The Least Likely Bride b-3

by Jane Feather

  “I beg your pardon, I didn’t mean to pry,” Olivia said, flushing. “The drawer wasn’t locked or anything.”

  “No, because my people don’t make a habit of invading my privacy,” he said curtly. He was carrying two wooden buckets from which steam curled upward.

  He came into the cabin, kicking the door closed behind him, and set the pails down. “You wished to wash your hair, so I’ve brought you hot water.”

  “Thank you.” Olivia pushed her hands through her hair. She was embarrassed at being caught prying and didn’t know how to put it right. “I… I’m truly sorry for looking in your drawers. I… I just had this overpowering urge to find out about you… things about you. It didn’t feel like spying.”

  He regarded her still with an air of displeasure. “You could ask me anything you wish, or did that not occur to you?”

  “You weren’t here.” She shrugged and offered an apologetic smile. “And when I have asked you questions, you haven’t exactly been forthc-coming.”

  “So you simply followed an impulse.”

  Olivia nodded, a puzzled little frown drawing her thick black brows together. “I seem to be doing it rather a lot at the moment, like jumping onto that galleon. I wouldn’t have said I was impulsive. Phoebe’s the impulsive one of the three of us.”

  “Three of you?” He raised an interrogative eyebrow.

  “Phoebe, Portia, and me. We’re all related to one another but in rather roundabout ways. We’re best friends,” she added, reflecting that Anthony couldn’t possibly be interested in the ramifications of their complicated threesome. Simple friendship was easy enough to understand.

  It seemed she was right, because he didn’t press for more detail. He turned to open a cupboard in the bulwark. “So, do you like my drawings?”

  “They’re very accomplished,” Olivia said hesitantly, still embarrassed.

  “And the subjects?” he inquired, turning with an armful of towels. “What do you think of my subject matter?”

  He was definitely mocking her now; there was no disguising the slight sardonic tilt to his mouth, the ironic gleam in his eye.

  “I’ve noticed that anatomy is a frequent favorite with artists and draftsmen,” Olivia said, meeting his gaze, refusing to be put out of countenance. “I’m very familiar with the Renaissance artists, and I don’t expect to see fig leaves, if that’s what you mean.”

  He laughed, and the unpleasantness left his expression. “Of course, scholars are inclined to be less squeamish about naked truths than those who sit at home and sew fine seams.”

  “I c-can’t sew,” Olivia confided.

  “Oddly enough, I didn’t imagine you could.” He set the towels on the table and reached beneath the bed, pulling out a round wooden tub. “There’s not enough hot fresh water for you to bathe properly, but if you kneel here, I’ll wash your hair for you. Then I must dress the wound at the back of your leg.”

  Olivia hesitated. “Why’s my leg bandaged?”

  “It was the worst of your hurts.” He knelt beside the tub, crooking a finger at her. “It’s a long gash that had picked up a quantity of dirt and pieces of gravel on your slide down the cliff. I was obliged to stitch it, which is why it probably feels rather tight.”

  Olivia touched the bandage through the folds of the nightshirt. It was very high up on her thigh. “I can manage to tend to myself now,” she said. “And I c-can wash my own hair.”

  “You need to be careful of the bruise on the back of your head. It’ll be easier if I do it, because I know where it is,” he responded calmly. “Besides, Adam will be bringing dinner soon and I for one am very sharp-set. So come.”

  He unwrapped a cake of soap from one of the towels. “Verbena,” he told her. “I’ll lay odds you thought a pirate’s soap was made of pig’s fat and woodash.”

  Olivia couldn’t help laughing. “I suppose I did. But I don’t think you’re a proper pirate. You’re not bloodthirsty enough and you laugh too much. Pirates have black curling beards and they carry cutlasses in their teeth. Oh, and they drink a lot of rum,” she added.

  “I for one prefer a decent claret and a good cognac,” Anthony said solemnly, shaking out a towel. “And I am a passable coiffeur, not to mention lady’s maid, so let’s get on with it, shall we?”

