Alex nodded his reply.

“Well, I’m his only child, and I really love the sea, and I’m also quite good with figures, you know. Anyway, I’ve always planned on taking over his business eventually.”

“There aren’t too many women running large shipping businesses,” Alex commented quietly.

“There aren’t any as far as I know,” Emma continued. “But I didn’t—I don’t care. Sometimes we have to be unconventional to realize our dreams. And who could better run the business than me? I know it better than anyone, save my father, of course.” She looked at him defiantly.

“You were thirteen…” Alex said with an indulgent look, reminding her to get back to the story at hand.

“Oh, right. Well, I decided my father was taking too long showing me the ropes. I had been to the office in Boston countless times, and he even let me offer my opinions whenever he had to make a big decision. I don’t know if he ever heeded my advice,” Emma said thoughtfully, “but at least he always let me have my say. I also checked over the books to make sure his clerks weren’t making any mistakes.”

“You checked the books at age thirteen?” Alex asked incredulously.

“I told you I’m quite good at mathematics,” she said defensively. “I know most men find it difficult to believe that a woman might have a good head for numbers, but I do. I found quite a few mistakes. I even caught one clerk who was cheating my father.”

“Have no fear, darling,” Alex chuckled. “I’ve learned not to be surprised by any of your hidden talents.”

“Then I decided that it was time I learned about life on the ships. My father always says that you cannot succeed in running a shipping business if you don’t know anything about life at sea.”

He groaned. “I’m not sure I want to hear what comes next.”

“In that case I won’t finish the story,” Emma said hopefully.

“I was kidding,” he said dangerously, raising one brow as his emerald eyes bore into hers.

“To make a long story short,” Emma wisely continued, “I stowed away on one of our ships.”

Alex felt irrational anger welling up inside of him. “Are you insane?” he burst out. “Do you know what could have happened to you? Sailors can be quite unscrupulous. Especially when they haven’t seen a female in months,” he added darkly.

“Really, Alex, I was only thirteen.”

“Your age probably wouldn’t have mattered to most of them.”

Emma nervously scrunched some of the dark blue material of her riding habit between her fingers, a little uncomfortable with the intensity of Alex’s reaction. “I assure you, Alex, I’ve been through all this with my father countless times. I don’t need another scolding from you. I shouldn’t have even told you about it.”

Alex sighed, well aware that he had overreacted. He leaned forward, gently disengaged Emma’s hand from her skirts, and raised it to his lips in an act of contrition. “I’m sorry, darling,” he said, his voice soft. “It just makes me sick to think that you might have inadvertently put yourself in a dangerous position, even if it was seven years ago.”

Emma’s heart soared at the tender tone of his voice and the knowledge that he was so concerned for her. “You needn’t worry,” she assured him quickly. “Everything worked out in the end, and I was not quite so muleheaded as the story might lead you to believe.”

Alex continued to stroke her hand with his thumb. “Oh?”

“I didn’t just stow away on any old ship,” Emma said, trying to ignore the warm sensation emanating from her hand. “One of our captains is a very close friend. He’s like an uncle to me. I would never have stowed away on any ship other than Captain Cartwright’s. I knew that he was setting sail at eight in the morning, so I snuck out of my house the night before—”

“What?” Alex demanded, his grip on her hand tightening. “You wandered around Boston alone in the middle of the night? You little fool!”

“Oh, hush. It wasn’t the middle of the night. It just seemed that way to me because I was too nervous to sleep. It was probably closer to five in the morning. The sun had already started to rise. Besides,” she said accusingly, “you promised not to scold me anymore.”

“I did no such thing.”

“Well, you should have,” Emma countered defiantly, tugging her hand from his and reaching for her wine glass.

“All right,” Alex agreed, rolling over onto his side and propping his head up on one elbow. “I promise not to interrupt you.”

“Good,” Emma returned, taking a sip of her wine.

“But I will not promise to refrain from yelling at you when you’re through.”

Emma shot him a peevish look.

“Nor will I promise not to make you promise not to undertake such a ridiculous scheme in the future.”

“Please credit me with a little sense.” Emma rolled her eyes. “I would hardly creep onto a ship now.”

“Yes, but God only knows what else you’d do,” Alex muttered.

“May I finish?”

“Please do.”

“Well, I snuck out of my house early in the morning, and it wasn’t terribly easy because my bedroom is on the second floor.”

Alex groaned.

“It was fortunate that I am such a good tree climber,” Emma continued. “I had to jump from my window and grab hold of the branch from the oak tree outside my house, wiggle to the trunk, and then ease down to the ground.” She looked up at Alex to see if he was about to interrupt her yet again. He made a great show of not saying anything.