Marie Higgins

by Amazon Sunset

  Felix had to admit Katrina was too lovely for any man to think normally, and her exotic eyes and infectious laugh only made it harder for him to keep his distance. Throughout the day he heard her chuckle along with some of his men. Inwardly, he boiled. Hadn’t he told her not to flirt with his crew? Being this playful, she was inviting mayhem.

  He slowed his steps and waited until Manuel joined him. They’d known each other for several years and had gone on several expeditions together. A pang of remorse twisted in Felix’s chest. He would truly miss his friend once he moved back to England. Returning home to step into his title was necessary, but he wished his friends could come with him.

  Manuel’s grin bothered Felix since his friend had only smiled while chatting with Katrina. Felix gave him a nod. “What is so funny?”

  The other man’s mouth stretched wider. “Miss Landon’s sense of humor surprises me. She has made us laugh more than I can remember. Not often do I think of laughing while hiking through the jungles in this horrendous heat.”

  Felix arched an eyebrow. “Tell me, Manuel, what does she say that’s so funny?”

  “The way she talks with humor in her story-telling makes us laugh.” Manuel shrugged. “I do not know how else to explain it. Sometimes I forget she is wealthy because she acts and talks just like us.”

  Now Felix was very interested in finding out what Katrina was saying. Of course that meant he would have to get closer and talk to her, and be nice. That, he didn’t think he’d be able to do.

  “How amusing. Well, I’ll certainly have to listen to one of her tales now, won’t I?” he asked.

  “Yes, you will.”

  Felix slowed his steps and stretched his back as he glanced around their surroundings. If memory served him—which it usually did—not far from here was a little stream where they could refresh themselves. Some streams like that one were not good for drinking, but splashing water on their faces was allowed. Right now, they needed to do something to cool off. “Manuel, when we pass that group of trees up there, we’ll stop near the stream and rest our tired feet for a little while.”

  His friend nodded. “I will tell the others.” Manuel quickened his step and hurried ahead.

  Felix waited for Katrina and Suzette to join him. Suzette gave him a nod, but Katrina didn’t look at him. Stubbornly, she lifted her chin and gazed in another direction.

  “How are you faring, Miss Landon?” he asked.

  “Quite well, if you must know.”

  Her answer was short and clipped. He bunched his hands into fists as anger slowly filled him. “I’m glad to hear that. I was sure you wouldn’t be able to handle the walk, and now I see how wrong I was.”

  Her gaze whipped to him and her eyes widened. “You actually admit you’re wrong?”

  “Of course. I’m big enough to acknowledge when others are right, which is why tomorrow I will not treat you like the delicate flower I thought you were.”

  “You won’t?” Her voice rose a little higher as if she still couldn’t believe he was saying this.

  He tried not to grin, but it was almost all he could do to keep a straight face. “No, I won’t. In fact, I will speak with Manuel this evening when we break for the night, and we’ll see what items in our packs will be reasonable for you to carry tomorrow.”

  Her steps faltered and for a moment it looked as if color had vanished from her face. Once again, he tried not to laugh and had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from doing so.

  “Y—you want me to carry something?” This time her voice wasn’t as loud.

  “Yes. It’s clear you can handle the task. I applaud you for your strength, and I shall not treat you like an invalid again.”

  “Well…you see, Mr. Knightly, although my feet might be strong, I’m not certain if my back is—”

  “Come now, Miss Landon. This is not the time to be doubtful. I’m sure you can handle the task or else I wouldn’t have suggested it.”

  Her expression morphed from confused and anxious to vexed. It appeared as if she were trying to find a way to convince him otherwise. He quickly decided to switch the subject and pointed to the stream that was now visible. “Splendid. We are here.” He smiled at her. “Miss Landon, we will take a small break and rest our tired feet. Feel free to splash yourself with the water, but don’t get it in your mouth because it’s not clean enough to drink. The liquid will refresh you, I promise.”

