“
But then who is she?” Rein asked, beginning to unfold her hidden fears.
He hesitated. “
That
I cannot answer. She is just someone with extraordinary abilities, in truth. She is more like a mother figure to Traith and I, but there have been…complications, that have prolonged our meeting again with her. She has been incapable of reaching Traith or I, but for some reason she reached you.”
Just as relief hit Rein at hearing a confirmation that Mistress was not anything special to Traith, confusion set her back. It was like Romanoff was talking in riddles. Rein knew now that both men knew this ‘Mistress’ well. Either they didn’t know anything more than they were telling, or they were lying to keep their secrets. That was what she needed to figure out.
Romanoff continued. “Traith was trying to break that ice easily to you, that is all, Miss Pierson. It is truly an intricate situation, but you mustn’t worry. Things will work out for you.”
“
Perhaps you can start enjoying your trip more now,” Saria said, as if the Frenchman’s words had rolled off her like they’d never been said. “
And
, I must comment, now that you’re here—Traith Harker!” She laughed and looked at Romanoff. “
Traith Harker
! Never have I seen a man like him!” Romanoff laughed at her as she continued. “He caught you out of nowhere, I declare, those nights ago!” She was startlingly loud. “A peculiar man indeed! He said astonishingly little at that gathering—he was rather annoyed, you know—but when he caught you he seemed so gentle!”
“
I know,” Rein said quietly, hoping it would quiet Saria. “His manner changes drastically, it seems.”
“
A prize of a man, he is, am I right Miss Pierson?” Romanoff added.
“
A
prize
?” Saria laughed. “Perhaps immensely handsome, but not so valuable for women, I’m afraid to say, with such a gloomy demeanor.”
“
He is in a deep depression,” Romanoff said sadly, “and has been since he’s been stuck on this ship. To drown it out, he either submerses himself in his science or books, or trains—
exercises—
or takes to his bath. I’ve never known a man to enjoy bathing so. He has never been romantically involved before; at least to my knowledge. That is why he is unaccustomed to
you
, Miss Pierson. His memory of how to woo a lady has most likely withered. I most definitely have never seen him attempt to flirt before, in all his years!” He laughed, and then his shrill voice quieted. “So, he may be attempting it.”
Rein prayed she wasn’t glowing or turning red at his comment. At that exact moment she was thankful for having an acquaintance with the Frenchman. She was learning so much about Traith through him. He was depressed. That explained his introversion.
“
Mr. Romanoff, that is quite jumping to conclusions,” Rein said, smiling and trying not to flush. “I wouldn’t say he has flirted at all with me.”
“
You say his wooing has ‘withered,’ but he is still a boy!” Saria replied to him. “How could such memory be withered? How old is Mr. Harker?”
Romanoff laughed with sarcasm. “He is…oh God…oh; three and twenty.”
“
He is merely three years older than
you
, Rein!” Saria said with applause, and Rein chuckled as Saria continued. “He is very handsome, indeed.”
“
Yes, he is,” Rein answered with a smile.
“
But I did want to ask—have you noticed the scars on his face?” Saria asked, opportunely toning her voice down. “I was nearly breathless at how handsome he was, but when I saw the scars, subtle though they may be, it takes the refined quality from him.”
Rein shook her head. “He never told me how he got them.”
“
He has a long past with this ship,” Romanoff said. “I do not even know how he obtained them for sure.”
“
Haven’t you asked him?” Saria asked, her interest building.
Romanoff sighed with pity. “He can’t remember.”
Rein felt that the mystery that surrounded Traith Harker suddenly made sense. He had lost his memory. She longed to know how, but obviously that was impossible. But at least she had some sort of notion about him. Did he trust her, as she did him? Was she wrong to trust?
“
He can’t remember?” Saria asked in sorrow. “Oh, the pain he must feel!”
Rein was usually frustrated by Saria’s drama, but this time it was called for.
“
You see,” Romanoff began, “something terrible happened to him that made him lose his memory of his past; he told me he remembered at least that much. That it involved a great deal of pain.” He was now whispering. “The poor fellow, his tolerance to pain is unnaturally high, too. But all that he recalls—finding it even hard to articulate to me—was that there was so much pain that he still nearly
feels
—” he stopped and swallowed. “Well, anyway, he cannot recall much of anything before he turned twenty-three. I suppose that would make anyone depressed. Also, he has had a terrible family life.”
“
That is absolutely
dreadful
! That was his last birthday!” Saria was nearly in dramatic tears. “But didn’t you know him, then, to know what happened to him?”
Romanoff hesitated. “I did, but I never learned of his past. We became better friends
after
whatever happened.”
Rein was disquieted. “He mentioned a laboratory accident,” she said quietly. “He said that was what affected his eyes.”
“
O-of course,” Romanoff said with a stutter. “The accident is what contributed to his eye color, yes. But not to his scars.”
“
Rein told me Mr. Harker was blind,” Saria said as if boasting that she knew something about him. “Although he doesn’t seem it. But I see what you mean about his eyes.
Very
peculiar.”
“
He told you he was blind?” Romanoff asked Rein.
Rein was unsure how to reply. “No; well no. Not completely; I’m not sure—”
“
He
isn’t
,” Romanoff said with a loss of happiness. “But his insecurity regarding his sight and his eyes are more than noticeable. He needs something to explain it with. He does see differently, though. Better.”
“
Better? How is that? He lied?”
“
I’m sure it was only out of insecurity that Traith would lie to you, Miss Pierson. That ‘accident’ honed his eyesight; it didn’t destroy it.”
“
That’s interesting,” Saria said, “but I want to know how old you are, Mr. Romanoff. You’ve failed to tell me before.”
Rein stared at him when Saria spoke.
