did hope that the nice man, John Lucas, would come back for the promised tour of the ship. And where were her trunks? For goodness sake, the captain was right behind them when she boarded. They held all of her belongings in the world and she wasn’t about to let the ship sail without them.
Peeping out the door, she looked down the narrow passageway. A man was just going out of sight around a corner.
“Excuse me, sir,” she called out, waving her arm.
The man turned around and then gaped at her with slack-jawed astonishment.
“I’m looking for my trunks. Could you be so kind as to check with the captain as to their whereabouts?”
“Three big trunks? We just carried them up to the first mate’s bunk. But I’ll let the captain know you’re wantin’ them, ma’am.”
“Thank you.” Well, if she didn’t quite have the nerve to search the ship for the elusive captain, at least she could get a message to him, and she felt better just knowing her things were on board. Kendra shut the door and studied the room. It was something of a surprise—elegant and well appointed, complete with a high feather bed and satin counterpane the color of thick cream. There was a mahogany writing desk and chair in the corner and a rectangular table made of a peculiar light-colored wood with two matching chairs that looked as if it had come from some exotic island. The cabin would be well-lit at night with plenty of candles in elegant silver candlesticks and an oil lamp of modern design on the desk. Bookshelves lined the walls where, after a quick perusal, she found a few novels such as Robinson Crusoe , a book of fables, and poetic titles roaming between volumes on natural history and nautical interests.
Walking to the lamp, Kendra lit the wick to better illuminate the room. She was surprised to find that the furniture was secured to the floor, but as the ship rocked to one side, nearly knocking her off balance, she realized the wisdom in this. She carried the lantern to a table beside the most lavish piece of furniture in the room, a deep-shelved armoire. She opened it, her hand gliding across the enameled brown and gold doors to find it full of the captain’s clothes.
Before she had time to stop and think what she was doing she had pulled out a crisp, white shirt. It unfolded itself in a neat motion and hung from her fingertips. She held it closer, closed her eyes, and breathed in the captain’s scent—brine and wind, the sea, male—her insides slid and a melting feeling washed over her.
Goodness gracious! She balled the shirt up, threw it toward the back of the armoire, and slammed the door shut. What had gotten into her? She must, at all costs, avoid this captain of the Angelina !
Kendra woke early the next morning and wandered out onto the deck of the ship. She stood at the railing letting the gentle breeze soothe her rattled mind and body. Yesterday she had stubbornly remained in the cabin and missed their departure, which she regretted now. It could have been her last view of her homeland and she had let that infuriating captain keep her hibernated in the stuffy cabin. Well, that wouldn’t happen again.
She looked down at the endless lapping waves of the sea against the hull of the ship and breathed deeply of the salt-laden air, but her calm was unsettled due to the prickling sensation that she was being gawked at. Kendra glanced around and couldn’t help but notice all the stares she was receiving from the men who stood in various positions of pretending to work behind her.
Dorian watched, transfixed, as Lady Townsend approached the railing of his ship, his ship, with a mixture of awe and anxiety churning in his stomach. The sun shone bright on her uncovered head. She was wearing the plum dress but this time her hat dangled from her hand, feathers trailing the wood boards of the deck that had been scoured with sand until they were almost white. She raised her hand to her eyes and looked out over the endless gray
Peeping out the door, she looked down the narrow passageway. A man was just going out of sight around a corner.
“Excuse me, sir,” she called out, waving her arm.
The man turned around and then gaped at her with slack-jawed astonishment.
“I’m looking for my trunks. Could you be so kind as to check with the captain as to their whereabouts?”
“Three big trunks? We just carried them up to the first mate’s bunk. But I’ll let the captain know you’re wantin’ them, ma’am.”
“Thank you.” Well, if she didn’t quite have the nerve to search the ship for the elusive captain, at least she could get a message to him, and she felt better just knowing her things were on board. Kendra shut the door and studied the room. It was something of a surprise—elegant and well appointed, complete with a high feather bed and satin counterpane the color of thick cream. There was a mahogany writing desk and chair in the corner and a rectangular table made of a peculiar light-colored wood with two matching chairs that looked as if it had come from some exotic island. The cabin would be well-lit at night with plenty of candles in elegant silver candlesticks and an oil lamp of modern design on the desk. Bookshelves lined the walls where, after a quick perusal, she found a few novels such as Robinson Crusoe , a book of fables, and poetic titles roaming between volumes on natural history and nautical interests.
Walking to the lamp, Kendra lit the wick to better illuminate the room. She was surprised to find that the furniture was secured to the floor, but as the ship rocked to one side, nearly knocking her off balance, she realized the wisdom in this. She carried the lantern to a table beside the most lavish piece of furniture in the room, a deep-shelved armoire. She opened it, her hand gliding across the enameled brown and gold doors to find it full of the captain’s clothes.
Before she had time to stop and think what she was doing she had pulled out a crisp, white shirt. It unfolded itself in a neat motion and hung from her fingertips. She held it closer, closed her eyes, and breathed in the captain’s scent—brine and wind, the sea, male—her insides slid and a melting feeling washed over her.
Goodness gracious! She balled the shirt up, threw it toward the back of the armoire, and slammed the door shut. What had gotten into her? She must, at all costs, avoid this captain of the Angelina !
Kendra woke early the next morning and wandered out onto the deck of the ship. She stood at the railing letting the gentle breeze soothe her rattled mind and body. Yesterday she had stubbornly remained in the cabin and missed their departure, which she regretted now. It could have been her last view of her homeland and she had let that infuriating captain keep her hibernated in the stuffy cabin. Well, that wouldn’t happen again.
She looked down at the endless lapping waves of the sea against the hull of the ship and breathed deeply of the salt-laden air, but her calm was unsettled due to the prickling sensation that she was being gawked at. Kendra glanced around and couldn’t help but notice all the stares she was receiving from the men who stood in various positions of pretending to work behind her.
Dorian watched, transfixed, as Lady Townsend approached the railing of his ship, his ship, with a mixture of awe and anxiety churning in his stomach. The sun shone bright on her uncovered head. She was wearing the plum dress but this time her hat dangled from her hand, feathers trailing the wood boards of the deck that had been scoured with sand until they were almost white. She raised her hand to her eyes and looked out over the endless gray
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