Mystery in the Moonlight (11 page)

“Thanks, but I’d rather have a drink some other time,” Caitlin said, opening cupboard doors. Soon she’d found black pepper, dried red pepper, jalapenos, onions, and a variety of spices. Wondering what seasoning mixture would be best with beans or rice, she came up with a great idea. “Does Captain Winslow like hot, spicy food?” she asked Lars.

“Hot and spicy? I don’t know.”

“I think he should try it,” said Caitlin with a wicked grin. But how was she going to flavor the captain’s food without changing the taste for all the rest of the crew? “Do you fix a separate plate for the captain?” she asked hopefully.

“Sometimes he eats in his quarters, but of late he’s been sitting down with the crew. He likes to talk to his men and help himself out of the pot like everyone else.” Lars frowned. “You know, missy, I heard the talk before, and there aren’t any real thieves or murderers around here. Captain Winslow wouldn’t allow it. Why, he’s one of the best men I’ve ever served. And I’ve been a sailor for sixty years.” When Caitlin was silent, Lars continued, “See these tattoos? I got them in all the ports of the world. I’ve seen a pack of humans, and I surely know the good ones when I see them. You’re lucky Captain Winslow got a hold of you off that cabin cruiser. You were in with the wrong people.”

Lars began singing again in earnest, slowly dancing around the galley with a broom as he swept the floor. After removing the bean pot from the heat, Caitlin mixed salt and cayenne and black pepper to its contents, then added diced jalapeños and spicy cumin for good measure. Captain Winslow would just have to share the spicy food. As she stirred everything together she thought about the old sailor’s lecture. He was probably too crazy to know about Bryce’s illegal activities. She should be thankful that Captain Winslow had gotten hold of her? Low Tide Lars was definitely deluded.

“Lars?” called a man’s voice from the door at one end of the galley. Caitlin turned her eyes to the stranger who’d obviously come from another area below deck. Neatly dressed in chinos and a short-sleeved shirt, his brown hair parted precisely, this man hadn’t been, present at lunch. He smiled politely at Caitlin as soon as he noticed her at the stove.

“How do you do?” the man said, offering his hand. “I’m Raymond de Silva, the
Sea Devil’s
engineer. And you are—”

Lars moved nearer to interrupt. “She’s the girl the captain took off the cabin cruiser last night. Now she’s working for me.”

“Really? I didn’t see much from the engine room. For a minute there I thought we were hosts to a new passenger.”

“I wish I were a passenger…and that this was only one of the more colorful types of cruises around the Spanish Main,” mumbled Caitlin. “Then I’d know when and
if
I could get off this ship.”

The Portuguese looked uncomfortable. “You aren’t enjoying sailing on the
Sea Devil
? We’re in such a beautiful area. Hasn’t Lars given you time to look at the scenery? Well, I hope things improve,” he offered lamely. “Your situation may not be as bad as you think.”

Was this pirate trying to gloss things over? He acted like Caitlin was on vacation. She looked back at the stove and stirred the beans thoughtfully.

“That smells wonderful,” said the engineer. “You must be a good cook. May I have a taste? I skipped lunch and came over here for a snack.”

“It’s not ready!” exclaimed Caitlin, moving the pot away defensively. She didn’t want to be found out now. But Lars ruined everything. Taking a bowl and spoon from the cupboard, he followed her to scoop out some beans, then handed the mixture to de Silva.

For the next few minutes there was nothing to do but try to make herself inconspicuous. Her back to the table, Caitlin carefully examined the pots and utensils that hung on the far wall of the galley. She was surprised when she didn’t hear an outcry, then turned to see the engineer eating the beans with relish.

“You’ve got a great assistant there, Lars,” said de Silva, smiling at Caitlin. “This dish is excellent. Red pepper’s just what your beans needed. The only thing that might make them better is to add some sautéed onions or scallions.”

“We’ve got plenty of onions…grunions, bunions…” chanted Lars. Opening a drawer, he threw out several bunches of the vegetables. “Can you cut these up, missy?”

“Sure.”