  There seemed nothing for it. Olivia knelt beside the tub, the folds of the nightshirt billowing around her. Anthony draped a towel around her shoulders and scooped her hair off her neck, tossing it forward as she bent her head.

  The hot water felt wonderful, but not as wonderful as his fingers moving gently across her scalp, cleverly avoiding the soreness that she had felt when she’d turned her head on the pillow. The scent of verbena filled the cabin, and the hot water washed through the thick black fall of her hair. Olivia’s eyelids drooped and she drifted in the warm scented hinterland behind her eyes.

  “There, that should do it.” The sound of his voice was shocking in the silence. Olivia lifted her head hurriedly and water dripped down the back of her neck, soaking the collar of her makeshift gown.

  “That wasn’t very clever,” Anthony observed, gathering her hair between his hands and wringing it out over the tub. He wrapped a towel turban-style around her head. “You’d better change that… that… what would you call what you’re wearing?” He regarded her quizzically.

  “Your nightshirt,” Olivia responded, standing up slowly. “Maybe Adam’s finished my c-clothes now.”

  “He’s busy cooking, but I have dozens of nightshirts. My aunt embroiders them for me. She has the strangest notions about me.” He opened the cupboard in the bulwark.

  “You have an aunt?” Olivia exclaimed. “Pirates can’t have aunts.”

  “Well, as far as I know, I wasn’t the result of immaculate conception, so this particular pirate does have one… Ah, this one should do. As I recall, it has some particularly exquisite lacework on the sleeves.” He shook out another of the voluminous garments.

  “And an emerald sash, I think, since we’re dressing for dinner.” He selected a rich green silk cravat. “You won’t need one for your hair this evening.”

  “No,” Olivia agreed faintly. She was still trying to equate embroidering aunts with Wind Dancer’s master. “Where does your aunt live?”

  “Not far away,” he responded casually and uninformatively, tossing the fresh nightshirt and sash onto the bed. He opened another cupboard and took out a wooden casket. Then he turned back to Olivia with a speculative air. “Do you wish to lie on the bed while I dress your leg? Or would you rather stand? I can manage either way.”

  Again Olivia felt the bandage. “I’m sure I can do it myself.”

  “No.” He shook his head. “I am something of a physician, Olivia, as I told you. There’s no need to be shy.”

  “How c-can you say that? It’s one thing when I’m not really c-conscious, but it’s different now.”

  “I don’t see why. I’m wearing my physician’s hat. I grant you it would be different… very different… if I were not. But I promise you I have no trouble separating any, shall we say, masculine responses to your body, from the purely practical and medicinal.”

  “Would you have… would you have a masculine response, then?” Olivia blurted the question, astonished at herself, but only on some distant plane.

  Anthony smiled slowly. “Oh, yes,” he said softly. “Most definitely. But as I said, that’s not the point at this moment.”

  He set the casket on the table and flipped open the lid. Then he hooked a stool over with his foot and sat down, reaching for Olivia’s hands. He drew her towards him and with his hands at her waist turned her so her back was to him.

  “Now, why don’t you lift your skirts as high as you feel comfortable. I just need to be able to unfasten the bandage.”

  “But it’s right at the top of my leg,” Olivia protested faintly, gathering her skirts in both hands and lifting them slowly. The breeze from the window was cool against the backs of her legs. “Is that
high enough?”

  “Just a little higher.”

  “But… but you’ll see my bottom!”

  “And it’s quite the prettiest little bottom,” he said, laughing. “No… no, don’t run away. I beg your pardon, but it was irresistible. I promise I won’t see anything I shouldn’t, but I do need to get at the pin.”

  “Oh!” Olivia said in mingled disgust and resignation. She hauled her skirt up as a freshening gust of evening breeze blew cold into the cabin, raising goose bumps on her skin. Or at least, they could have been caused by the cold air, but then again, maybe not.

  Anthony unfastened the pin that held the bandage closed and unwound it. His fingers brushed against her skin, reminding her vividly of the strange dream time, but now she was in full possession of her senses, and vibrantly aware. He touched the inside of her thigh and she jumped as if stung.

