Time for Love by Emma Kaye Page B

anyone needs to know.”
    Evelyn peered closely at her face and suddenly gasped. “You’re a woman!”
    Alex flinched. She tasted salt as drops of sweat met her tongue when she bit her upper lip.
    Evelyn just smiled and said, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone either.”
    “How did you know? Is it so obvious?”
    “Not obvious, no. There are subtle signs, the gentleness of your eyes, the way you hold yourself… Things a man would never notice. They would never believe a woman capable of passing herself as a man, so it wouldn’t occur to them to question. They’re so convinced of their superiority and that women are weak and stupid.” She sounded bitter and much older than she appeared.
    Alex didn’t want to know all the girl must have gone through in her short life. “Well, now that we’ve agreed to keep our secrets. Tell me how you got here.”
    Evelyn shrugged. “I came to America with my employer. She died shortly after.”
    Alex waited for her to continue. When it appeared she wasn’t going to, Alex prompted, “And…?”
    “And her new husband had no use for a lady’s maid. Particularly one who did not wish to return his affections. He turned me out without a reference. As my family resides in England, I wished to return.” She looked around the cramped space. “This seemed my only option.”
    “So he just threw you out with nowhere to go?” Alex fisted her hand and slowly released it. “The bastard.” She ignored Evelyn’s gasp and peered closely at the girl’s face. “How old are you?”
    “I’ve seen fourteen years.”
    “Fourteen! Aren’t you a bit young to take a job so far away from your family?”
    “Mrs. Ashton lives, lived, in Cambridgeshire, not far from the Thorpe country estate. My mum is an abigail to Lady Thorpe,” she explained. “This visit was to last a few months. I was hired when her previous maid could not accompany her on the journey.” She wiped a tear from her eye. “Mrs. Ashton became ill on the passage and never recovered.”
    They talked for a few hours, until Alex realized how late it must be and said goodnight. She promised to return as often as she could with food and water so Evelyn would not have to risk leaving the hold.
    As Alex drifted off to sleep, she thought about her plan to spend the voyage relaxing and making plans to find Charlotte. She had barely given her sister a second thought since stepping on board. Oh well, she thought, still plenty of time.
    Although, if things continued as they were, she would be lucky to survive the trip.

Chapter Five
    April 12 (47 Days Remaining)
    Two days after finding Evelyn, Alex slumped against the rail and watched the sun dip into the sea. She tried to dig out some of the dirt from beneath her fingernails, but it was a lost cause. She was going to have to get a bigger hot water heater when she got home. She could probably spend a week showering and still not get clean.
    There were compensations. The view, for one. She’d never been on a cruise—who could afford it—but now she got the appeal. The sunset was absolutely breathtaking. The riotous display of color and the way the fading light glistened off the ocean as far as the eye could see was incomparable. Exhausted as she was, the sight still managed to fill her with awe.
    The deck shivered as heavy footsteps approached. It was him . She knew it. Damn, she should have known better than to relax at the rail during sunset. The captain and his first mate were almost always hanging about at this time of day.
    “I was beginning to believe you avoided me.” Nicholas leaned an elbow next to hers. “But I could not fathom any reason why you should.”
    She had been avoiding the rail the past few days. The view wasn’t quite as relaxing with the two of them around. They would politely include her in their conversation, but they made her so nervous she could only mumble vague replies.
    It didn’t help that they seemed intent on finding out more about her. A