Lost Honor by Loreen Augeri Page B

The children’s cheeks were sunken, their eyes haunted, and they wore dirty, ragged garments much too small for them. She once had a husband, a fine house, and wealth. When her husband died, they had to sell all they owned to pay the debts he had incurred, and they were left penniless. She had no family that would take her in or a way to feed her children, except to sell her body, which she was loathed to do. I convinced my papa to give her a job, but their faces and situation have always haunted me. I vowed to never allow that to happen to me. I want to be self-sufficient and able to care for my children without a man. Since I love the sea and know it well, I chose to become a seaman.”
    He gazed deep into her eyes but revealed nothing of himself. “You have a family that loves you.”
    “I refuse to depend on their generosity.”
    “Another captain would never hire a woman.”
    “I won’t give up. Disguised as a boy, no one will realize I am a woman.”
    His gaze roamed her face and glowed with a fierce light. “Believe me, they will know.”
    She refused to debate the matter. He could not make her change her mind, and he would not change his. She jerked her chin from his steady finger. “I am a seaman on the Sea Dragon . What is my punishment?”
    Captain Danvers dropped his hand to his side. “Right now, you will scrub the deck and forgo supper.”
    “I already did.”
    “Do it again.”
    Her eyes widened. That is all. She almost collapsed in relief. Hunger and tiredness she could deal with, especially if it removed her from his disturbing presence.
    “You are dismissed.”
    She turned back to the crates.
    “Arianna, the deck is in the other direction.”
    She bent and picked up the cargo manifest that had fallen to the ground. “I haven’t finished here.”
    “Yes, you have.”
    Not daring to press her good luck, even though she was annoyed she couldn’t complete what she started, she threw the manifest on a crate, whirled, and headed toward the ladder leading to the main deck. When time allowed, she would sneak down, finish her calculations, and prove to Captain Danvers the reason she sailed on the Sea Dragon was due to an error made by a member of his crew.
    ****
    Morgan ogled the sway of Arianna’s backside as she marched away. How could she think a man with blood flowing through his veins would mistake her for a male? Impossible. Without even trying, she exuded a seductive essence that enticed and compelled. He struggled to keep his hands from caressing her. The skin beneath her chin was as soft as the fur of a kitten and her lips called to him with a plumpness and dew that made them shine. If she hadn’t jerked her chin from his grasp, he would have kissed her to discover if their allure was real. If they tasted as good as they promised.
    And her eyes, the color of a bluebird’s wing, had sparkled in fear with defiance and courage mixed in. She was brave. Even though she feared his intentions, and he hadn’t spoken to heighten her anxiety, she hadn’t begged for leniency, cried for forgiveness, or given up her crazy plan.
    But was it so irrational now he understood her reasoning?
    Yes. The way of the world wouldn’t allow her to prosper or even give her a chance in a man’s position. Even if she could do the job, which he was positive she couldn’t. The size of her told him that much.
    He followed her and spied her already hard at work, swabbing the deck, silhouetted by the setting sun. Every ounce of determination and energy she possessed filled any job she tackled. He couldn’t fault her for that. Would she show that same enthusiasm when she lay with a man? Somehow, he thought so.
    He strode to the quarterdeck where he would watch over her. He wouldn’t permit her to labor unguarded.
    The light of the day drained and darkness replaced it, but he spotted Arianna with ease. Her blonde, curly hair shone like a beacon as it framed her body and swayed with her movements.
    “Are you eating