Thorn’s expression had sobered by the time he joined Cappy on deck. “I want this ship searched from stem to stern to
make certain there are no more intruders on board. It will go hard with you, Cappy, if any more stowaways turn up unexpectedly.”
“I will see to it myself, Captain,” Cappy agreed. “Is the little lady all right?”
“I believe she is like a cat and will always land on her feet.”
“She looked frightened to me.”
“Who can say if she was frightened or only pretending. Perhaps she lured the poor man to her cabin and ultimately caused his death.”
“I don’t think you believe that, Captain. That man intended to do her harm. I suspect he was sent by that man who captured her before.”
Thorn stood at the railing. He had not trusted a woman since his stepmother had proved how devious a woman could be. His rule where women were concerned was to make love to them, but never love them. He would certainly never believe one word any woman said, especially the little enchantress who was tugging at his heart and muddling his mind until he could not think past possessing her.
He looked into the inky night, searching for the Eastern Star. Once he located it, he wondered if the girl was like that star, cold and alluring, but with no substance. No, he had felt her warmth. She was alive—soft, and desirable.
“Damn it to hell,” he swore, drawing Cappy’s startled glance.
“Did you say something, Captain?”
“Nothing important,” he mumbled. “After you have searched the ship, go ahead and turn in. I’ll stay at the helm tonight and take your watch. I couldn’t sleep anyway.”
Cappy knew his captain was in a rare mood, and he also knew it was because of the girl. “Aye, Captain. Will you be wanting anything else?”
“No, but post a man you can trust to look after that girl. I don’t want another incident that will disrupt the whole ship.”
“Aye, Captain,” Cappy replied, hiding a grin.
Thorn stood silently for a moment before he took the helm.
The first mate had never before seen the captain so befuddled. If he wasn’t careful, this girl would turn him inside out. Cappy chuckled. Perhaps this native girl was just what the captain needed.
The heat of the tropic sea was at its worst. Brittany sat beside Achmed’s bed, fanning him in an attempt to keep him cool. She was desperate because he had not yet regained consciousness. Dr. Rutledge had warned her that if Achmed did not awaken soon and take some nourishment, he would surely die.
She glanced down at Achmed’s face, noting how thin he was, and how his cheeks had become hollow. She touched his forehead and found he had no fever.
“Oh, Achmed, my dear friend, why do you linger in that awful darkness when the sun is shining so brightly outside this cabin?”
She heard an unmistakable sound, as if Achmed had just taken a big gulp of air into his lungs. She stared at him with hope in her heart when his eyes fluttered and finally opened.
Brittany’s eyes danced with happiness when he turned his head to look directly at her, his dark eyes filled with uncertainty and bewilderment.
“What…has happened? Where am I?”
She dropped to her knees, taking his giant hand in hers and pressing it against her cheek. “You have been gravely wounded, and I feared for your life, but you are going to recover.” She smiled. “I am glad to have my friend back again.”
His eyes glazed over with pain, and he frowned. “I cannot recall what happened to me.”
She stood up, feeling great relief wash over her. “It does not matter that you cannot remember. I suspect that with the passing of time, your memory will come back to you.”
“You are Brittany?”
“Yes, of course.”
He tried to rise up, but the pain made him reconsider, and he fell back against the pillow. “Lord Simijin will be calling for me. I must go to him at once.”
Brittany’s eyes were now round with concern. “Simijin will not be needing you now. You must rest while I go for the doctor.”
She hurried out of the cabin in search of Dr. Rutledge. She was happy that Achmed had awakened, but concerned that he could not recall where he was.
Thorn stood over the eunuch, watching Dr. Rutledge spoon-feed him some dark, foul-smelling broth. “I was glad to hear that you would recover, Achmed. You have been through a great deal, but that is behind you now.”
“My memory returns at time, Captain Stoddard. But at other times, I cannot even remember my name. I do remember you, Captain, but later I may not.”
“What else do you recall?” the doctor asked.
“I remember what happened the night Brittany was attacked by the sultan’s men at the Casa del Oro.”
Thorn stared at the eunuch. “I never knew her name until now,” he said. “I expected her to have some strange and exotic-sounding name that would be hard to pronounce and that would match her nationality—whatever that is.”
“Yes, her name is Brittany, and she is under my protection,” Achmed admitted. “Even though I sometimes call her by her name, I mean no disrespect. It is just that I have known her since she was born.”
The doctor poked another spoonful of the liquid at Achmed, and the eunuch turned his head away. “I thank you for your care, Dr. Rutledge, but I will not eat more of that concoction. What I need is real food.”
