by Merry Farmer
“I suspect Lord William may have already tried that route, if what his uncle tells me is true,” Captain Tennant said.
Lord William’s expression hardened and his face turned a mottled red. “My uncle has nothing to do with this,” he said through clenched teeth. He took a breath, then turned to Domenica. “I can assure you, my dear, I treat both cards and women as a source of delight, and nothing more.” He threw in a heated glance to her lips for good measure. Domenica was certain that if she hadn’t been wearing a coat and her breasts had been on show, his gaze would have landed there.
“Is it?” Once again, she met Lord William’s offensive look with a bold stare of her own. Anything to keep a man from seeing the fear he instilled in her. “Well then, we will have to have a night of poker to make the journey pass quicker.”
“I would like nothing more,” Lord William said. His wolfish look was back, and with Captain Tennant standing right there.
On a whim, Domenica sent Captain Tennant a glance that asked for help. She almost never did such a thing. The fear of what kind of gates that show of vulnerability could open was almost overwhelming, but in the end, her gamble paid off.
“Card games are a magnificent way to pass the time,” he said, shifting slightly in her direction, which leant his height and imposing stature to what amounted to her defenses against Lord William’s cheek. “I would gladly host such a game. How does tomorrow evening sound?”
Lord William continued to stare at Domenica as though she had made the suggestion. “It sounds divine.” He paused, then added, “If Miss Ortega agrees to join us.”
Rather than coming right out and forbidding a woman to join the game, Captain Tennant turned to Domenica with a questioning look. “Miss Ortega?”
A wide, teasing smile spread across Domenica’s lips—both for the kindness and consideration Captain Tennant was showing her, and because her skills at a card table likely went well beyond what the arrogant Lord William would expect them to be. “I would be delighted,” she said, nodding slowly. She flickered a flirty, sideways glance to Captain Tennant as thanks.
Lord William was still looking only at Domenica, until Captain Tennant said, “Excellent. I’ll invite a few more men who I know enjoy a good card game. Provided the weather holds and we have a safe launch, we’ll make a night of it.”
“We?” Lord William asked, disappointed.
Domenica fought not to roll her eyes. Had he thought the two of them were setting up a sensuous rendezvous? She bent to pick up her suitcase. “And now, gentlemen, I should find my cabin and settle in for the voyage.”
“Would you like assistance?” Captain Tennant asked.
Domenica wanted to answer that she would take anything the captain gave her with pleasure, but something held her back. Flirting came so easily to her, and as much as she instantly liked Captain Tennant, something small but strong within her wanted more than hollow teasing. She wanted…she wanted…she didn’t know.
“I could escort you.” Lord William broke the tremulous spell within her.
“Shouldn’t you be helping Lady Patterson?” Captain Tennant asked, flat and disapproving.
Lord William grimaced. “I should.” He glanced toward the door that Lady Patterson, her maid, and the overburdened porter were just passing through, his jaw twitching, then turned back to Domenica. “I hope we will see each other again soon,” he said before marching off.
As soon as he’d disappeared into the corridor, Domenica laughed and shook her head. “What an ass.”
Whether it was surprise at the boldness of her comment or because the sentiment was shared, Captain Tennant laughed along with her. “He is most definitely an ass. His uncle, Lord Peter deVere, is a good friend of mine. Apparently, William has spent most of the money he inherited from his mother, and since Peter is the heir to the earldom of Dunsford, he’s gone digging for gold elsewhere. You’d think he would have set his sights on one of these American heiresses, but if he wants to woo a fine lady with one foot in the grave…Miss Ortega, are you well?”
Domenica had hoped her shock at the name of Lord Peter deVere hadn’t shown on her face, but she was out of luck. “I’m fine,” she said, feigning ease and gripping her suitcase tighter. “A bit cold, perhaps. I’ll just go find my cabin. Until tomorrow.”
“I look forward to it,” Captain Tennant said as she hurried off toward the door.
