Persuaded (7 page)

While
her nephew picked at his food, Hanna found herself at liberty to people-watch.
She assumed that the pretty girl next to Derick was the sister he was staying
with. All those years ago, Hanna had known that Derick had a sister named
Sophie and that they were quite close. If memory served, she had been married a
only few years when Hanna and Derick were together. It might have seemed a bit
strange that Hanna had never met Derick’s family—but as he had been away from
home, about to start his first race when they met—it made sense. Likewise Maude
was the only relation of Hanna’s with whom Derick was acquainted, for much the
same reasons. Mary had still been home with their father when Hanna met Derick
in Harbor. On top of that, their relationship lasted only a few months from
start to finish.

Sophie
had a willowy look about her, and her dark-haired husband was taller than
anyone else in their company. He had to be several inches over six feet, as he
towered over Derick’s six-foot-two. Both Sophie and her husband had open,
smiling faces that gave Hanna a pang. If things had turned out differently,
they would have been her family.

Did
they know about the past?

Lost
in her musings, Hanna hadn’t noticed the young man sitting alone on a piece of
driftwood. His glazed-over eyes were locked on the fire, his hands laced
loosely between his knees. Something about his slumped posture and faraway
expression struck a chord with Hanna, and she found herself wondering what he
could be thinking about.

When
CJ lost interest in “Captain Wentworth” and began dancing around the fire like
a savage, and when Walter began rubbing his eyes, Mary decreed that the dreaded
hour of bedtime had arrived. CJ protested, of course. Walter, who had evidently
had enough of Aunt Hanna, waddled over and attached himself to his mother
instead. Hanna, seeing a perfect escape, tried coaxing him away from Mary, but
he refused to be pried from his mother’s arms. With a sigh of resignation, Mary
went inside to put the boys to bed. Without her nephews to command her
attention, Hanna wandered over to the lonesome stranger by the fire, smiling a
soft hello as she sat down.

It
took him a second to register the greeting, and when he looked up at Hanna it
was as if he’d forgotten where he was. He had rumpled, pitch black hair and a
rather nice shade of blue eyes. His build was stocky, and a layer of dark
scruff covered his jaw. Now that she was closer, Hanna saw that he had a small
book in his hands. As Hanna sat, he acknowledged her with a nod but did not
speak.

“I
don’t believe we’ve met,” she began. “I’m Hanna.”

“Benny,”
he answered in an emotionless voice.

“Are
you friends with”—she couldn’t bring herself to say
his
name—”the
Crofts?”

“Adam
is my brother.”

So
that was the connection. Aside from hair color there didn’t seem to be much
family resemblance, but perhaps their features were more similar close up.

“You’re
related to the Musgroves?” The tone of Benny’s inquiry indicated that he really
didn’t care one way or the other who Hanna was. He was just being polite.

“Yeah,
Mary’s my sister.”

A lull
blanketed them both, and then Hanna’s attention turned to the book in Benny’s
hands.

“What
are you reading?”

“Morbid
poetry,” he answered with a hint of sarcasm. “It’s what I live for.”

Hanna
had the distinct impression that the words were not his own. “May I?” she asked
hesitantly, holding a hand out.

Benny
shrugged and placed the worn volume in her hands.

“
The
Lady of the Lake
,” Hanna read aloud. “It looks like you’ve gotten your
money’s worth out of it. What is your favorite part?”

To her
surprise, Benny didn’t take the book back, but starting reciting it while he
gazed into the fire:

“Like
the dew on the mountain,

Like
the foam on the river,

Like
the bubble on the fountain,

Thou
art gone, and forever . . .”

Benny
didn’t offer any other explanation, so Hanna said, “That was beautiful. I’ve
never heard it.”

“It’s
by Sir Walter Scott—a classic. You can borrow it if you like.”

“Thank
you,” Hanna said, surprised. “I’ll have to read up so I’m a bit more educated
next time we meet.”

Benny
glanced at her, nodded, and returned his eyes to the fire. Hanna chose her next
words carefully. “Do you ever read anything else? Like fiction, maybe?”

“Let
me guess: an overdose of angst is not good for me.” He laughed without humor.

“I
think an overdose of anything is not good,” Hanna countered, “including
optimism.”

Benny’s
lips slowly turned up in a reluctant smile as he studied her. “I’ll admit
that’s a new one.”

Hanna
grinned at him, thinking he looked distinctly lighter now than when she’d sat
down. “So, Benny, what do you do?” Benny gave her a look, and she clarified.
“For work, I mean.”

“Nothing
at the moment. I’m a crab fisherman, but it’s off season. I don’t go back out
until October.”

“Do
you enjoy that?”

A wry
smile twisted his mouth. “Do I enjoy living on a hunk of metal for four months
of the year with sweaty men who smell like Funnyuns and B.O.?”

A
burst of laughter escaped Hanna before she could stop it, and several people,
including Derick, looked in her direction. Having a sudden audience was worth
the sacrifice though—Benny actually smiled at her reaction.

“I’ll
take that as a no,” Hanna said.

Benny
lifted a shoulder. “I like the fishing.”

“Is
crab fishing hard to do?”

An
incredulous expression lit Benny’s face, the barest shadow of a smile.

“That
sounded girlie, didn’t it?”

“Yes.”

Hanna
had the good grace to laugh at herself. “Sorry. I don’t know much about crab or
fishing. The only frame of reference I have is watching
Deadliest Catch
with
my brother-in-law.”

Benny
didn’t answer, and Hanna figured his mind had been retrieved by his prior
thoughts. Then he said, “It’s pretty accurate, maybe with a little less drama. Most
of those reality shows are scripted.”

