The Beauty of the Mist (9 page)

She waited a moment before she spoke. Her eyes caressed his body shamelessly, again conveying much more than her words. “That and the rudeness of the old swine who stands guard by that door.”

John looked over at David.

“Christie has the watch this morning, m’lord. But he is not one to—”

The wave of John’s hand quieted the navigator. He knew that nothing David could say would make a difference in Caroline’s perception of anything that might have occurred. She had wanted to be alone with him and she had been rebuffed. So her next ploy was to be offended. And offended she would remain regardless of any argument, explanation, or apology. This was her character.

“Those were my orders,” John said to the young woman. “Christie was following my orders. Now if one of my men provoked you in any way by the manner in which you were spoken to, or by anything else you found to be personally offensive, then I will answer for that conduct.”

Caroline’s face grew hard. “He laid his hands on me.”

“Christie?” David asked incredulously, stepping forward.

The young woman’s beautiful face lost some of its charm as she found herself the object of two sets of suspicious stares. “He physically manhandled me, abusing my person.”

“That would be a serious charge, Lady Maule, if David and I did not know the man better,” John responded, his tone expressing his disbelief. “Wouldn’t it be closer to the truth to say the old man tried to keep you from barging past him, even after he asked you to stop?”

Caroline looked away, tossing her blond hair back over her shoulders.

“Did it not occur to you that the man had his orders?” John pressed.

“So I am to be pushed about by any common seagoing pig? So long as they serve under your orders?”

“The man was directed to keep visitors out. In case you haven’t realized it yet, m’lady, you are a guest traveling aboard a ship of war. The men on these vessels, like all soldiers prepared for battle, are trained to follow orders. To them, it means naught that you are a man or a woman, a noble or a commoner. Christie had a job to do. He prides himself on his loyalty to the king and on his years serving under my command.”

“I understand your codes perfectly well, Sir John. But my complaint is that your man’s orders seem to have been directed at me and only at me.” Caroline stood, tossing her head back in a defiant gesture. “My understanding is that he was told not to allow
me
in!”

“No one is to be allowed in, Lady Maule. Not just you, no one.” John glanced at David. “Unless otherwise ordered.”

“Unless otherwise ordered by whom, might I ask?” She jumped at her chance.

“Unless ordered by me or by my second-in-command, David Maxwell.”

Caroline’s face grew hard as she swung around to face the pilot. “That explains it all.”

John waved David off as the young navigator stepped forward.

“That explains what, Caroline?” the Highland queried, drawing her attention back to himself.

“The fact that while I am waiting, while I am being physically ill-treated and humiliated by a common sailor, I witness Janet Maule breeze out of the Spaniards’ cabin like she owns this ship.” Caroline’s voice carried a note of suffering, but her eyes were cool.

David began to open his mouth to explain but again the Highlander silenced him with a look and a shake of the head.

“Your husband, Lady Maule, has quite generously offered his assistance to our shipwrecked travelers. And Mistress Janet, his daughter, has been most helpful in seeing to the needs of the two women.” John glared at the young woman before him. “If you had the compassion or the understanding of either your husband or your step-daughter, then you would put an end to this childish protest and go on about your business.”

A flush reddened Caroline’s fair skin as she shot back angrily, “I, too, have compassion and can quite ably see to their needs.”

John nodded curtly. “We’ll keep that in mind, for the next time we come upon any other stranded or castaway travelers. But for the time being I would say—”

“That answer is hardly acceptable, Sir John.” Furious now, Caroline leaned forward, gripping the edge of the work table with white knuckles. “I will not allow you to exclude me this way.”

“Exclude you?” John looked at her anger with indifference, and his response was razor sharp. “Don’t forget, m’lady, you are the very same person who, when it came to bringing these people on board, was so quick to express her fear of having her throat cut in her sleep.”

Caroline began to respond, then paused and sank back into the chair.

“That was different,” she answered sullenly, averting her eyes. “That was before...”

John waited expectantly. “Before what, m’lady?”

Searching for the right words, Caroline twisted her long hair about her fingers.