  “Be still,” he said calmly, steadying her with his hands on her hips. “I can’t do this without touching you. I’m going to clean the wound now, and then dress it with salve and rebandage it. It’s healing nicely and tomorrow I should be able to take out the stitches.”

  Olivia gritted her teeth and tried to pretend she was somewhere else, doing something quite other than standing here holding up her skirts for the intimate attentions of a male stranger.

  But it was over at last. He wound the bandage once more tightly around her thigh and refastened the pin. “There, you can let your skirts down now.”

  Olivia let the material slip back to her ankles and stepped away from his knees. She pulled the towel off her head, and her wet hair fell to the soaked clinging collar of the nightshirt. She shivered.

  “Why don’t you wash and change now?” Anthony suggested. “There’s plenty of hot water left in the other pail. Just leave a little for me when you’re finished.” He strolled to the chart table as he spoke, adding cheerfully, “Piracy is devilishly dirty work.”

  Olivia eyed the tub, the curl of steam from the pail. She ran a hand inside the sodden collar of her makeshift gown. She looked at the fresh clean raiment, the brilliant emerald sash. “I’ll be about fifteen minutes,” she said.

  “Take your time.” He was bending over the chart table, the sextant in his hand.

  “I’ll call when I’m finished,” she offered.

  “Oh, I expect I’ll know when you’re finished,” he observed amiably.

  Olivia swallowed. “Are you staying in here, then?”

  “Of course. But I’ll keep my back to you. I give you my word of honor.” There was a laugh in his voice.

  “Honor?” Olivia exclaimed. “You’re not a man of honor. You’re a pirate and a thief, and you draw people’s naked bodies when they’re not aware of it, and I’m sure you’ve killed people as well. You’re not a gentleman. How c-could you possibly talk of honor?”

  “But have you never heard of honor among thieves, Olivia?” he inquired without turning from the chart table. The laugh remained in his voice. “I promise you, you’ll see only my back. But do, I beg you, make haste. Otherwise the water will be cold by the time it’s my turn, and I’m in sore need of soap and fresh clothes.”

  Olivia hesitated, then approached the tub with a sense of helpless resignation. If he did turn around, what did it matter? He’d see nothing he hadn’t already seen. But then he’d had on his physician’s hat, she reminded herself. Whatever hat he was wearing now, it had crowned no physician’s head.

  She poured hot water into the tub and drew the nightshirt over her head. She looked quickly over to him, but he was still studiously working on the charts, humming to himself.

  Hastily she dipped a piece of towel in the hot water, rubbed soap on it, and sponged her body. It felt so wonderful that she almost forgot that she wasn’t alone. Then she heard a movement behind her and grabbed up a towel to cover herself, an indignant exclamation on her lips. But he’d gone in what seemed like a straight line to the chessboard beneath the window, and he still had his back to her.

  “I see you’ve completed the problem,” he observed casually. “It wasn’t a particularly challenging one, I found.”

  “Then why didn’t you finish it yourself?” she demanded, drying herself as quickly as she could.

  “I was about to, but I was called away,” he replied with an airy wave of his hand. He selected several pieces from the wooden box that stood beside the board and placed them on the squares. “Let’s see how you do with this one.”

  Olivia drew the clean nightshirt over her head. Her sigh of relief was audible and Anthony raised his head and looked at her. His eyes held his secret smile. He came over to her and cupped her face in both hands, then he ran his fingers through the mass of damp black curls framing her face, combing and fluffing out her hair. “I told you I was a passable coiffeur.”

  He laughed and lightly ran the pad of his thumb over her mouth. “You have such a beautiful complexion. Like thick cream. And your eyes are magnificent. Black and soft as velvet.”

  Olivia stared at him. It was the first she’d heard of this. “Are you… are you making love to me?”

  “Not yet.” He laughed again and pinched her nose. “I never make love when I’m hungry.”

  Olivia stepped away from him, regarding him rather in the manner of a Christian facing the lions. “I think you are a rake,” she pronounced. “And I will not let you make love to me.”

  “No?” He raised an eyebrow. “Well, it’s an academic question at present.” He turned from her and pulled his shirt over his head. His back was tanned to a deep burnished gold. It was long and slim and tapered.