Slicing onions on the large cutting board near the stove, Caitlin couldn’t keep from crying. And she didn’t know if she was more affected by the potent vegetables or by her disappointment over failing to ruin Bryce’s dinner. It was too bad the seasoning had been so diluted. She should have waited and somehow gotten all the pepper flakes into Bryce’s food alone. That would have made the captain sit up and take notice. Imagining his discomfort, she grinned through her tears.

But her smile froze when she saw Bryce enter the galley a few seconds later. Staring directly at her at first, he quickly turned away, a strange expression on his face. Had that actually been a look of concern she’d seen? Surely not.

Beneath his gorgeous exterior Caitlin was certain that Captain Winslow had a black, self-serving heart. Hadn’t he almost made love to her to get her to answer his questions? Degraded her by forcing her onto his nightmare ship and threatening her? Caitlin only hoped she’d live long enough to see Bryce locked up someday!

Later that night a strong wind came up from the southwest, driving banks of heavy clouds and the
Sea Devil
, in full sail, before it. Standing near the prow, Bryce watched the ship slice through high, black swells, and then gazed up at the velvety dark sky. The moon had disappeared. Bryce hoped a storm wasn’t brewing; that might stop them from reaching St. Lucia by morning. Once there, he planned to send a message to Jean Moreau and demand a ransom for the return of his kidnapped mistress.

Would Moreau be willing to make a deal? Bryce wondered. Or would he try to trick them to get Caitlin back? The Frenchman was well known for being as shrewd as he was deceptive. But would he dare to gamble if he thought his woman’s life was in danger?

Bryce was anxious to get Caitlin off the
Sea Devil
. Just thinking about her huge, serious blue eyes and the tears he’d seen running down her cheeks tonight made him feel unpleasantly guilty.

She always looked and acted so innocent. Even the silly lies she’d told him about being a triple agent could be easily discerned as such. Was she playing a game? Or was she really as balmy as Lars?

Thinking about the old cook, Bryce carefully headed back across the slanting deck as the ship rolled with the wind. If Lars still had Caitlin working, Bryce wanted to tell him to let her get some sleep. As he neared the galley door, however, a slight figure burst out in front of him and wove its teetering way to the ship’s side.

“Caitlin! Don’t jump!” Bryce yelled above the sound of rustling sails and wind. She didn’t answer but hung her head over the railing. He reached her in a couple of strides and took hold of her shoulders when he realized what was wrong. “If you’re going to be sick, don’t stick your face right into the wind! Come to the other side.”

Half dragging her as they struggled, he managed to take her in the other direction. Her face was white in the dim light of the open galley door, and she groaned before retching on to the deck—and all over his left pant leg and shoe.

“Oh!” She groaned again. “Now look what you’ve made me do! Can’t you leave me alone?”

“I’m trying to help you. Come over here,” insisted Bryce, steering her toward the opposite railing. Gently placing an arm around her midriff from behind, he held her head over the side as she was sick over and over again.

“Lots of people get sick when they’re first aboard a ship. You’ll get over it,” he said, wondering why he wanted to comfort her.

In a few minutes Caitlin stepped back from the railing, shivering as she leaned against him. “I don’t want to get over it. And I don’t want your help. I’d rather be off this dumb boat.”

“Ship,” corrected Bryce, trying to ignore the warmth where her slight body touched his own. A strand of her hair whipped across his face. “I’d like to see you off this ship too. But in the meantime you might as well try to get used to it. Why don’t you come back to the cabin, take some medicine, and keep warm and quiet?” He didn’t know if he was relieved or disappointed when she swung out and away from him. She’d felt so good nestled between his arms.

“No. I think it will be better if I sleep on deck,” stated Caitlin. Standing under the straining sails, her blue eyes glowing with angry determination, her long hair tossed by the wind, she looked like a tempestuous water sprite.

Bryce stepped nearer. “That’s ridiculous. It’s too cold out here.”

She moved away, edging toward the galley door. “I don’t want to sleep in your cabin again. And don’t think you can talk me into it, either. Thank goodness I found out that all that dizziness was seasickness—and not you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m just seasick! I’m not attracted to you!” she shouted before disappearing down the stairway.