  Before she could stop him, he hurried to the water, not daring to peek back for fear he’d let loose the laugh he’d been holding. Indeed, it was quite comical to watch her, especially when he bested her at her own game this time.

  He shrugged out of the pack he’d been carrying before sitting on a large rock. He leaned down, scooped a handful of water, and splashed it on his face. If only the liquid could be cooler, but it was better than nothing. Cupping his hands, he then scooped up more water and threw it on his head a few times before threading his fingers through his damp hair.

  When he straightened, he glanced toward Katrina. Her gaze was on him, wandering slowly over his face and hair. Once her eyes locked with his, her face flamed red, and she spun around and moved to another part of the stream.

  This wasn’t the first time he saw a spark of interest in her eyes, but he quickly doused his thoughts, telling himself there wasn’t anything he was going to do about it, anyway. Although she appealed to him because of her beauty, he did not like her stubbornness or her haughtiness.

  The crew spoke very little as they rested their tired legs and aching feet by the stream. Miss Landon and Suzette sat on a slope. They had taken their boots off and splashed their feet in the water.

  Felix munched on beef jerky as he mapped out the rest of the way in his head. If his calculations were correct—which of course, they were—they would reach her father’s plantation in about two days. Of course, if by chance it rained, that would slow down their expedition. He glanced up at the sky and silently prayed it wouldn’t rain. Yet, this was the Amazon jungle. It wasn’t called a rainforest for nothing.

  Miss Landon dried off her dainty feet and pulled her socks back on before slipping her feet into the boots. Once she was laced up, she stood and walked toward him. Her hair still dripped a little with water, but thankfully her clothes didn’t look very wet, so he wasn’t worried about them clinging to her womanly curves.

  When she neared, he motioned to a spot on the ground next to him in a silent invitation for her to join him. Without a word, she squatted and brushed the ground with her hand, making it smooth for her bottom. She sat and met his gaze.

  “Do you feel a little more refreshed?” he asked.

  “I do. It was a much needed break.”

  “That’s good to hear.”

  Her focus moved to the half-eaten jerky still in his hand. “May I have some?”

  “Certainly, Miss Landon.” He reached in his pack and pulled out a slice and handed it to her.

  “Thank you, Mr. Knightly.” She nibbled on the end as her attention roamed the trees behind him. “How much longer until we camp for the night?”

  Felix looked up at the sky to study where the sun was in the horizon before meeting her questioning gaze. “I suspect we have approximately three more hours before we should stop and put up our tents.”

  “Oh,” she said with a sigh. “That long?”

  “Yes, that long. Why? Don’t you think you can travel three more hours?”

  She shrugged as she pushed a wayward curl from her forehead. “I hesitate to tell you, only because you thought so highly of me earlier.”

  “Let me guess…you really are weary and your feet ache along with the rest of your body.”

  She narrowed her gaze on him, showing her stubborn temperament again. “Mr. Knightly, I didn’t say—”

  “No, you didn’t. Forgive me for putting words in your mouth. Please, I beg you, finish what you were going to tell me.”

  Huffing, she folded her arms. “All I was going to say was I would rathe
r rest for the remainder of the day only so I will have the energy to walk tomorrow.”

  “I understand, but you also have to realize, if we want to arrive at your father’s plantation in two days, we have to use up as much daylight as we can.”

  “Yes, I know, but you and your crew are used to this—” she gestured with her hand— “kind of life. I am not.” Her voice rose slightly. “I’m only suggesting you not make this a full day of walking on my first day of the journey.”

  He leaned forward and gently touched her cheek. She froze but didn’t pull away. “Miss Landon, I fear this heat has made you forgetful. We spent a few hours on the barge this morning, which means we have not been walking a full day at all.”

  A growl escaped her throat as she slapped his hand away. “Then by all means, let’s keep moving today so tomorrow I’ll be so stiff and sore that I’ll require someone to carry me most of the way.”