“I’ve
always thought that too!” Hanna said. She’d never come across anyone who agreed
with her.

Half
grinning at her reaction, Benny’s eyes rested on Hanna for a moment before
sliding back to look at nothing. A glance around told Hanna that the barbecue
was nearing its end, food being packed up and trash gathered.

“It
looks like the party is winding down. I’ll see you later?” Hanna ventured.

“See you
later,” Benny repeated before standing and walking over to Adam. He looked only
slightly more awake than when Hanna sat down beside him, but it was something.

All
around on the sand there were empty cups and half-eaten plates of food dotting
the beach. Hanna started gathering the trash and dumping it into a large
aluminum bin. From the corner of her eye she saw someone approach, and when she
looked up she was surprised to see Derick’s sister before her.

“I
didn’t get a chance to meet you,” she said, extending a hand. “I’m Sophie
Croft.”

“Hanna
Elliot,” she responded, returning the gesture.

With
her sleek auburn hair and almond-shaped green eyes, Sophie had an almost feline
look about her. Hanna couldn’t help noticing that Sophie had pale skin dotted
with tiny golden freckles, like her brother.

“I
wanted to thank you for talking to my brother-in-law, Benny,” Sophie began,
bending to retrieve an empty soda can and pitching it into the bin. “He usually
goes off by himself like that, and people just ignore him.”

“He
looked lonely,” Hanna said with a shrug.

Sophie
gave Hanna a long, calculating look that was not unkind. “He’s been going
through a hard time for a while.”

“I
gathered as much,” Hanna answered, straightening and looking around for more
trash. The beach looked pretty clean, and the rest of the party had already
headed back to the houses. “Looks like we’re done.”

“Do
you mind if I walk with you?” Sophie asked, and Hanna sensed there was
something particular she wanted to say.

“Not
at all.”

After
a moment of silence, Sophie said, “Did Benny mention Phoebe?”

“No,
we mostly talked about poetry.”

Rolling
her eyes, Sophie said, “I’ve been trying to get him off that stuff forever.”

Hanna
couldn’t help smiling. “He might have mentioned that.”

“Phoebe
was his fiancée. They only dated a couple months before getting engaged, and
then she got in an accident while Benny was gone.”

Hanna
really didn’t want to pry, but she couldn’t stifle the curiosity. “How awful .
. . I’m guessing she didn’t make it?”

Sophie
shook her head. “The doctors were optimistic at first, but when weeks passed
without any change in her condition, they said that she wasn’t likely to wake
up. And if she did, she would have no brain function. After six months her
parents finally pulled the plug.”

Having
no words, Hanna was relieved when Sophie continued.

“Benny
blames himself for her death, even though there was nothing he could have done
if he’d been there. He stayed by her for months though, reading to her, talking
to her, sleeping beside her—positive she could hear him and that his voice
would bring her back.”

Hanna
took that in, felt a twinge of empathy for him.

“Their
whole courtship was super fast,” Sophie went on. “While Benny was home during
off-season he met Phoebe, and they got engaged just before he went back out.
She planned the wedding while he was gone. They were meant to be married right
when he got home, but the accident was just a month before.”

The
only thing Hanna could think to say was, “That’s heartbreaking.”

“It is
. . .” Sophie allowed, but Hanna could tell there was more.

“But?”

Smiling
at her assumption, Sophie said, “
But
it’s been over a year, and Benny
isn’t getting any better.”

Hanna
chewed on her lip, wishing she had the perfect solution.

“Tonight
is the first time in forever that I saw Benny smile. I wanted to thank you for
that.”

“I
didn’t do anything,” Hanna said, embarrassed. She could feel the heat in her
cheeks.

“You
did, Hanna. More than you know.” Sophie’s eyes were so bright, her face so open
and sincere, that Hanna couldn’t let the compliment go unanswered.

“I’m
glad I could help,” she said in a small voice.

A
chuckle answered her, as if Sophie knew how hard it was for Hanna to accept
praise. “I hope to see you again soon, Hanna.”

“Me
too,” she answered, feeling stupid when she realized it sounded like she wanted
to see herself again.

Waving,
Sophie turned and moved off toward Kelynch, leaving Hanna with an odd mixture
of emotions: lighter because she’d helped someone in need, nervous because
she’d just had a conversation with Derick’s sister, and disappointed—because
Sophie seemed to have no idea at all who she’d been talking to.

NINE

SOMEONE
LIKE YOU

He had a heart
for . . . any pleasing young woman who came in his way, excepting Anne Elliot.

—Jane Austen,
Persuasion

The
next day, Derick didn’t get up early to go running with Ella. She had mentioned
a fitness clothing store that she wanted to visit, and they agreed to sleep in
and then go browsing instead. After showering and dressing for the day, Derick
emerged from his room to find Sophie making breakfast. The gloriously greasy
smell of bacon permeated the kitchen, making Derick’s mouth water. Pouring
himself a tall glass of milk, he sat down on a bar stool.

“Morning,”
Sophie greeted him. “Hungry?”

“Not
really, but for bacon I’ll make an exception.”

Grimacing
at her brother, Sophie cracked several eggs into a bowl and attacked them with
a wire whisk. “What’s on the agenda for today?”

“Going
downtown with Ella.”

The
lack of Sophie’s response piqued Derick’s curiosity. The only time his sister
kept her opinion to herself was when it wasn’t favorable.

“What?”
he prompted.

“What-what?”
she asked, all innocence.

“Just
let me have it, Soph. I know you have an opinion, you always do.”

Sophie
arched an eyebrow at him, then dumped the eggs into a frying pan. “Nothing,”
she said. “She’s nice . . .”

Derick’s
patience was rewarded. He had to wait a only moment before Sophie continued.