She gave him a final smile before ducking into the low-ceilinged corridor, but that smile dropped right away. Lord Peter deVere. Millie’s Lord Peter deVere. Which meant that Lord William was the man who had given her friend so much trouble when she’d first arrived at Starcross Castle, before she’d married Owen. Which meant that, in such close quarters, it could only be a matter of time before Lord William made the connection and figured out exactly who…and what…Domenica had been.
CHAPTER 2
Domenica didn’t have to wait long for things to come unraveled where Lord William was concerned. She wasn’t at all surprised that a man like him would take advantage of the truth as soon as it was discovered, but she hadn’t counted on how bold he would be.
“Miss Domenica Ortega.”
Domenica jumped as she turned the corner toward the stateroom where their card game was to be played only to find Lord William waiting for her, lounging against the wall. She’d managed to avoid him for an entire day. Although that hadn’t been as hard as she’d imagined. The excitement of the ship putting out to sea had the vessel’s decks crowded with both first-class and steerage passengers the day before, and a cold rainstorm had kept almost everyone inside of their cabins throughout the current day. Domenica had taken the opportunity to catch up on sleep and to read one of the books her friends had sent with her for the journey. The two times she’d ventured out to the dining room for sustenance, Lord William had been busy fawning over Lady Patterson.
“Lord William.” She put on her standard, mysterious smile as she approached the young lord. Her heart raced, and she could feel a hot flush of alarm spread across her face, but she had experience pretending to feel something she absolutely didn’t. “What a pleasant surprise.” The only way to fight the fear that men like Lord William instilled in her was to take the lead, so she slowed her steps, lowered her eyes to sultry effect, and swayed up to him. “Are you ready for our little game?” she asked, brushing her fingers across the lapel of his jacket.
Lord William clamped a hand over hers, trapping it against his chest. “Oh, yes,” he purred. “I am most certainly ready for all sorts of games.”
Even with her hand flat against him, she could only feel a faint whisper of his heartbeat. Not that men like Lord William had hearts. Her mouth went dry, and she put on a fake, seductive smile, but kept her eyes lowered. She forced herself to laugh low in her throat, and only when she was certain all fear had left her eyes did she glance up at him.
“You are a player, then?” she asked, one eyebrow twitching.
Lord William’s answering smile did nothing to calm her nerves. “What I am doesn’t matter. What you are does.”
Domenica drew in a breath, bracing herself for what she knew came next. “What I am, my lord?”
It was Lord William’s turn to laugh menacingly. “I believe we have a mutual acquaintance.”
Yes, Domenica knew exactly where the conversation was going. A paradoxical calm settled over her. She’d been planning for this. “Do we?”
“A certain Millie Horner, I believe?” The predatory look in Lord William’s eyes said more about his intentions than his words.
Domenica laughed and pulled her hand away from his chest. “Dear Millie. We are all so pleased that she has found true love at last.”
“If that’s what you want to call it,” Lord William murmured.
Domenica ignored him. “She was the first of us to take the grand step of leaving her old life and starting one that is completely different.” She emphasized the last two words, staring straight into Lord William’s eyes in an att
empt to communicate that she herself was not open for business.
Whether it was because he was stupid or because he was persistent, Lord William smirked and continued with, “I didn’t find her to be all that different from what she was.”
Domenica knew the story, knew how Lord William had attempted to blackmail Millie into his bed. Apparently the young lord had no inkling that women wrote to each other and friends told friends about the villains they encountered.
“I admire Millie’s resolve,” she said, sashaying past him toward the door to the cabin where the card game would take place. “I share her resolve as well.”
“You do?” Lord William blinked, clearly not following her hints.
Well, if he wouldn’t take a hint, she would spell it out for him. “I too am heading to a new life, Lord William. I am no longer engaged in my former profession.”
Understanding flashed in his eyes. A moment of disappointment was replaced by calculation and cunning. “Not even for a reasonable price?”
