He’d somehow forgotten along the way that he was trying to discover her past. He’d also not given a second thought to taking her to his American home. What would he do with her when they arrived? Make her his mistress? He’d thought that, after the night when they’d made love, she would be easier to put from his mind. That was what he’d planned to do. Leave her behind.
But he hadn’t left her behind. He was behaving no better than an animal when she was near him. Just the touch of her made him perspire.
Damn woman.
After breakfast, Jewel and Annie walked around, investigating the ship. Adam had told them they had free access to the ship, but not to interfere with the men’s duties. He assured the ladies his men wouldn’t bother them.
Jewel and Annie stood at the rail, looking out onto a now calm sea.
“ ’Tis beautiful.” Annie’s eyes shone as she watched the sea.
The Atlantic spread to the horizon like a sheet of tempered steel. Occasionally a flash of silver could be seen. But the easterly winds bit into Jewel’s thin dress, and they realized they hadn’t prepared properly to stay on deck for long. Jewel was glad now she had slipped her breeches into her luggage. They would definitely be more practical than these flimsy dresses, and warmer, too. Annie went below to their cabin.
Jewel stayed a few more minutes before she decided to go in, too. When she started below, she spotted a young cabin boy coming out of Adam’s room. Not watching where he was going, he ran head on into Jewel, knocking them both down.
“Excuse me, my lady.” The young boy blushed as he helped her to her feet. “Please, don’t tell Captain Trent.”
Jewel spoke softly, smiling at the young lad. “You’re in such a hurry; maybe you should slow down just a mite. What’s your name?”
“Andrew, my lady. But my friends call me Andy, and I can’t slow down. I’ve got to show the captain I’m worth keeping on board ship.” He sighed and sounded a little discouraged and completely out of breath.
“Sometimes haste makes twice the work.” She stared down at the youthful face, feeling very motherly. “My name is Jewel. I hope we’ll become friends, Andrew.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lady.”
“Jewel,” she corrected. “Aren’t you a little young to be sailing?”
“No!” Andrew looked offended. I’m twelve years old, and will be thirteen pretty soon.”
“Don’t you have any family?”
“No, I’ve no one.” A sad look entered his brown eyes. “Derek . . . well, he kinda took me in and said he’d teach me to sail.”
“We have much in common. I don’t have a mother or father either. Perhaps we should be friends.” She winked, giving him a reassuring smile.
“Thank you, Miz Jewel, but please don’t tell Captain Trent I knocked you down. I heard him talking to Derek about me. Captain said I was too young and had no business on a ship. I’m trying to stay out of his way and do everything just right. I’ll show him I’m no baby!”
“I can see you’re very grown up, and I’m sure you’ll make a fine sailor.” Jewel refrained from patting him on the head. He looked so young, but she knew he wouldn’t like her to remind him of the fact. “I promise not to tell Adam, and you shouldn’t be afraid of him. He’s a fair man.” Yet she wondered how true her statement was. How was the Duke of St. Ives going to treat her now that he’d had her?
“Call me Andy.” He smiled, a look of adoration flashing in his eyes. “I like you, Miz Jewel; you’re a real nice lady. Are you related to Captain Trent?”
“No,” she answered slowly. “We’re just friends. Andy,” she said. “Would you like to help me take care of my puppy?”
“You have a puppy on board?” His eyes widened with excitement.
Jewel giggled. “Yes, but 1 had to promise Captain Trent I’d watch him carefully. Do you think you can help me?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Good.”
She looked at Andy for a moment, then thought of a wonderful idea. “We’re about the same size. Do you have an extra winter coat I can borrow?”
“Sure. Come with me, Miz Jewel.” Taking her hand, he led her to his room. “I’m sure glad you’re sailing with us.”
Chapter Nineteen
Days aboard the Wind Jammer passed quickly.
The crew scurried about tying off ropes and mending riggings, oiling guns and cleaning decks. Of course, Jewel and Annie were not expected to do any cleaning, but they couldn’t stand sitting idle, so they helped wherever needed.
