that was as far as it went.
He neither respects, nor cares about me.
Poppy stood, hands on hips, staring out over the wharf as Jonathan made his way onboard the Empress Catherine. Despite his reassurances that he valued the shipping business, she was certain he was more than happy to leave things up to her. That she was, in truth, on her own. And always would be.
Papa, he might have been a convenient solution for you, but Jonathan is fast becoming a real problem for me. And I have more than enough to deal with at the moment.
When it came to the man next door, she was going to have to tread carefully. It wouldn’t be wise for her to give him the slightest excuse to escalate any future disagreements. Unwanted attention from the superintendent’s office could reflect poorly on her and directly impact her chances of securing the tender.
Recalling the events of the previous night, Poppy winced. What if someone had heard the sound of a firearm being discharged? There weren’t too many things that could be mistaken for a gunshot.
