Caution to the Wind (24 page)

“I think the two of you had better come with me,” Buck said.

Chapter Eighteen

Buck led the way to the captain’s quarters, Violet marching behind him, head held high. Amanda trailed them, mustering her dignity and trying to make sense of the last few minutes. Should she try to explain the situation before Violet had an opportunity to level her accusations? But why should she feel the need to defend herself against charges that were clearly absurd?

Buck nudged Amanda and Violet ahead of him into the captain’s quarters.

“What’s this about?” the captain asked.

“There appears to have been a misunderstanding,” Buck started to explain, only to be interrupted by Violet.

Miss Bowersley no longer screeched, but she still quivered with indignant fury. Back and forth, she paraded before the captain, seemingly unbothered by her bare feet peeking out from under her nightgown while she informed him all about the “misunderstanding.”

“We were having a nice chat while I changed behind the screen, Captain. Then I needed help with a couple of buttons on the back of my dress that I couldn’t reach. I should have known by the way Adam’s hands lingered something was amiss.” Tears welled up in her eyes.

Liar!
Amanda wanted to scream. She hadn’t touched a single button on Violet’s dress.

“Fool that I am, I asked him to brush out my hair. I’m so used to having my lady’s maid do it for me, but I’ve had to do without these last three months. I thought perhaps it would help comfort me, being so far from home, if I had someone to take care of me.” Her face took on the essence of innocent vulnerability.

Amanda opened her mouth to interject something,
anything
, in her own defense, but the captain held up his hand. Why wouldn’t he let her speak?

“After he finished with my hair, I bade him goodnight, but he didn’t leave. Even so, I wasn’t frightened at that point.” She clasped her hands together and Amanda thought she glimpsed tears glistening in her big blue eyes. “Oh, I’m such an innocent!”

Like hell you are!
A sound escaped Amanda’s lips before she could help it, and the captain shot her a look that suggested, for her own sake, she remain quiet.

“Still, I hinted it would be improper for him to remain. Then he... Then he...” A fat tear rolled down Violet’s cheek. “He pushed me onto the bed and tried to kiss me!”

Amanda watched in disgust, wondering how Violet could produce tears on demand. The captain had already proven himself vulnerable, but Amanda found the idea of using them to manipulate abhorrent. Real tears were one thing, but these?

They had to be fake tears. In fact, Miss Bowersley had begun to remind Amanda more and more of an actor on the stage

a bad actor. Her indignation, the fluttering of her hands against her chest, the flush on her cheeks, it was all too passionate to be believed.

“Adam, I believe you owe Miss Bowersley an apology,” the captain said, without looking at her.

“But, captain,” Amanda sputtered.

He believed Violet, bad acting and all? More than that, how could he possibly think she would try to steal a kiss form the girl? Did he think just because she dressed as a man meant she preferred the attentions of women?

Amanda stood in horrified silence.

“Now, Adam!”

Amanda gritted her teeth. Well, she could be as much an actress as Violet.

“My dear, Miss Bowersley,” Amanda clasped one of Violet’s hands. “I sincerely regret our misunderstanding. You see, I was so captivated by your company that I simply must have missed your suggestion to leave.”

Amanda’s stomach churned, and although she tried her best to keep the sarcasm out of her voice, it crept in through her words. “As for the kiss, although it would be heaven to be permitted to kiss an angel such as you, I realize I am a mere boy and not fit to kiss the ground on which you tread.”

Buck coughed, and Amanda could feel the captain’s eyes boring into the side of her head. Violet preened like a parakeet.

“I would never try to take advantage of an innocent like yourself. I’m afraid I lost my footing on the uneven boards and, unfortunately, knocked you over when I tried to catch myself. I do hope you will forgive me and we can remain friends.”

“Well, I suppose it could happen to anyone,” Violet said, in a haughty and condescending voice, but at least she no longer sounded angry.

Amanda gave Violet her biggest smile.
What a fool!
Either that, or Amanda’s deception skills had improved. After all, she’d had more than two months to practice.