  Olivia felt a curious little tug in the base of her belly. She dragged her eyes away and picked up the emerald sash, tying it around her waist. She heard the clink of his belt buckle and involuntarily looked towards him again.

  He tossed his belt to the floor and with one smooth movement pushed his britches off his hips and stepped out of them.

  Olivia’s jaw dropped.

  “You did say you were accustomed to the male form,” he said. “Without the fig leaves.”

  Yes! On paper or cast in bronze. Olivia tried to speak but her throat felt stuffed with cotton. He was bending over the tub, splashing his face. His buttocks, smooth and flat, were as tanned as his back, his thighs dusted with fair curls, the hard muscles rippling in thigh and calf as he braced himself. And she could see between his thighs the dark shadow of his sex.

  “The human body is the greatest wonder of creation,” Anthony remarked in the tone of one instructing a pupil. “In all its manifestations, thin, fat, long, short. Every line, every curve, is beautiful.” He turned as he spoke, sponging his torso with the soaped towel that Olivia had used.

  Olivia knew a challenge when she heard one. She refused to look away and indeed she couldn’t have dragged her eyes from this perfect example of the human form if she’d wanted to.

  Every inch of him had been touched with the sun. Fair hair clustered around his nipples, cloaked his sex. He stood naked before her, alone in this cabin, and yet she realized with a shock of what could only be dismay that he was not aroused.

  Her reaction, instead of the requisite maidenly horror at the sight of this naked man, was one of confused disappointment. Did he not find her in the least appealing? He hadn’t behaved as if that was the case, but maybe she was too inexperienced to understand. She felt herself blush even as her eyes drank him in.

  “Would you prefer to dine on deck?” he asked as casually as if they were in some drawing room. “It’s a beautiful night and your hair will dry in the breeze.” He turned away from her again, to Olivia’s profound relief. She found his back view much less disturbing. “Could you find me a clean shirt from the cupboard?”

  She still couldn’t find her tongue but shirts were a different matter and a welcome distraction. He had wrapped a towel around his loins when she turned back to him with the garment.

  “My thanks.” He thrust his arms into it and left it open as he went to another cupboard for a c
lean pair of britches.

  “So, the deck or the cabin?” He cast aside the towel and stepped into the britches. Olivia noticed that he wore no undergarments. Men usually wore drawers beneath their britches. That much she did know from the washing lines around the washhouse.

  He buttoned the shirt, leaving it open at the neck, and thrust the tail into the waistband of his britches. He bent to pick up his belt and fastened it at his hip again, adjusting the set of the short dagger in its sheath.

  “On deck.” Olivia finally managed to speak, now that the world had returned to more orderly proportions.

  “Good.” He went to the door and called for Adam, who appeared almost immediately, as if he’d been waiting outside the door.

  “Dinner’ll be ruined,” he grumbled. “What took ye so long?”

  “We’ll dine on the quarterdeck,” Anthony said, ignoring the complaining question. “Get young Ned to clean up the cabin while we’re above… oh, and we’ll drink that ‘38 claret, Adam.”

  “Oh, aye,” Adam muttered, entering the cabin. “It’s celebratin‘, are we?”

  “We have cause for celebration,” Anthony responded.

  “Oh, aye?” Adam repeated with a skeptical eyebrow. He glanced rather pointedly at Olivia. “You’ll not be needin‘ yer clothes, I see.”

  “I borrowed these,” Olivia said with an attempt at dignity. “But when I leave the ship, I’ll need my own c-clothes.”

  “And when’ll that be? I ask meself,” Adam muttered, taking a bottle and two glasses from a cupboard. “ ‘Ere, you want to take these up.” He thrust bottle and glasses at Anthony, who took them meekly.

  “Come, Olivia.”

  “When will it be?” she asked, going past him through the door, holding up her voluminous skirts as she stepped over the high threshold.

  “When will what be?” He followed her, leaving the door open to the sounds of Adam banging around in the cupboards, collecting plates and cutlery.

  “When I leave Wind Dancer,” she said impatiently. “When you stop kidnapping me.”