the Dutch, but you had no right to take me off the Sea Otter. I don’t come under any commission, I don’t belong to the English, I’m not cargo, and I’m not an instrument of war. You’ve taken me from my family and those hired to protect me. I have no idea what you mean to do with me, nor do I have a way to prevent it.” The confidence and animation in Summer’s voice was so marked that Brent broke off his conversation.
“What are you two talking about down there? Is Smith telling you off-color stories?” he asked.
Summer choked down a burst of anger.
“We were just discussing a point of international law and its application at sea,” Smith answered calmly.
“We’re not discussing anything so elevating,” Brent said, directing a quizzical eye toward Summer’s angry face. “Maybe we’d better save our conversation for later and listen to you.” Smith felt a trifle put out by having caused attention to be focused on Summer, but she was not about to back down despite the shortcomings of her education.
“We’ve just finished, Captain,” she replied coolly. “It would be too repetitive to go through our arguments again.” The young officers stared at her, mouths open; no one spoke to the captain like that.
“If you don’t mind, I would like to retire to my cabin.” Everyone except Brent hastily scrambled to his feet as Summer stood up; he rose leisurely and deliberately walked to her side. “I can find my own way,” she said, determined to be free of him. “Mr. Smith can escort me if you’re afraid I’ll get lost.”
“I’m sure he would"—Brent smiled—"but I intend to escort you myself. He can bring the others up to date on international law while we’re gone.” He waited expectantly for her to return his verbal thrust, but instead she threw him an aggrieved look and started from the room. However, before she reached the door, she turned back to the men.
“Thank you for allowing me to join you this evening,” she said to the still-standing officers. “It has been an unlooked-for pleasure.” She then turned sharply on her heel, hoping to escape through the door before Brent could stop her, but he was standing behind her, his hand on the knob; it was impossible for her to go anywhere until he was ready.
“The pleasure has been ours,” he replied with a broad grin she didn’t think she liked. There had been a threatening undercurrent in his voice which Summer didn’t understand, but then she understood little about this disturbingly handsome, oftentimes frightening, young man. She decided she didn’t like him. She knew she didn’t trust him.
Summer walked swiftly down the passageway. The cabin door was unlocked and she stepped inside, but not so quickly that she was able to close the door on Brent.
“That was unkind,” he said with exaggerated chagrin. “I might get the impression that you don’t want me to come in.”
“I don’t,” she responded promptly.
“And after all I’ve done for you.”
“After all you’ve done for me!” she repeated, stupefied.
“I let you share my quarters. I even moved half my clothes to make room for yours.”
“If you hadn’t taken me off the Sea Otter, you wouldn’t have had to move or share anything,” she snapped.
“I admit I’m not an ideal substitute for your maid, but Smith and the boys have got to be better company than that twisted persimmon Brake-slow, or whatever you call him.”
“Brink-low,” she enunciated, trying to hide an appreciative grin.
“And without praising myself to the skies, I’ve got to be a cut above your cowardly Captain Bonner. As to whether I’m an improvement on your husband, well, we’ll just have to wait and see about that, won’t we?” Summer lost some of her color and all willingness to be amused.
“I wish you’d go away. I’m tired and I want to go to bed.”
“It’s early yet.”
“Not for me. I’m used to an early bedtime and a light supper. It’s not good for
“What are you two talking about down there? Is Smith telling you off-color stories?” he asked.
Summer choked down a burst of anger.
“We were just discussing a point of international law and its application at sea,” Smith answered calmly.
“We’re not discussing anything so elevating,” Brent said, directing a quizzical eye toward Summer’s angry face. “Maybe we’d better save our conversation for later and listen to you.” Smith felt a trifle put out by having caused attention to be focused on Summer, but she was not about to back down despite the shortcomings of her education.
“We’ve just finished, Captain,” she replied coolly. “It would be too repetitive to go through our arguments again.” The young officers stared at her, mouths open; no one spoke to the captain like that.
“If you don’t mind, I would like to retire to my cabin.” Everyone except Brent hastily scrambled to his feet as Summer stood up; he rose leisurely and deliberately walked to her side. “I can find my own way,” she said, determined to be free of him. “Mr. Smith can escort me if you’re afraid I’ll get lost.”
“I’m sure he would"—Brent smiled—"but I intend to escort you myself. He can bring the others up to date on international law while we’re gone.” He waited expectantly for her to return his verbal thrust, but instead she threw him an aggrieved look and started from the room. However, before she reached the door, she turned back to the men.
“Thank you for allowing me to join you this evening,” she said to the still-standing officers. “It has been an unlooked-for pleasure.” She then turned sharply on her heel, hoping to escape through the door before Brent could stop her, but he was standing behind her, his hand on the knob; it was impossible for her to go anywhere until he was ready.
“The pleasure has been ours,” he replied with a broad grin she didn’t think she liked. There had been a threatening undercurrent in his voice which Summer didn’t understand, but then she understood little about this disturbingly handsome, oftentimes frightening, young man. She decided she didn’t like him. She knew she didn’t trust him.
Summer walked swiftly down the passageway. The cabin door was unlocked and she stepped inside, but not so quickly that she was able to close the door on Brent.
“That was unkind,” he said with exaggerated chagrin. “I might get the impression that you don’t want me to come in.”
“I don’t,” she responded promptly.
“And after all I’ve done for you.”
“After all you’ve done for me!” she repeated, stupefied.
“I let you share my quarters. I even moved half my clothes to make room for yours.”
“If you hadn’t taken me off the Sea Otter, you wouldn’t have had to move or share anything,” she snapped.
“I admit I’m not an ideal substitute for your maid, but Smith and the boys have got to be better company than that twisted persimmon Brake-slow, or whatever you call him.”
“Brink-low,” she enunciated, trying to hide an appreciative grin.
“And without praising myself to the skies, I’ve got to be a cut above your cowardly Captain Bonner. As to whether I’m an improvement on your husband, well, we’ll just have to wait and see about that, won’t we?” Summer lost some of her color and all willingness to be amused.
“I wish you’d go away. I’m tired and I want to go to bed.”
“It’s early yet.”
“Not for me. I’m used to an early bedtime and a light supper. It’s not good for
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