  Chuckling, he stood and shook his head. “I have faith in you, Miss Landon. I think you will be just fine tomorrow.”

  Her mouth tightened as she glared up at him. She grumbled and rose to stand. “Naturally, nothing I say will change your mind.”

  “Naturally.” He nodded. “We will keep walking until I say it’s time to stop.”

  “And when, pray tell, will that be?”

  “Just before sunset…and not a moment sooner.”

  Perhaps he shouldn’t enjoy her piercing glare or the way she held her mouth so tight he feared it would break into pieces at any moment. Obviously, she was not used to having other people win arguments.

  Although he felt victorious right now, a small part of his conscience wanted to back down and give her what she wanted. Women like Miss Landon were not used to this kind of physical exertion—or the heat. Yet, for some reason, he wanted to push her. He enjoyed seeing her eyes flash with annoyance. He didn’t know why, but he also enjoyed their arguments.

  However, he also didn’t want to carry her tomorrow, even if the prospect of having her in his arms did sound tempting. But neither did he want any of his men to carry her. So perhaps he should find a good place to camp for the night. Very soon, in fact.

  Just as he opened his mouth to tell her of his thoughts, a blood-curdling scream ripped through the air, followed by panicked, painful sobs.

  Felix swung his attention to where the cries were coming from. His crew ran in one direction toward the stream, making it impossible to see who had been injured and what had caused the outburst.

  He knew one thing. Here in the Amazon jungle, a scream like that was not a good thing. It meant danger was near.

  Chapter Five

  The terrified shouts and painful cries from Suzette kept Katrina frozen with fear. Men rushed past her, following Felix, as they charged toward the other woman. Manuel stood near his wife with a torch, trying to light something on fire. Between Felix and three other men, they were able to pull Suzette away from the bank of water toward drier land.

  Katrina gingerly approached Suzette. Red welts covered her arms and face. Her face appeared swollen, and even her lips looked larger than normal.

  As the men lay her on the ground, Manuel rushed to his wife and cautiously began to remove her clothes. Murmurs grew from the other men, and the words fire ants were heard. Katrina sucked in a quick breath, watching as each layer of clothes was removed, and in the process, more red welts were revealed on Suzette’s arms and legs.

  Katrina’s stomach leapt and she placed a hand over her mouth to keep from losing what little food she’d eaten today. Suzette’s sobs were unlike anything Katrina had ever heard, and she felt helpless just standing and watching. She didn’t want to get too close, because the men were still finding ants hidden in Suzette’s clothes. Once the insects were freed, the men torched the ants to kill them.

  Another man with a medical handbag knelt beside Suzette. Katrina uttered a prayer of relief that Felix had brought a physician with them on the trek. The man’s skin was darker than the others, and a few gray strands streaked his black hair, but his body was just as robust as the rest.

  “We must leave this area immediately,” Felix said to the doctor. “But is she well enough to travel?”

  Worried lines creased the man’s face as he shook his head. “We should not move her, but I agree, we cannot stay here, either. Have the others quickly make a stretcher to carry her on.”

  Before Felix could issue orders, his men were already searching the area for branches or anything useful to make the stretcher. The doctor smeared cream on Suzette’s welts, making her cry out again.

  Katrina stepped beside Felix and touched his shoulder. His head swung around, and he locked gazes with her. His expression was filled with concern, and her stomach twisted tighter. “What can I do to help?”

  He motioned his head toward his crew scurrying around and scavenging the area. “Help them carry the branches. You will be more use to them than to Suzette right now.”

  “All right, I will.” Katrina glanced at Suzette one last time. The pain written on her expression brought tears to Katrina’s eyes. Silently, she said another prayer that Suzette would not become any worse and the doctor could heal her quickly.

  In less than twenty minutes, a makeshift stretcher was fashioned, and Manuel gently laid his wife upon it. Tears slid from the corner of her eyes and she moaned in pain. Once again, Katrina felt an overwhelming helplessness sweep through her, and she wished she could do more to assist her new friend.