The good doctor smiled. “Indeed, I believe you are recovering. But let me caution you that you are not as strong as you might think. You must remain in bed at least until we reach Charleston.”
Achmed looked at the captain. “And how long will that be?”
Thorn was thoughtful for a moment. “If the winds hold, within two weeks.”
“I have been absent from my post too long now. I must return to my duties.” He raised up, but when the room whirled around like a spinning top, he lay back against the pillow, beads of sweat popping out on his forehead.
“As I cautioned you, Achmed, you have not yet regained your strength,” Dr. Rutledge said in his professional voice. “You will remain in bed as I said.”
Achmed tried to rise again without success. “I cannot. Who will look after my little mistress?”
“She is safe enough,” the doctor said. “I suspect there are very few situations she cannot handle by herself.”
“My mistress told me about the man who attacked her in her cabin. Can you assure me that there are no others who will try to harm her?”
“The ship has been thoroughly searched, and no one was found. There is no one on board that does not belong,” Thorn told him. “You need not be distressed on that account. Your Brittany is safe.”
Achmed shook his head, looking most distressed. “You must not call my mistress by her name. Lord Simijin would not permit you to be so familiar with her.”
Thorn’s jaw set in a stubborn line. “Yes, Lord Simijin would expect to keep her for himself. It is strange that he should care so much about this girl when I have heard he loved only one woman—the one they call the English Rose.”
Achmed’s eyes became secretive. “Lord Simijin would never allow me to discuss the English Rose with you. Nor should you call my little mistress by her true name. I have been negligent in my duties because I allowed you to know her name.”
“How should we address her, if not by her name?” Dr. Rutledge inquired.
“You should not address her at all. I am aware that she no
longer covers her face, but you must not consider approaching her for any reason.”
Thorn met the doctor’s eyes. Neither of them could understand a society that so jealously guarded their women. Again Thorn felt resentment building up inside him. He did not like the fact that Brittany belonged to a man who had many other women. He wondered how she could love such a man.
“Just rest, Achmed,” Thorn commanded. “I have made certain that your charge will come to no harm.”
Achmed smiled, feeling reassured. “I trust you, Captain Stoddard. You have proven you are a friend.”
Thorn moved out of the cabin, wondering how in the hell he got himself tangled up in Brittany’s life. He looked forward to the day when he would set her ashore and see the last of her.
The storm hit just after midnight. Thunder and lightning chased each other across the ebony skies, and a hard rain pelted its fury against the
Victorious.
Brittany was jarred awake when a jagged bolt of lightning splintered through the night.
With trembling hands, she fumbled around in the dark until she found her hooded burnoose. Not bothering to dress, she slipped the cape over her nightgown, thinking she must look in on Achmed. He had appeared well enough earlier, but perhaps the storm had awakened him. She needed to satisfy herself that he still clung to life.
She left her cabin quietly and padded barefoot down the corridor to Achmed’s cabin. Silently, she opened the door to find him sleeping peacefully. For a time she watched the steady rise and fall of his chest, then she closed the door, feeling more relieved about his condition.
On her way back to her cabin, she had an urge to stand in the rain and let it wash all her troubles away. She made no sound as she took the steps that led to the upper deck. Knowing there would be a man at the helm, perhaps the
captain, and a man on watch, she moved directly to the railing, hoping no one would detect her presence and send her below.
By now the thunder and lightning had built up in force, but the rain had ceased. She pushed her hood aside, breathing in the clean air. She felt wonderfully revived. She had always loved storms.
“It’s late for you to be about, isn’t it?” the deep voice of the captain spoke up from beside her.
She backed closer to the railing. “I…was awakened by the thunder.”
“Yet you were not frightened if you can stand out here in the thunder.”
She could have told him she was only frightened of him at the moment. “No, I am not frightened of a little thunder. Why should I be?”
“You would never allow anything as insignificant as a little thunder to frighten you, would you?”
Something in the way he looked at her made her want to flee. His eyes were burning into hers, searching, probing, yet she stayed. Suddenly she felt warm inside, and she clutched at her cape, pulling it about her neck.
“I hope you do not mind that I came on deck, Captain?”
“Why should I mind? If you fall overboard, it will rid me of a nuisance, wouldn’t it?”
She drew in her breath at the pain his words caused. Turning to look at the stormy sky overhead, she wished he would just go away and leave her in peace. Her eyes burned, and she could feel tears gathering on her lashes.
“What the hell?” he said, turning her to face him and staring into her face.
Brittany put her hand to her face, fearing the stain had come off her face in the rain. “What is wrong?” she asked, backing away from him.
“I always say the wrong thing with you. Of course, I don’t want you to fall overboard. I am not the monster you believe me to be.”
