She bolted upright. Her brows drew together in confusion. She shook her head, her hair slipping back and forth like the waves of the ocean at night. “I … no, I didn’t. I felt someone should keep watch.”
Colin sighed and stood, more than annoyed with the woman. “I told you to sleep.” Damn, she could grate on his nerves. He’d told her to get her rest—she needed it. Why the hell didn’t she trust his advice?
He raked his hair back from his face and attempted to straighten his shirt. It didn’t help. Nothing but a bath and new clothes would. Slowly, he rubbed his knuckles over his rough, unshaven chin. At least his head was finally clear. He glanced at Bea. She was as disheveled as he, but for some reason on her, the look was charming.
Frantically, she scraped her hair back from her head, attempting to make some order to her locks. He was just about to tell her to leave her hair alone when her bodice gaped open, revealing the tops of her pale, full breasts. He couldn’t seem to look away, like a young lad mesmerized by the erotic temples of Khajuraho.
“A ribbon, anything?” she asked.
He shrugged and jerked his gaze away from her body. But it didn’t stop the heat from shooting through his form. Hell, he should have visited Delilah the other day, but he’d been too busy searching for that damn statue.
“Colin.” Bea paused, working her lower lip between her teeth.
“Hmm?” He tucked his shirt into the waistband.
“Who is Sarah?”
Colin froze. His heart jumped into his chest. Slowly, he lifted his gaze, meeting hers. “Excuse me?”
Bea shrugged with her left shoulder, looking suddenly uneasy. “Last night, you said her name. I just wondered—”
“Yeah, well, don’t because it’s none of your damn business. Fix your clothes and meet me out front.” He stomped from the room before she could respond. His body trembled. He wasn’t sure if he should be shocked or angry as hell. He’d said her name. Still, after years, he said her name.
Raj’s mother straightened away from the pot she was stirring.
“Morning,” Colin muttered.
She rushed at him and bowed low. “Jaadoo,” she whispered.
He knew what the word meant. He’d heard the word in just about every language. Magic.
“No, none of that,” he said, gripping her shoulders and pulling her upright.
Tears shimmered in her eyes. She waved him over. “Beti.” She pointed toward a blanket, where the child sat murmuring and smiling up at him. She looked a million times better than she had last night. Damn, if he didn’t feel the warmth of accomplishment filter through the stone wall he’d built around his emotions. After seeing so many sick and injured miraculously recover, there was something about witnessing the life return to such innocent eyes that held him still for the briefest of moments. Seeing him, the child’s dark eyes sparkled and she lifted her arms.
The woman swooped the baby up and pushed her toward him. Unwillingly, Colin wrapped his fingers around the child’s tiny waist and held her at arm’s length. She smiled, showing brilliant white teeth just peeking through dark gums. Reluctantly, his lips twitched. Damn it all, he didn’t have time to play nursemaid.
He focused on the mother. “Listen, I need to ask you something. Do you understand?”
She nodded. “Understand.”
He glanced at the door to make sure Bea was still in the back room. “I’m looking for a man named Anish. Have you heard of him?”
Her eyes grew wide and she nodded. “Yes, Anish. We take you to Anish.”
“No, no, I don’t—”
“Beebee.” She took the baby and pushed a mound of clothing into his hands, soft and gauzy pieces of a brilliant bronze material.
Colin shook his head, confused.
“For your woman, your wife,” Raj said, coming in from outside and bringing the crisp scent of dawn with him.
The boy’s mother nodded, settling the baby on her hip. “Wife.”
Doubtfully, he glanced at the material. Surely Bea would refuse, yet he knew if she wore traditional clothing, she would blend in better and the heat wouldn’t be as intense. He nodded his thanks and made his way into the room where Bea was attempting to brush the wrinkles from her skirt. “Here.”
“What’s this?”
He shrugged. “She said it was for you.”
Bea frowned in confusion, and Colin took the opportunity to shove the clothes into her hands. “But …”
Colin left the room before she asked more questions. He had the intense desire to get away from women, babies, and clothes as soon as he could. And just as he thought the words, Raj’s mother rushed toward him.
“Here,” the woman said, shoving the baby into his arms again. Raj had disappeared. “I help.” She moved into the room where he’d abandoned Bea. Colin was stuck holding the girl once again. She grinned up at him, slobber glistening down her chin.