  As they resumed their hike, the group moved slower than before. The men carrying the stretcher took careful steps, but Suzette still bounced causing her to cry out.

  Because Katrina had nobody to walk with, she decided to stay close to Felix. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be in a foul disposition—although with what happened to Suzette, Katrina would certainly understand if he was. When she reached his side, he was mumbling. As she listened closer, he kept repeating the phrase shouldn’t have happened in between other disjointed words. For the first few moments, he didn’t notice her, so she kept quiet and eavesdropped.

  While she was concentrating on deciphering his mumblings, her toe hit a rock and she stumbled. To keep from falling to her knees, she grasped his arm. His attention jerked toward her, eyes wide with question.

  “Forgive me,” she said hesitantly, composing herself. “I tripped over a rock.”

  He nodded, but didn’t say anything.

  It surprised her that he didn’t have some comment. “Mr. Knightly, are you all right?” she asked.

  Taking a deep breath, he scratched his cheek. “I’m just slightly confused.”

  “About what?”

  He peeked back at Suzette before returning his attention to Katrina. “The fire ants. I have been in this part of the jungle so many times I’ve lost count. Not once in all these years have I seen the ants at that particular stream. If I had known they were there, I wouldn’t have stopped.”

  Confusion swept through her and she shook her head. “Then why were the ants there this time?”

  He shrugged. “I wish I knew.”

  “How very odd.”

  “Indeed, it is.”

  “What are you going to do about Suzette?”

  A gush of air whooshed out of his mouth. “She really needs to rest. I will find a spot shortly for us to make camp.”

  She nodded, relieved they’d be stopping for Suzette, and Katrina would also be able to rest her tired limbs. “That is probably very wise, but…what about tomorrow? Will she be well enough to travel then?”

  He snuck another glance back at Suzette before meeting Katrina’s gaze. “I fear she won’t recover that fast. Fire ants are known for swarming over their prey quickly, and by the look of her welts, I’d say the insects covered most of her body.”

  “Yes, it does appear that way,” she muttered as her stomach lurched from remembering Suzette’s awful screams, and the terror that had streamed through Katrina while she’d watched.

  “However,” he continued, “I thi
nk we may have to make a detour in our journey. The town of Manaus is only about three hours west of here. There are people who will care for Suzette better than we could.” His frown deepened. “I hope you don’t mind going a few hours out of our way. It puts us behind schedule, but this cannot be helped.”

  “I agree.” Ignoring his previous warning, she touched his forearm. “I don’t mind at all. Suzette’s health is more important.”

  His footsteps faltered, and his eyes narrowed in scrutiny. She waited for him to say something, but he just continued to stare as he walked. Suddenly, a low-hanging branch struck his face. He flinched and quickly pulled away from her, slapping the branch away with his hand. The leaves were probably soft, but she was certain the wood was not. She tried her hardest not to laugh at his blunder. That’ll teach him to watch where he’s going.

  Felix didn’t say anything about the tree as they continued to tread side by side. He didn’t meet her eyes, and she figured he was a little embarrassed. After all, he was the guide and was supposed to know better than to take his attention off the path.

  They hiked further in silence. During this time, she couldn’t stop her gaze from roaming over his physique. He really was a ruggedly handsome man, even if he infuriated her constantly. The humidity coated his body with moisture. With his dark hair damp, there was a slight wave to the length. The beige shirt he wore was also wet due to his sweat. She enjoyed watching him run his fingers through his hair when he was deep in thought. She especially liked it when his intense gaze held a hint of interest.

  She had been courted a few times over the past years, but she’d never found a good man of husband material. It didn’t matter if she’d been raised in a tavern and had a working mother who did her best to provide shelter and food, Katrina had always wanted more than what the customers at the pub offered. Now as she gazed upon Mr. Knightly, she realized he was the kind of man she’d been dreaming about most of her life.