“I am aware that I have been trouble for you, Captain. You have certainly called my attention to it often enough.” She pulled her cape about her to ward off the rain. “But I fear you are stuck with me until we reach Charleston.”
“So it would seem.” He saw her shiver and wrongly concluded that she was cold. “You had best go below deck now. The last thing I want is another ill passenger on my hands. You and your eunuch have complicated my life enough as it is.”
She could do no more than stare at him. Was this man always angry? she wondered. Did he never laugh and feel lighthearted?
Brittany could not know how appealing she looked with her dark hair blowing with the wind and her beautiful face illuminated by streaks of lightning.
“Go below,” Thorn ordered in a stern voice.
Suddenly, she had enough of his highhanded manner, and she decided to fight back. “No, I will not go below. I came out to see the storm, and I intend to stay as long as I like.”
With a growl of impatience, and a sudden movement, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her across the deck and down the narrow passageway.
“What are you going to do to me?” she asked through trembling lips, wondering if she had pushed him too far.
“What I should have done when I first had the urge,” he ground out in an angry voice.
He held her suspended while he opened the door to his cabin and carried her inside and set her on her feet.
“But I have not—”
Drawing Brittany to him, Thorn lowered his dark head and covered her lips with his, cutting off any protest she might have made.
Thorn had meant only to take his anger out on her with a quick kiss, but when her soft lips trembled beneath his and he heard the sigh escape her throat, all he could think about was possessing her.
All the conversations Brittany had overheard in the harem now came to her mind. How many times had she heard the women discussing the ways to please their lord. She knew where to touch a man to make him mindless with passion. Should she use that knowledge with this man? Brittany had been told that a woman’s body had been created to receive a man’s. Should she offer her body to this man?
Moving back, her cape fell away, and she realized too late that her nightgown would appear transparent with the lantern behind her. She felt a hot wave of pleasure wash over her when his blue eyes darkened with desire.
Yes, she reminded herself, she had been taught by experts in pleasing a lover. She would now use all she knew to entrap Thorn Stoddard. Too many times he had humiliated her and made her hurt because of his bitter words. Now she would humiliate him.
Her eyes gleamed as she planned how she would humble him. She would take him to the brink of madness and then deny him what he wanted most from her.
Thorn stood tight-lipped, his eyes drawn to the delicate beauty. When he found his voice, it came out in a tortured whisper. “It would be in your best interest to leave now. Stay, and you will suffer the consequences. I am not a man who can withstand temptation.”
The air was charged with electricity, and Brittany felt daring. “What if I do not want to leave? I see in your eyes that you do not really want me to leave.”
“Perhaps,” he agreed with a shrug. “But if you stay, you know what will happen. I doubt that you are willing to take that chance.” He advanced a step closer to her. “I would advise you not to.”
“What is your pleasure?” She moved closer to him, stood on tiptoes, and purred in his ear, “Tell me, and I will give it to you.”
She struggled to retain her cool manner, when in truth she wanted to flee to safety. This man was making her feel
emotions she did not know how to handle, no matter how much she had learned in the harem.
“I warn you,” he whispered in a meaningful voice, “do not push me too far.”
Foolishly, Brittany gave him an alluring smile. She had not been taught that it was unwise for a woman to tease a man like Thorn. She only wanted to toy with him, to make him feel some of the frustrations she had experienced because of him. It was important that she bring this arrogant man to his knees. Only then would she feel appeased.
His breath came out in a hiss, and he gathered her trembling body tightly against his.
“I will be damned for eternity, little concubine, but I will have all of you. No matter that you belong to another man, I will take what the sultan desires, and what Lord Simijin treasures.”
“I have been trained to please, Captain Stoddard,” she purred. “I know how to make your body find pleasures in a thousand delightful ways. But first you must give me time to prepare.”
Thorn stared into green eyes that promised him paradise. “What is to prepare?” he asked hoarsely.
She slipped out of his arms, stooped to retrieve her burnoose, and slipped it over her head. “Give me a few moments, and then come to my cabin. I will give you a night you will never forget.”
He stared after her as she moved to the door. “What if I do not want what you offer, Brittany? I have had many such offers.” He thought of Wilhelmina. “Some I have accepted, others I have not.”
She smiled her most captivating smile. “You will come, I think.”
After she had gone, Thorn stood as though in a trance. He would not fall into the trap that was being so cleverly laid for him.
He was beginning to believe she had deliberately come on deck tonight with the express purpose of driving him out of
his mind. One other time in his life he had allowed a woman to reach the innermost part of his heart—he had vowed never to do it again.