can I explain? There are some men, when I first meet them I know I don't want them to touch me, ever. I can't explain why. Perhaps they remind me of someone who hurt me when I was a child. I can't give you reasons, Mr. Malloy. It has nothing to do with the man, how good a man he might be or what he does to earn his livelihood."
"You think you're too good for me." He sounded sulky, like a small boy.
"No, I don't. When I marry, it might be to a laborer or a sea captain or a farmer or a merchant. How well-to-do he is will have no bearing."
"I thought your intended was a missionary."
She stopped in confusion, realizing she had forgotten about Thomas. Of course she meant to marry Thomas. After all, she was betrothed to him.
"I was speaking in a general way," she said. "Not about myself." She looked to see if Malloy had noticed her white lie. Seemingly not, for he was walking quickly ahead toward the sheltered side of a rise of ground.
"Look you." He pointed near his feet. When she stood beside him, she saw the wet, charred remains of a fire. "We're not the only ones here," he said.
"Another shipwrecked sailor?"
He poked at the dead fire with his toe. "I don't rightly know; he's left no other signs. They do say there are savage Indians in these parts."
They resumed their climb, going more slowly now, stopping often to glance around them. When Malloy reached the top of the first of the twin hills, he looked about him and then turned to face her as she came up the last slope.
"I feared as much," he said, swinging his arm in a circle.
Shielding her eyes from the sun, she gazed down and saw the sea crashing against the rocks to her right, saw a small sheltered bay ahead of them, the open sea to her left and behind her. They were on an island. This wasn't the coast of California at all but an island. Though she peered across the sea, vainly searching for the mainland, low clouds prevented her from seeing more than a few miles.
"There's isles all up and down the coast in these latitudes," Malloy said. "The Santa Barbaras, they're called." His shoulders seemed to slump.
"We'll find a way to the mainland. We'll hail a passing ship or build a boat of our own. There must be a way."
"No ships approach these shores. Unless they have a fool for a captain," he added bitterly. "And from the looks of it there's nary a tree on the island, nor food."
"We have the timbers from the Yankee . And there must be fish in the sea we could catch. And I saw pools of water left by the storm."
"I should be the one encouraging you," he said. He sighed. "We'd best find out what we're faced with."
They spent the rest of the day exploring. The island, she judged, was some seven miles long and three across, with the one bay protected by a reef. As Malloy had said, there were no trees, none at all, only the grass and a few shrubs growing in gullies. They found sand dunes on the lee side--the rest of the shoreline was black rock inhabited by thousands of birds. Other than the remains of the fire, they saw no other signs of human life.
As the day darkened, Alitha came upon a sheltered cranny near the dunes and dropped to the sand, exhausted. She was hungry, her head ached and she was beginning to shiver from the cold. Her throat hurt when she swallowed and her bruised muscles throbbed. She watched Malloy warily. During the day she had seen him staring at her, seemingly fascinated by the way her nipples pressed against her chemise and, when she walked ahead of him, by the curve of her buttocks.
Now he came and stood over her. "I mean to have you," he said.
Alarmed, she looked up. "You agreed," she protested.
"All day you've flaunted yourself at me. It's more than a man can stand."
"Amos," she said placatingly as she got to her feet. He watched her, waiting.
She turned and ran. When she left the sand, she heard his boots pounding after her across the shingle. Pain sliced into the soles of her feet and she winced. He would be upon her in a
"You think you're too good for me." He sounded sulky, like a small boy.
"No, I don't. When I marry, it might be to a laborer or a sea captain or a farmer or a merchant. How well-to-do he is will have no bearing."
"I thought your intended was a missionary."
She stopped in confusion, realizing she had forgotten about Thomas. Of course she meant to marry Thomas. After all, she was betrothed to him.
"I was speaking in a general way," she said. "Not about myself." She looked to see if Malloy had noticed her white lie. Seemingly not, for he was walking quickly ahead toward the sheltered side of a rise of ground.
"Look you." He pointed near his feet. When she stood beside him, she saw the wet, charred remains of a fire. "We're not the only ones here," he said.
"Another shipwrecked sailor?"
He poked at the dead fire with his toe. "I don't rightly know; he's left no other signs. They do say there are savage Indians in these parts."
They resumed their climb, going more slowly now, stopping often to glance around them. When Malloy reached the top of the first of the twin hills, he looked about him and then turned to face her as she came up the last slope.
"I feared as much," he said, swinging his arm in a circle.
Shielding her eyes from the sun, she gazed down and saw the sea crashing against the rocks to her right, saw a small sheltered bay ahead of them, the open sea to her left and behind her. They were on an island. This wasn't the coast of California at all but an island. Though she peered across the sea, vainly searching for the mainland, low clouds prevented her from seeing more than a few miles.
"There's isles all up and down the coast in these latitudes," Malloy said. "The Santa Barbaras, they're called." His shoulders seemed to slump.
"We'll find a way to the mainland. We'll hail a passing ship or build a boat of our own. There must be a way."
"No ships approach these shores. Unless they have a fool for a captain," he added bitterly. "And from the looks of it there's nary a tree on the island, nor food."
"We have the timbers from the Yankee . And there must be fish in the sea we could catch. And I saw pools of water left by the storm."
"I should be the one encouraging you," he said. He sighed. "We'd best find out what we're faced with."
They spent the rest of the day exploring. The island, she judged, was some seven miles long and three across, with the one bay protected by a reef. As Malloy had said, there were no trees, none at all, only the grass and a few shrubs growing in gullies. They found sand dunes on the lee side--the rest of the shoreline was black rock inhabited by thousands of birds. Other than the remains of the fire, they saw no other signs of human life.
As the day darkened, Alitha came upon a sheltered cranny near the dunes and dropped to the sand, exhausted. She was hungry, her head ached and she was beginning to shiver from the cold. Her throat hurt when she swallowed and her bruised muscles throbbed. She watched Malloy warily. During the day she had seen him staring at her, seemingly fascinated by the way her nipples pressed against her chemise and, when she walked ahead of him, by the curve of her buttocks.
Now he came and stood over her. "I mean to have you," he said.
Alarmed, she looked up. "You agreed," she protested.
"All day you've flaunted yourself at me. It's more than a man can stand."
"Amos," she said placatingly as she got to her feet. He watched her, waiting.
She turned and ran. When she left the sand, she heard his boots pounding after her across the shingle. Pain sliced into the soles of her feet and she winced. He would be upon her in a
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