As he made his way to the ship’s wheel to relieve Anselm, Bryce couldn’t help but brood. Caitlin had a lot of nerve for a hostage. Her last remark hadn’t set well with him at all. Did she have to inform the whole ship so loudly that she found him unattractive?

And the remark probably wasn’t even true, Bryce thought, remembering the moon-drenched night he’d held Caitlin O’Connor in his arms. Warm and passionate, she’d certainly acted as if she were attracted to him then. No woman could fake such burning kisses, could she?

Chapter Six

“Miss. Miss, wake up.” Caitlin tried to ignore the lilting island voice, but the hand giving her shoulder a couple of sharp shakes forced her to concentrate. “Hurry or you’ll miss the dolphins.”

“What?” Caitlin groaned and rolled over. What was she doing on deck? she wondered. It took a minute to realize that she’d chosen to bed down there. Blinking her sleep-filled eyes, she stared up into a kindly black face. It belonged to the middle-aged deckhand, Perry. “Dolphins?”

“Both aft and starboard,” the man told her, holding on to a mop he’d been using to clean the deck with one hand, pointing to the rear and right side of the ship with the other. “They’re following us.”

Not sure she trusted her legs after the previous night—not to mention her stomach—Caitlin rose cautiously. But though she was a little stiff from sleeping on the hard wood with nothing but a thin mat protecting her body, she felt steadier than she would have imagined, and her empty stomach merely grumbled for food.

“Dolphins!” she said excitedly, the concept finally sinking into her awakening brain.

Caitlin made her way to the starboard rail with a little more confidence. Perhaps sleeping in the fresh air had done her some good, as Lars had assured her it would. At least she didn’t feel sick anymore.

“Look!” Caitlin cried excitedly as she spotted the marine mammals mere yards from the ship. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen anything quite as beautiful as these graceful, sleek gray bodies dipping into and out of the foaming sea swells. “There must be dozens of them.”

“More than likely it’s hundreds, miss.”

“Oh, thank you for waking me, Perry.”

What a fantastic sight, Caitlin thought, watching the chain of dolphins hurriedly stretch away from the ship toward a fog-enshrouded island. The sun hadn’t yet risen over the horizon, and the early morning, tinged in shades of gray, held a dreamlike quality.

“I’ve never seen live dolphins before,” Caitlin told the man as the creatures shrank to moving specks in the distance. “Other than in a marine show, that is.”

“Some days we see whales, especially when we’re around St. Vincent. Now those are some of God’s most awe-inspiring creatures.”

Caitlin looked at the deckhand, who was staring out to sea with a rapt expression. Did a pirate believe in God? Then he couldn’t be all bad…right? As a matter of fact, Perry didn’t seem like a bad man at all. Actually he seemed quite nice. How awful that he’d been forced into a life of crime, she thought, dramatically deciding that the poor man must have been shanghaied by that beast Bryce. She’d read enough pirate novels and had seen enough pirate movies to know that was how captains got their extra crew members.

Just thinking about the captain and how he’d witnessed her humiliation the night before made Caitlin’s stomach quiver. Imagine! She’d retched right on the man’s pant leg. Then again, after thinking about it for a moment, Caitlin decided that had been the least she could do to Bryce as retribution for his kidnapping her, since she’d been unable to poison him or even make his food inedibly hot.

“I’d best get back to work before I get into trouble, miss,” Perry said, bowing his head in a gesture of courtesy.

“Yes, of course,” Caitlin quickly agreed, thinking that Bryce was probably as hard a taskmaster with his men as he was with her. And she was sure he could be cruel if thwarted. “I wouldn’t want you to be flogged because of me.”

Perry gave her an odd look and mumbled something almost indistinguishable before going back to his job. Caitlin had noticed that while the crew spoke perfect Queen’s English to her, they spoke in a much more jumbled, faster version of the language among themselves. That would explain it. She must have confused what she’d
thought
Perry said about slavery having been abolished long ago in the islands.