And so everyone settled into a routine. Everyone except Adam, who seemed to grow more distant with each passing day.
One morning, having grown bored of the cabin, Jewel dressed in a pair of old breeches and Andy’s coat, thinking this would be a good day to venture up on deck. The cold sea breeze ruffled her hair, making her feel carefree and much like her old self. Memories of Barataria Bay flooded her memory, and she could see herself aboard the ships anchored in the bay as she laughed and talked with Jean’s men. Jean and Pierre had given in to her tomboy ways during those days, but were adamant about her dressing for dinner. They always cautioned her that she must never forget her femininity because she would need it to catch a husband one day.
Jewel reached down and pulled up her socks, thinking this was more like it . . . freedom to move about without the wind wrapping a dress around her legs. Adam had barely noticed her, or what she wore, so she didn’t think he’d be a problem.
The crew, having seen her often by now, smiled their greetings. Some took a second look at her strange attire, but were polite and didn’t comment. Thank goodness.
“If you’re looking for Duke, he’s lying over in that coil of rope—sound asleep ... as always.” Charlie laughed, pointing Jewel in the right direction. She saw a black nose resting on top of the coil.
“Thank you.” Jewel nodded to the helmsman, Charlie Welfonder. Earlier they had talked and she’d learned he came from Hamburg. He was a quiet man, not boisterous like the rest of the crew.
“Who’s at the helm?” Jewel asked.
“The captain himself, miss.”
“Really?” Jewel decided to see for herself by paying the captain a visit. It irritated her how easily Adam could push her aside.
When she drew near, she could clearly see Adam standing beside the big wheel as he studied a map, his feet planted firmly on the deck and his arm propped on a wooden table. It gave her time to watch him. He was an enigma to her, always keeping her off guard, and she wondered if he ever thought of her. She remembered the magic of his hands when he had held her. She loved the fiery way his insistent kisses could make her head spin. At Briercliff, he had been different, but since coming aboard Adam had changed.
Perhaps he didn’t think of her at all. Lately, he’d been like a cold stranger, avoiding her, and she wondered if he regretted bringing her with him.
Adam handled the ship as if she were a thoroughbred horse, responding to his slightest touch. He turned to say something to Derek, presenting his finely chiseled profile to her. He made a commanding figure, and she found herself wanting his attention, wanting to feel his strong arms around her again.
Enough of that kind of thinking, Jewel chided herself.
As she moved forward, his head came up and his gaze traveled over her entire length, taking in every detail of her appearance.
“Hello, Adam. It’s a beautiful day.”
“It is,” he acknowledged. “Why are you dressed in those clothes? We’ve had this discussion before.” Adam eyed her coolly. “I have a ship full of men who haven’t been with a woman in two weeks, and there you stand, looking extremely fetching in tight-fitting breeches. Do you have no brains, woman?”
So startled by his attack on her, Jewel was speechless. Maybe she had pushed him too far, she mused for one brief moment. She really hadn’t thought about the sailors.
“Jewel!” Adam grabbed her arm. “You try my patience! Explain yourself.”
; “It’s cold out here, Adam. You try wearing a skirt and have the biting wind blow up your dress. Can you not see the logic?”
Derek, who had been quiet, laughed. “I can just picture the captain in a skirt.”
Adam shot him a murderous look.
“I believe I’ve some other things that need to be done,” Derek said. He picked up several maps, tucked them under his arm, and left.
After Derek had walked off, Adam turned his attention back to her. “Where did you get that jacket? I don’t remember purchasing it for you.”
Heat ran through Jewel’s veins and her body grew rigid. “Does the sight of me bring out this foul mood of yours or are you nasty to everyone?” She exploded. “I asked Andy if I could borrow one of his. He said he didn’t mind because he had two. I would have asked you, but I haven’t seen much of you lately.”
Adam looked out toward the sea as if trying to think of a good reason why he’d been avoiding her. “I’ve had some things to do, and charts to study.”