“Why don’t you speak your mind?” he pressed.

She turned her glare on him. “That was before I knew one of them to be a young lady…a young lady of some breeding. And before I knew they were of such quality that you would place them in the queen’s cabin.”

That was it, John knew. And what she’d just said so truly defined the woman. “Does that make a difference to you, Lady Maule?” he asked. “Does that mean your compassion is only engaged when you learn of the size of someone’s cabin or the breeding they exhibit?”

The Highlander watched as she brooded silently. “Would it make a difference if I had told you they are as poor as peasants, that I placed them in the finest cabin because it was the only one available...and I didn’t think you were about to give up yours. Would it matter if I told you that I couldn’t put them in the ship’s damp hold because the younger one is a wee, ugly mouse with a wheeze and a terrible cough. Would you still be so eager if I told you she is of no interest to you, or anyone on this ship, for that matter. That she has no beauty, no charm, nor any upbringing of the sort you value. Would you still be interested in demonstrating this ‘compassion’ you tout so highly? Would you still be so keen on breaking in on their privacy?”

Caroline Maule, her face flushed scarlet, appeared to be at a momentary loss for words.

“Nay, I thought not,” he said, taking the brunt of the flashing look of anger. “I would say this visit has concluded, m’lady. For now.”

He gestured toward the door and watched her as she smoothly rose from her place.

“My orders remain what they were. And until such time as David or I see fit to burden our visitors with the ample charm—and compassion—of their noble fellow travelers, they will remain in seclusion.”

Momentarily defeated, Caroline Maule turned on her heel and started for the door.

“I would just assume we continue this...chat at another time,” she said over her shoulder as she paused by the door before the navigator. “And in a more private setting, for that matter.” Then she turned her scowling face to David and waited impatiently.

Like a servant whipped into action, David jumped to lift the latch for the irate woman. But to his utter surprise Lady Caroline made no attempt, as he pulled the door open, to step into the hall. He peered outside.

There, before them, stood Maria.

She had beauty, charm, breeding, and more.

From John’s position behind Caroline, he could see the young woman standing outside the door, and he found himself fighting an urge to push past the Scottish noblewoman. The look on Maria’s face was confident, cool. She looked untouchable, strong.

“I must apologize for interrupting,” Maria offered quietly. “Perhaps I might come back at a different time.”

A long pause filled the air before anyone answered her. The Highlander was the first to respond.

“This is no interruption, whatsoever,” he replied heartily. “Lady Maule has concluded her business here and is on her way out. If you’ll excuse me, m’lady?”

John tapped Caroline lightly on the shoulder, moving her to one side of the doorway as he stepped past her.

“We have not yet been introduced.” Caroline’s words were curt.

“I am Maria.”

“Maria of...?” Caroline queried bluntly, breaking the momentary silence.

“Just Maria,” John broke in, drawing Caroline’s withering gaze as he held out his hand to the newcomer.

Maria made no move to take the Highlander’s hand, but spoke up at once, trying to convey a note of friendliness in her voice. “And did I hear Sir John call you ‘Lady Maule,’ just now?”

Caroline’s steely gaze followed the line of John’s outstretched hand back to the young woman.

“Are you any relation to Mistress
Janet
Maule?” Maria continued. “We have been very fortunate to share Mistress Janet’s company, this morning.”

“This is Lady Caroline Maule, the Mistress Janet’s mother,” John responded breezily, stifling a grin as Maria’s gaze snapped disconcertedly back to Caroline’s face. “Or, stepmother, I should say. Won’t you come in, m’lady?”

Tentatively, Maria lifted one bandaged hand. Without giving Caroline another look, John gently took hold of the injured fingers and drew her past the Scottish noblewoman.

“I am delighted you’ve ventured out of your cabin, Lady Maria,” the ship’s commander continued. “I was just about to come and pay you a visit myself.”

Maria glanced at the blond woman still standing by the door, and John followed her eyes.