Miss Violet held out her hand for a kiss and Amanda’s conceit vanished.

Oh, for heaven’s sakes. How low would she have to stoop before this was all over? And how did one kiss a hand? She once had a neighbor’s boy try to steal a kiss on her cheek, a move he soon regretted, but she had never had anyone kiss her hand. Fighting revulsion, she tried to remember the captain’s performance when Violet had first come aboard. Taking her hand, she kissed the air above her knuckles, all the while imaging what Violet might do if she spit on her instead. She lingered over Violet’s hand a moment longer while she forced back a grin.

“You may escort me back to my quarters now.” Violet’s tone would have befitted a queen.

“I think not,” the captain interjected. “Buck, escort Miss Bowersley to her quarters, and then make absolutely certain no one is allowed inside.”

Or out
, Amanda wanted to add, but she decided not to press her luck.

“Yes, sir,” Buck waved his hand to allow Violet to precede him through the door.

Amanda turned to follow.

“Not you,” the captain said.

He didn’t sound pleased. Amanda turned back and set her feet shoulder width part so she could bob with the waves and weather whatever recriminations came her way.

The captain rose from his chair and went to stand beside a small window. He stood there for some time, staring out at the night sea, hands clasped behind his back. After several minutes, Amanda wondered if he had forgotten her presence.

“Captain, I…” she began, but the captain’s deep sigh cut her short.

“You have no need to explain, Amanda. Do you honestly think I believe you pushed that woman onto the bed? I sent you with her to her quarters to keep her occupied and away from anyone else she might try to seduce, me included.”

Amanda choked back a giggle. So the captain had not been oblivious to Violet’s intentions.

“I sent you because you were the least likely to have any interest in her and she in you.” He glanced at her. “I had no idea she would use you to further her goals.”

“I’m sorry about that, Captain,” Amanda said. “I hope I didn’t cause any trouble for you.”

“No, I am the one who should offer an apology.” His lip curled in a sneer. “When I ended the dinner and she saw her chance slipping away, she used you as a pawn in her little game—and I let her.” He leveled his gaze at Amanda. “For putting you in that position, I am truly sorry.”

His sincerity touched something inside her. “If you didn’t believe I pushed her, why didn’t you allow me to tell my side of the story?”

“Because you obviously don’t have much experience with women.”

Amanda bit her lip, not sure whether she had just been insulted. She was a woman!

“Sorry, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded,” he said with an embarrassed laugh. “What I mean to say is that you don’t have much experience with women who will do whatever it takes, use whomever they will, to get their way.”

“That sounds suspiciously like a compliment,” Amanda said.

To her surprise, the captain returned her smile. “If she felt her reputation had been damaged, she might complain to some authority or another, and I could lose my marque. Her uncle may not be as powerful as she claims, but I don’t want to take any chances.

“I see.” Amanda had no idea the stakes were so high.

“Plus, I have the suspicion she is husband hunting.” The dismay on the captain’s face suggested he didn’t relish being the girl’s quarry.

“Oh, I can assure you, she is,” Amanda said.

“Yes, well, I don’t intend to get snared in her net. Women like her are one of the reasons I don’t allow women on my ship.” He looked up as though he suddenly remembered to whom he was speaking. “Most of the time anyway.”

A glimmer of hope kindled in Amanda’s chest. His statement hadn’t been a reversal of his cardinal rule, but it was tantamount to an admission that rules could be broken. But could they be broken permanently, or did he still consider her presence a temporary aberration?

“You are lucky she is vain enough to actually believe your outrageous apology.” The captain shot her a grin. “Where did you learn to kiss a hand like that?”

Amanda shrugged. “From you.”

“From me?” The captain’s brows rose as one.

“Yes, I watched you greet Miss Bowersley when she came on board this evening.”

“Ahh, so that’s it. Anyway, your performance may have saved my ship, and I am grateful.”

“Thank you,” Amanda said, humbled.

“However, to avoid further mishap in case she changes her mind, I think perhaps the two of us should stick together tonight.”

“Stick together?” Amanda’s heart leapt into her throat.