A variety of different emotions filled her with sudden pain, and she felt empty. “I see,” she said. Reality set in as she began to understand that Adam acted this way because he didn’t want to be around her at all. Maybe she had misunderstood the way he’d felt Christmas Eve. Perhaps it had all been one-sided. After all, she had fallen willingly into his arms, much to her chagrin. She wished she could dismiss him from her mind as easily as he had her, but she missed his friendship.
Jewel looked up at the main topgallant sail, and saw Andy working on a rigging. “1 see you’ve given Andy some different tasks to do. You know, he doesn’t think you like him.” She waited, challenging Adam to answer. “Do you?”
“I’ve nothing against Andrew. I just think he’s too young to be at sea.”
“You call him Andrew?”
“That is his name—isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Jewel grinned at the private joke. “Did you know he didn’t have a home until Derek found him?”
Adam’s brow arched. “No, I didn’t.”
“That’s probably why Derek brought him on board ship, but I think he’s young, too.”
“I might point out that you’re not very old yourself.” He cocked a brow at her, and for a moment she glimpsed the old Adam. “Maybe, after we get home, I can find someplace nice for him. Andrew needs an education and some type of family.”
They both watched Andy as he walked across the beam of the topgallant sail. He looked down and waved—a foolish mistake. A gust of wind caught him off balance and he plunged headfirst toward the deck. Luckily his foot caught in the riggings.
Hanging upside down, Andy yelled at the top of his lungs, “Help! Somebody help me!”
“Hold her steady!” Adam ordered, turning the wheel over to the crew member beside him. He ran to the mast.
Several sailors gathered around, all mumbling about what should be done.
“Hold on, Andy!” Charlie hollered. “The cap’n will be up after you in a minute.”
They paid little attention to Jewel, who knew what had to be done. Adam was too heavy to get to the exact spot where Andy hung helplessly. The lad was much lighter, which was the reason they had sent Andy in the first place.
Having done this many times before, she jerked off her shoes and socks so she could grip the riggings better with her toes. She grabbed a knife beside the wheel. Putting it between her teeth, she ran past everyone else and started to climb the riggings.
“Jewel! Damn it, get down before you break your bloody neck! ” Adam had been in the process of taking off his boots, but stopped when Jewel darted past him. He started after her, but Derek laid a hand on his arm, stopping him.
“Look at her, Adam. She climbs like a monkey and seems to know what she’s about. Maybe it’s wise to let her try. After all, she is much lighter than yourself.”
“But if she falls . . .” He faltered. “It’d kill her.” Adam teetered between concern and the impulse to wring her neck.
“Trust me, son.”
They stood watching as she made her way up the ropes to Andy.
“Where did you learn to climb like that?” Andy asked, the surprise evident in his voice.
“Oh, I had some very good teachers.”
“Miz Jewel, you shouldn’t have come up here,” Andy choked out from his precarious position. His face had turned red and his eyes were tinged with fear.
“Apparently, you’re the one who shouldn’t be up here, but I can always leave if you’d like,” she teased, wrapping her legs in the ropes for support.
“No, please don’t leave!” A slight panic touched Andy’s voice as his eyes widened in horror.
Laughing, she tried to ease his distress. “Listen to me. Put your hands in the riggings so that when I cut this rope you’ll not fall.”
Below, Derek said to Adam, “You’ve got quite a woman. And it’s quite apparent she has a good knowledge of ships.” Derek kept his voice low so only Adam could hear. “I wonder where she could have learned that.”
Adam wondered the same thing. Apparently, she knew quite a bit about ships. He watched her small frame move around the riggings. He had missed her, and that fact really didn’t please him when he’d no intention of making her a permanent part of his life—but the truth was he wanted Jewel. She was aggravating, mysterious, stubborn, beautiful, and soft. And seeing her, knowing he couldn’t touch her, was eating at his insides. Hadn’t Derek complained this morning that he was meaner than a bear? That hadn’t improved his disposition at all. The least little thing sent his temper flying.
