Caressed by Moonlight (26 page)
Read Caressed by Moonlight Online
Authors: Amanda J. Greene
Epilogue
1901, Ireland
The sea air tickled his nose as he walked along the busy waterfront. People scurried around. Freightliners stood proudly in a row, their crew carefully lowering their cargo. A single ocean liner rested at the back of the line. Folks on the ship waved and shouted their goodbyes to their loved ones as more people clamored to board. It was a beautiful sight to behold and he knew America would be even busier. He had heard stories of a modern world across the ocean and it was there that he would make a new start and learn the ways of present society. The world had changed so much in the past three hundred years and he wished to experience life before he searched for his clan.
His musings were interrupted by a pat on his lower back.
He slowly turned, his eyes dropping to the small boy.
“Excuse me, sir, but,” the boys little voice trembled with fear and his wide brown eyes gathered with tears, he couldn’t finish.
“You needn’t say more, lad,” the man said, reaching into his pocket. He kneeled down, he was still a head taller than the boy but at least this way the child would not be as intimidated by his unusually large size. “Hold out your hands. Put them together.”
The boy followed his direction. “Here you are.”
The child gasped as the man filled his hands with coins. “I was going to ask you if you wanted to buy a flower,” he exclaimed.
“Where are your flowers?”
“My mother, she has ‘em.”
The man stood and scanned the crowd, his eyes quickly finding the woman. She carried a large basket filled with wild flowers. Reading her thoughts, he allowed the boy to lead him to her. She was worried her son had wondered too far off.
“Look mama, look!”
“Dillon, don’t you ever run away like that again. You scared your mama.”
“I’m sorry mama, but look.”
Her mouth dropped open as her son dumped the coins into her bag, which was slung across her shoulder and rested against her hip. “Child, where did you get this?” she asked in awe.
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“I gave it to him.”
For the first time, her eyes turned to the tall, richly dressed, blond man.
“Sir, you needn’t do such a thing,” she protested as she began to dig through her bag for the coins.
“It’s of no matter,” he assured her with a smile that made every woman’s heart melt. He pulled a few more dollars from his pocket and handed them to her. “I would like to buy the basket.”
“Yes, of course.”
Taking the basket, he tilted his hat to her and the boy. It was time for him to board the ship.
“May I have your name, sir? I would like to be able to say a prayer for you in church tomorrow morning.”
“Certainly, madam,” he said with another smile. “I am Dimitri Arsov.”
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