Chapters (51)
- Cover
- Books by Elizabeth Camden
- Title Page
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Historical Note
- Questions for Discussion
- In 2020, look forCaroline Delacroix’sstory in
- About the Author
- Back Ads
- Back Cover
He stormed out of the study, slamming the door hard enough for the spice map to drop off its hook.
Gray sighed as he stood and wandered over to the map. That woman from the Smithsonian had more self-directed drive in her little finger than Luke had in his entire body. What was her name?
Annabelle Larkin.
Such a prim name for a woman whose entire persona crackled with determination. When his letters bluntly refused her access to his plant collection, she had shown up in person to make her case. That took grit, and he respected her for it.
Yet even with her he hadn’t yielded an inch. Luke had a point. They were rich enough, but where business was concerned, it wasn’t in Gray’s nature to do anything but plow forward with all engines stoked on high. He never yielded. Never softened. He knocked competitors out of the way in a relentless quest to be the first, the fastest, the biggest, and the best.
He hung the map back on its hook, smiling a little at the whimsical figures harvesting cloves and nutmeg. His days of exploring the world for more spice fields was at an end. Now that Dad was gone, someone needed to be in Virginia to helm the business.
Besides, he was tired. He wanted a family of his own. He didn’t feel comfortable in Virginia any more than he belonged in Africa or Asia or the Caribbean, but he had just turned forty and wanted to settle down.
His analytical mind clicked into gear. He’d never considered a serious courtship before because his life was spent overseas, but if Virginia was going to be his permanent home, that needed to change, and he immediately thought of Annabelle. He had been attracted to her from the moment she walked into his office with that charmingly ridiculous map. Her smile could light up an entire room with fresh-spun wholesomeness. Her curiosity about his vanilla plants wasn’t feigned any more than his interest in her world of farming in Kansas. She’d been smart and funny and curious.
And yet he’d pushed her away because he was determined not to budge, especially where business was concerned. It was simply the way he had operated all his adult life. But like any good businessman, he could adjust his sails and shift course to get what he wanted.
First he had to make amends for his blunt treatment of her requests. It wouldn’t be hard, for he already knew exactly what she wanted: access to his greenhouses. The greenhouses were two hours away by boat, but he instinctively knew she’d agree to come, and that brought a smile to his face.
He wouldn’t hand her the keys to his kingdom; he wasn’t that irrational. But he could crack open the door and see what happened. Frankly, he was eager to see where this might lead.
Four