Surely, he didn’t mean she should spend the night with him. A sudden image of the two of them snuggled together on his narrow hammock sent heat rushing to her cheeks. If the captain noticed, he didn’t comment. His gaze dropped to the manifest in front of him.

“I wouldn’t put it past her to drug poor Buck and slip into bed with one of us while we are fast asleep and then claim we put her there.”

Perhaps he did know women—of that type anyway—far better than she did.

Amanda grinned. “So you want me here...as your protector?”

“Something like that.” He held up a hand. “But before you get too smug, it’s for your own protection as well. She could just as easily sneak into your hammock as mine, and I thought you might find that a bit awkward.”

“I’ll say.” Amanda laughed. “Still, I’m happy to oblige you, Captain. If I can be of service...” Her voice trailed off as she started to imagine some of the ways she would like to be of service to him.

Not that any of that was likely to happen.

“Thank you.” Captain Stoakes said, his voice warm.

“Captain, can I go fetch something?” Amanda asked.

The captain nodded. “I think Buck has things well in hand for now.”

Amanda scurried out the door. Minutes later, she reentered carrying a small tray.

“You ended dinner so abruptly that you missed dessert.” She set a French custard and a pot filled with steaming black coffee before him on his desk.

The captain looked up from the manifests. A grin infused his features when he looked into the scalloped custard dish. “Nice choice. I see it was intended to complement the main course.”

Amanda grinned, pleased he understood and appreciated her humor instead of seeing it as an affront to his guests.

The captain gave her leave to sit in the chair across from him. She politely declined to share the custard, saying she didn’t care much for sweets. In truth, she got far more pleasure watching him enjoy it than she would eating any of the confection herself.

The captain produced a chipped ceramic stein from a desk drawer. Pulling a handkerchief from his breast pocket, he swabbed it out, blew in it, and poured it full of coffee from the pot. Then he offered the dainty teacup to Amanda while he kept the stein for himself. She accepted it as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

Amanda sipped the coffee, reveling in the rich aroma and flavor while she watched the captain polish off his desert. When he finished spooning up the last of it, he stared into the empty dish. From the longing in his eyes, Amanda half expected him to bury his face in it and lap up every last dreg. Instead, he contented himself with the remnants of custard clinging to his spoon. Then, he gave her a sheepish grin and offered to refill her cup.

Amanda shook her head. “No, thank you. Coffee disturbs my sleep.”

Not that she would get much sleep sharing quarters with the captain. Where did he expect her to sleep anyway?

“Before you drift off, would you mind brewing another pot?” he asked, refilling his stein. “I have a lot of work to do tonight, and I may be up for hours.”

For reasons she didn’t want to ponder, his words disappointed her.

Now that Cookie had learned to make coffee, he almost always had a fresh pot at the ready so Amanda returned in a few minutes. Not thinking to knock, she pushed his door open with her shoulder and entered to find Captain Stoakes standing at his basin.

He had removed his white linen shirt and stood bare-chested in front of the mirror, a small cloth in hand. In the reflection, Amanda could see his broad chest covered with a smattering of dark curls, soft and springy.

While he washed himself with the cloth, Amanda watched the play of muscles in his back. He had to be the most beautiful creature God ever created. His shoulders were wide, but his back narrowed to a trim waist. Each movement sent muscles rippling beneath his skin. Above the waistline of his breeches, she found herself fascinated by two indentations in the small of his back that ended somewhere below his belt line. She traced them with her eyes, and then let her appreciative gaze linger over his taught buttocks and long legs. Under his tight breeches, she could see the rest of him was just as well built.

Letting her eyes drink in the sight of him, Amanda realized something had changed. Muscles no longer rippled beneath glistening skin, and she no longer heard the soft swish of the cloth in the basin. She raised her gaze to the mirror.

His golden eyes glowed like embers in the reflection.

Probably an effect of the light from the oil lamp. She set the pot down on the desk, but her skin tingled with awareness. She knew without looking his gaze was still on her. An alertness filled her, and she understood what it felt like to be a rabbit stalked by a wolf.