Without warning the vessel swayed. Adam and the others struggled to keep their balance. Jewel’s gasp was the only one he heard.
“Damn!” Adam knew it was his fault for leaving the ship in inexperienced hands. “Derek, take the wheel!” Adam couldn’t take his eyes off Jewel while he waited for his friend to seize control of the ship.
Long minutes ticked by before the ship steadied herself. Then Jewel finished cutting the last shred of rope, and Andy’s legs fell. He grabbed the lines and slipped his feet onto the ropes to straighten himself, just as Jewel had instructed.
“Thank you.” Andy sighed in relief. “Let’s get down.”
“You go ahead below while I tie off this loose rope.”
When she set foot on the deck again, the men cheered her. All but one. She looked around in surprise, smiling at their enthusiasm, but her smile died when her gaze met Adam’s.
Adam hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath until Jewel stepped onto the deck. Tension coiled tight in his body. The damn woman could have been killed. He hadn’t noticed her skills as the others had, for his anger had blocked everything else out. He walked over and gripped her arm. “Come with me.”
The bright pink hue of Jewel’s cheeks told him that she knew he wasn’t pleased. She tossed her head back and tried to jerk free from his hand.
“It will be the last time you ever do anything that imprudent again,” he bit out through clenched teeth.
Jewel half-walked and Adam half-dragged her across the deck and down the short hallway to his cabin. He didn’t seem conscious of the painful grip he had on her arm, but she was getting ready to tell him in no uncertain terms.
After they reached his quarters, he shoved her inside. She whirled around to face him. Even in the dimness, she could see his cheek vibrate with rage as she stood rubbing the aching arm. Her anger steadily grew.
“You little fool, you could have easily broken your neck!”
“I grow tired of your insults today. I knew exactly what I was doing,” she snapped back. “And I’m damn good at it, too. But you probably didn’t bother to notice that, either.”
Adam took her by the shoulders. “I did notice. And now may I ask, where did you learn so much about ships, Jewel? Am I to think you’re withholding something from me?”
Terror struck her. How could she tell him about her horrible encounter with Lee? That she’d attacked an English ship. After all, A
dam was British. He’d have her imprisoned.
“Where, Jewel?” He shook her in frustration.
She jerked away from him. “Apparently I’ve been on a ship before!” she retorted. “I acted on instinct. Other than that, I don’t remember. Maybe I could be no better than a pirate,” she stormed to gauge his reaction.
“I doubt that. A mistress would be more like it.”
A loud crack echoed around the small room as she removed her stinging hand from the side of his arrogant face.
Infuriated with his high-handed attitude, she wondered how she could have ever wanted him. She’d wanted his attention. And she most definitely had it for the moment. Yet she hadn’t missed the revulsion on his face at the mention of pirates.
“If you’d let me finish . . .” He rubbed his cheek. “I know firsthand you were not a mistress. More likely your father is in the shipping industry. From now on you’ll take no more chances. Do you hear me, Jewel? No more. I’ll not have it!”
“How can I not hear you the way you’re shouting! Half the damn ship can probably hear you! You don’t own me, Adam. I’ll do as I damn well please!”
Adam pushed her back against the wall and placed his hands on either side of her. For just a brief moment she thought he might strike her. Yet she knew deep down he’d never really hurt her. The struggle to control his rage vibrated through his body. Never had she seen him so angry, not since that day at the mine.
“Let’s get one thing straight. I’m captain of this ship. Do you understand? Captain! I’m master and law on this vessel. Everything here is done by my order. Everything!” His mouth clenched tighter. “If you ever do anything that ridiculous again, I’ll have you locked in your room!”
He moved away before he gave in to his urge to shake some sense into her head. He could shut his eyes and see her strangling in the ropes. Just like at the mines, she had given no thought to her own safety. Massaging the back of his neck, he turned and poured himself a drink.
The Duke's Lady (Historical Romance - The Ladies Series) Page 21