“Not even for an unreasonable price,” Domenica told him. Then, with a manufactured look of sympathy that she didn’t feel, she pushed open the door and stepped into the stateroom.
Relief like nothing she’d ever known hit her as the first thing she spotted in the richly appointed cabin was Captain Tennant, already seated at the round table with three other men. Domenica wanted to cry out with joy and run to the tall, protective man. She did the closest she could to that action by walking swiftly to the man’s side as he stood to greet her.
“Miss Ortega.” He took her hand and raised it to his lips. “I was beginning to worry about you.”
Her hand was shaking. Domenica could tell that he noticed instantly. A heartbeat later, Lord William strode into the room. Understanding sparked in Captain Tennant’s eyes. He squeezed her hand just enough to let her know he would guard her with his life. Domenica could have burst into tears of gratitude. The whole exchange took no more than a few seconds, but it changed everything for her.
“I’ve saved you a seat,” Captain Tennant said, indicating the one next to where he’d been sitting. A crewman in uniform sat beside the empty chair, which meant Lord William couldn’t sit there. The only other empty chair was across the table. “William,” Captain Tennant greeted Lord William as he helped Domenica to sit. “There’s a seat for you as well.” He nodded to the empty chair, then met Lord William’s smarmy smile with a stern look of warning.
Lord William lost a bit of his swagger as he took his seat at the table. “Gentlemen.” He nodded to the others, then sent a questioning look to Captain Tennant.
“Might I introduce Mr. Jack Allen.” He gestured to the man on his right as he took a seat. “And Mr. Lewis Sands, the ship’s head cook.” He nodded to the man on Mr. Allen’s right. “And Second Officer Frank Milton.” The man on Domenica’s left nodded to the rest of the table. “This is Lord William deVere,” he went on. “And our guest of honor, Miss Domenica Ortega.”
“Gentlemen.” Domenica smiled at the table of men the way she always had when joining a poker game at The Silver Dollar Saloon in Haskell. One flirty smile was all it took to make opponents underestimate her. “What game shall we play today? Poker? Or will it be something more exotic.” She played up her accent and leaned forward, elbows resting jauntily on the edge of the table.
Lord William’s eyes went straight to the relatively low neckline of her bodice, but his weren’t the only ones. The other men at the table grinned and stared as well. The intensity in the room eased up as they reevaluated the seriousness of the game they’d been invited to join. Only Captain Tennant seemed to see the humor and cleverness of Domenica’s posture. His lips twitched as though he were hiding a smile, and his eyes flashed with mirth. But he wasn’t the only one sizing things up. In an instant, Domenica could tell he would be the most formidable opponent at the table.
It only took Albert five hands of poker to realize that Domenica was a far better player than she was letting on. By the time an hour had passed, he was certain she was an expert. She knew how to bet the modest amount of money she brought to the table effectively, she knew which hands to play and which to fold, and she knew how to distract her opponents into making clumsy mistakes.
“Three queens, Mr. Allen?” she cooed, sending a sultry grin to Mr. Allen as he raked in the small pile of coins and bills from the center of the table. “Most men I know can barely handle one.”
The other men laughed and winked at her joke, their faces flushed from the excitement of play and the glasses of whiskey that Lewis had so generously poured. None of them noticed that she’d wisely bowed out of that hand, folding what he’d been able to see in an accidental tilt of her cards was two pairs. She could read her opponents—something Albert found fascinating. He wondered what she could read in him.
When it was her turn to shuffle and deal the cards, she did so with amazing speed and precision.
“Something tells me you’ve done this before, Miss Ortega,” he said with a teasing smile.
She arched one dark eyebrow at him as she dealt. “There aren’t many things I haven’t done, Captain Tennant.”
The comment was pure flirtation, as was the lingering look she gave him as the players all picked up their cards. A rush of desire flooded Albert as he met Domenica’s gaze, his heart speeding up, then looked at his cards. “I will have to consult your expertise when we near the English Channel and must navigate narrow passages, then,” he teased.