“Oh, aye. Lady Maule,” he said in a more businesslike tone. “Please be sure to give my compliments to your husband for his assistance in the recovery of this lady and her friend. And if you, ever again, have any difficulty in dealing with my men, I recommend you discuss the problem with Sir Thomas first. After all, I believe we can both trust his judgment regarding such worldly dealings.”

As the color drained out of Caroline’s face, it occurred to John that if looks could kill, there would be bodies all over the cabin deck right now.

“Would you like David to see—” the commander began.

“Well, this explains a
great
deal.” The words, edged with steel, Caroline directed at John, but her look of hostile resentment cut the air around Maria. “Aye, this explains it all, indeed.” And without another word, Caroline Maule lifted her chin angrily and disappeared through the cabin door.

Maria stood awkwardly as the two men stared after the woman. Glancing quickly from the face of the navigator to that of the giant Highlander, Maria easily perceived the unsettled look Sir John now wore, a look that suggested the presence of Lady Maule created more of a disturbance than his words to her had indicated.

“I honestly meant what I said earlier,” she whispered. “About coming back at a better time.”

John turned his blue eyes on her and lifted her hand, pulling her slightly toward him. “Nay, lass. You couldn’t have picked a better time to be here. And you proved to be the champion of the moment, driving all before you from the field.”

Blushing furiously, Maria turned to look at the other man who had now joined them by the work table. Returning the navigator’s direct gaze, she curtsied to him in greeting.

John watched as David blushed even deeper a shade of crimson than Maria as he bowed to the young beauty. The commander couldn’t help but smile at what he knew to be the young man’s sheer delight at being treated with such dignity.

“Navigator, I believe this would be a good time to go and have a chat with Christie regarding Lady Maule’s complaint.”

“You certainly don’t want me to flog him, do you, m’lord?” David asked, shooting John a questioning look.

“Nay, man, of course not,” John responded. “I just want you to give the man some guidance on how to respond when...when...well, you know what to do.”

“But, Sir John, I heard you say yourself that Christie took just the tack a good seaman should have taken.” David remained still, working hard to keep a perplexed look on his face.

“David,” John growled with barely concealed irritation. “Just go and do as you are told.”

“Aye, m’lord. The maps...” The navigator slowly reached across the work table for the charts.

“If you want to leave them,” the Highlander broke in, his tone becoming overtly threatening, “I can have Mistress Janet hold on to them for you.”

“No one holds my...” David paused and glanced up at the commander. “You’re planning to meet with Mistress Janet?”

“Aye, I think that in the light of certain talk that has come to me...about certain people...” John’s glare was unmistakable.

“No reason to bother her with any of that, m’lord. In fact,” David hurried on, rolling up his maps with notable speed. “I am on my way now!”

And with his charts quickly stowed under one arm, the navigator gave Maria a bow and beat a hasty retreat.

“Finally,” John muttered, hiding a satisfied smile, before turning again to his green-eyed guest.

Maria withdrew her hand from his and walked to the side of the high table standing on one side of the cabin. On a stool beside it, a blue cap—the navigator’s, she was sure—sat, a white feather poking jauntily from one side. The table and the clutter of papers remaining on it bespoke a real work room, and the brightness of this cabin was a delightful change from the dark cabins below. The line of open windows at one end made a considerable difference, and looking out, she could make out the white tops of gray-green swells. The fog was as gray and thick as the previous day, and through the window she could just make out the sounds of men working on the deck above them.

Glancing around the room, she suddenly started. A wide bunk, curtained with a heavy blue damask, stood in the corner of the cabin. Stricken with unease at the realization that this was his bed chamber, Maria tore her gaze away from the huge bed.

Around the bed, a number of trunks were stowed in alcoves beneath shelves and cabinets that lined the side walls of the ship. Brightly colored banners and a large plaid cloth draped festively around weapons and light armor, gleaming in their stowage places. Her eyes were drawn to the coat of arms depicting ships and daggers and a cat with claws outstretched, on a large shield that hung from the dark wood frame of the bunk.

The masculine character of the room fascinated her and, at the same time, added tremendously to her discomfort. Maria had never been in a man’s private chambers before, never mind alone with him there, and she moved quickly to the windows, her face heating up at the thought.