Carden Romanoff was young, but not nearly as young as Traith was. His face was slightly aged, but vibrant nonetheless. She noticed him coil a little when Saria asked him his age.
“
My age?” he repeated her question to himself.
“
Do you not know?” Saria asked with a good laugh.
“
J'ai cinq ans et trente ans.
”
Rein smiled in her mind. Thirty-five. It was a little odd that Saria, being only eighteen, was trying to start a relationship, as short as it might very well be, with a man his age, although she had guessed his age rather well. He had to have seen so much more of the world than Saria, and his experience in it must be vast.
“
Being older than Traith, I do try to work with him about being more social. He will come around.”
“
Mr. Romanoff is right; he is not social at all, Rein,” Saria added, just to make herself noticed in the conversation.
“
But you are attracted to him, aren’t you?” Romanoff asked her, and she laughed. After a pause, he continued. “Ah, but I know what you’re thinking. Very elusive. He is a shy gentleman, Miss Pierson, but he is like the analogy:
a very high stone wall
, very protective and hard to climb over, but when and
if
you make it over the top, you are under the protection of the stone wall forever.”
Saria laughed. “Interesting correlation, Mr. Romanoff. Would you consider yourself ‘protected by the wall’?”
He sat back and held his hand on his chin with a smile. “Yes, I suppose so, though he gets quite vexed at me sometimes when I push him to do things of a sort. Ah, but it is true, he has weaknesses, though he conceals them. He is more human than he appears sometimes.”
Rein suddenly flinched and turned at the creak of an opening door. She turned and saw a man sneak through the crack in the door and slam it behind him.
“
That was him,” Romanoff said with a snort of a laugh.
“
That was Traith Harker?” Saria giggled. “In such a rush again, always out that door!” She quickly became excited. “Rein! Go try to speak with him! Follow him!”
Rein laughed. “I couldn’t—”
“
I would advise you to, Miss Pierson. He is hard to catch. It is rare seeing him around the lobby area.” Romanoff smiled and lowered his voice. “He will not turn you away, I assure you.”
Rein opened the larger door that led to the deck and crept through it. It was beginning to rain hard, and the crisp air greeted her with thousands of droplets stinging her face as the wind blew. It managed, as usual, to pull her well-done-up hair out of its placement and into her face. It was already completely down and blowing in front of her eyes.
Traith wasn’t on the deck; therefore, she knew he was in the port door chamber underneath the ship. The ocean waves misted the top of the deck as they ran past the sides of the ship, lapping and foaming around the edges. The smoke stacks, however, that stood so tall above her, made no smoke at all. As she wondered how the ship was running, she slowly made her way to the far side of the deck.
She suddenly heard faint yelling coming from down the stairwell as she approached the door. Her hands crept up the porthole window, and she placed her ear onto the door. She could recognize Traith’s voice yelling above another.
Suddenly the door opened inward, and Rein fell into him as he had come up the steps and opened it. He staggered backward but caught himself by grabbing onto the rails, a shocked expression on his face.
“
Bloody hell!” he said as he caught himself and stared at her while she pulled herself up and pushed her long, wet hair out of her face. “M-Miss Pierson,” he stated with shock. “What the devil are you doing out here?”
Rein immediately stood upright, fixed her dress, and cleared her throat. She noticed him slip a vial into his pocket.
“
I’m sorry. I just wanted to look around a little more. Mr. Romanoff told me to go down to the meeting room, and then I heard you, and I didn’t know it was raining. I didn’t mean to fall into you.”
He turned abruptly and shut the door behind him, just as the captain ran up the stairs yelling his name. He sighed heavily, pushed on the door for a few moments, and locked it. The captain banged on the door once or twice but then stopped. It sounded to her as if Harker swore under his breath.
“
Why did you lock him in there? Why was he so upset?”
“
He is unwell; I told you. Frankly I would be upset too if I were mad.”
The explanation he gave was faulty; a front for his hatred.
As he rested on the port door looking back, she focused on his attire. He wore only a white, long-sleeved shirt, different than the one she had seen him in before, but similarly casual. He wore no waistcoat, and his trousers and boots were relatively the same as what he had been wearing. Because of the rain and wind, his white shirt was quickly becoming transparent, and Rein’s stomach quivered with exhilaration as she observed his form. It was as if he wore nothing above his waist.
A spectacularly muscular chest and abdomen were very clear under his wet shirt. Although he was not bulky in any way, each muscle in his arm seemed to be chiseled from marble; defined, and…
“
Are you all right? What are you thinking about?” he asked quietly, noticing her in a daze. He looked at the sky as it rained, blinking when the drops hit his eyes.
She laughed in embarrassment, realizing it must be obvious that she was examining him. But it was inevitable. Her heart skipped a beat, and her stomach seemed to flutter when she looked from his physique into his fantastic eyes and face. She had feelings she could not deny. He really seemed as if he didn’t know how handsome he was.
Rein said nothing, but then chuckled at herself. “You are athletic, aren’t you, Mr. Harker?”
He accidentally smiled, staring at the floor. “I train, yes, if that’s what you meant.”
“
It’s just, the rain made your shirt…You’re very strapping.” She laughed harder that time and felt herself flush.
He made a sigh of quiet, short laughter, as he always did. “It isn’t meant to show off, trust me. But I suppose wearing a white shirt in the rain makes it seem so.”
“
Well,” she cleared her throat and looked away, trying not to make him feel even more awkward, “if the captain is locked down there, who is navigating the ship?” Her embarrassment turned to uncertainty. “How could he even be captain if he is mad?”
“
We have a second,” he said. “Another man who does most of the navigating. The man down there technically isn’t the captain, but most consider him as such. Slowly he is worsening.” He stepped quickly in front of her and turned. “Let’s go inside. You shouldn’t be out here.”