“Something tells me you don’t need help navigating narrow passages, Capitán,” she replied, touching her fanned cards to her lips and staring boldly at him.
Albert was glad the table hid the lower half of his body from the other men. His trousers were growing tighter by the minute, which was absurd in its own way. The temptation to say and do a thousand shameless things, things he hadn’t considered doing since he was a green midshipman, was potent. The way Domenica looked at him—as saucy as a Seven Dials strumpet, but with more pride than a Mayfair miss—made him feel decades younger. It gave him ideas, made him wonder if he still had the ability to seduce a woman.
“I bet five dollars,” William grumbled, tossing a bill into the center of the table. He glanced over his cards at Albert with jealousy so tangible it was a surprise he hadn’t turned green.
“I’m in,” Lewis said, tossing several coins into the pot.
“It’s steep, but I’ll play along.” Allen added his bit to the pot.
Albert looked at his cards, studying them instead of Domenica. He didn’t have much. If he was lucky, he could end up with a straight. Other than that—
Something warm brushed against his leg, hooking under the leg of his trousers and sliding up. It had to be Domenica’s foot. Blood pounded to the wrong head, making it impossible for him to focus on the cards. Which might have been what Domenica was after.
“I’m in,” he said, voice hoarse, and tossed his bill into the growing pile. He knew exactly what he wanted to be in, too.
“Too rich for my blood,” Domenica sighed, putting down her cards. Her toes curled around his calf. How she managed to tempt him that way without twisting into an odd posture was a mystery to him.
“I’m out.” Milton put down his cards and picked up his whiskey.
“Cards, Lord William?” Domenica asked, picking up the deck to deal.
Eyes narrowed, William glanced between Domenica and Albert. “Three,” he grumbled.
“I’ll have two,” Lewis said eagerly as soon as William had his cards.
“Two,” Allen said.
“And what can I give you, Capitán?” Domenica asked. The cards were in her hands, but something else entirely was in her eyes.
Albert glanced at his cards once more, wishing he’d folded so he could focus all of his energy on flirting. It’d been so long since a woman like Domenica had looked twice at him that he would need all his powers of concentration to get the upper hand. Although there was a certain appeal in losing that battle. Hi i
magination ran wild with what succumbing to Domenica would look like.
“Three,” he said at last.
She licked her lips ever so slightly, then slid three cards across the table to him, making sure their fingers touched as he picked them up. The tiny contact sent electricity zipping up his arm. He was going mad. That was all there was to it. But the madness was delightful.
“Ten dollars,” William barked, slapping a bill on the table. He glared at Albert as he did.
Whatever offense Albert might have taken at the young whelp’s impudence was tempered as Domenica’s toes slid farther up his calf. His cock tightened, which made him heat with a mixture of embarrassment and need. If there weren’t four other men sitting around the table, he didn’t know what he’d do.
“I see your ten and raise you ten,” Lewis said.
That snapped both Albert’s and Domenica’s full attention back to the game. Domenica’s foot disappeared from his leg. William sat up, and even Milton nearly choked on his whiskey.
Allen’s jaw clenched, then he let out a breath. “Are we accepting I.O.U.s?” he asked.
The players looked around the table at each other. All of them glanced to Albert to be the deciding factor.
“I don’t see why not,” Albert said. “Do we have paper to write the debts on?”
“Right here.” Lewis hopped up from the table and rushed to a desk at the side of the room. He returned to the table with several small slips of scrap paper and a fountain pen.
Allen took the pen and scribbled a note. “That’s me calling the twenty dollars.” He glanced to Albert.
The titillating mood that had caused Albert to take leave of his senses was gone. He blew out a breath and put down his cards. “I’ll leave it to you, gentlemen.”
“I call,” William said, looking suddenly nervous. That might have had something to do with the dwindling pile of cash in front of him.