“Jesus,” Colin grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand.
The dark was giving way to light. They needed to leave; he didn’t have time to play nanny. The child wrapped her arms around his neck, her tiny body pressed warmly to his heart. Shaking his head, he finally gave in to the urge to smile. As if sensing her victory, the child giggled.
“You’re going to break some hearts when you’re older, aren’t you?”
A cough came from the bedroom, a familiar cough he’d heard before. Damn, was Bea getting sick?
“It’s here,” Raj called from the doorway.
Colin shifted the child to his hip. “What?”
“Boat. I take you to Anish.”
Anish? How the hell had that happened? He’d merely asked about the man. “I don’t want to see Anish.” Colin shoved the girl into her brother’s arms.
He took the child, expertly cradling her on his hip. “You leave? Secret?”
Colin raked his fingers through his hair. “Well, yeah, I suppose.” He hadn’t expected them to take him to this Anish man. He glanced back at the room where Bea was dressing. Would she mind a quick detour? Of course she would. Did it matter?
“Boat here. I take you to Anish.” The boy smiled.
Damn. He wanted to argue, to decline. Yet how could he when they were getting a free guide to the very man who may explain his father’s death? Who could explain why he had the odd abilities he did? And more importantly, could tell him about the statue he’d been searching for his entire life?
“Bea,” Colin called out.
The shuffle of feet against the reed mats whispered through the small dwelling, sending anticipation skittering over his skin.
“Yes?” She appeared in the doorway, a goddess draped in shimmering clothes.
The firelight highlighted the curves of her form. She was dressed in loose bronze pants that matched the color of her eyes. A shirt in gauzy material covered her chest and arms and hinted at the body underneath without showing a thing.
She looked exotic, she looked beautiful, and even with a scarf covering her head, she still looked like a damn Englishwoman. Lying there, against her chest, was Leo’s ring, which she’d placed on a chain, for anyone to see.
“You …”
Her cheeks turned a brilliant red. “She made me put it on.”
He clasped his hands behind the small of his back, swallowing over the sudden lump that clogged his throat. “Yeah, well, I suppose you’ll fit in a little better.”
She nodded but she didn’t look any happier about it than he was. How the hell was he going to keep his hands to himself when she wore clothes that hinted at every curve?
“Come. Now,” Raj said. “Boat.”
“Right.” Colin forced his gaze away from Bea. “The ring, tuck it under your shirt.” He didn’t wait to see if she listened, but followed the lad outside. The sound of dawn was overridden by the soft rumble of voices. The moment he stepped onto the dirt path out front, the murmuring ceased. Through the haze of dawn, he could see at least ten people standing in a cluster, all starin
g at him with wide, knowing eyes.
He rubbed his face with his hands. “Damn.”
“Why are they here?” Bea whispered next to him.
A tall, thin man stepped forward. “Help and you take my boat.” He waved someone closer. A young woman parted from the group, crippled over with some sort of ailment.
“You help his wife and we take his boat?” Raj said, nodding.
Colin gave them all a tight grin. “Do I have a choice?”
“What do they want?” Bea asked, nudging her way between Raj and Colin.
Colin sighed and raked his hair from his face. “Me. They want me.”
Bea ducked under a low-hanging branch and darted a glance at Colin. She could barely read his face under the rim of his brown hat. But dark circles marred the area under his eyes and already he’d stumbled twice. He was beyond exhausted, although why, she wasn’t sure. He’d seemed rested enough that morning.
When she’d woken and found his gaze on her, there had been something in his eyes … something that thrilled her, something that made her body ache in a way it never had before. Now, he barely gave her a glance. She sighed, brushing aside such thoughts. Perhaps she was coming down with an illness.
Truth was, she didn’t feel much better than he looked, but with his dour expression, she didn’t dare complain. A cough had settled in her chest a few days ago and refused to leave. The constant dust didn’t help. It hovered around her in a cloud of yellow, dirtying the beautiful green slippers she’d been given and irritating her lungs. How much longer would they keep walking? Already the sun was high. She didn’t think she could go on much farther.
The leaves next to her rattled, drawing her from her thoughts. With a wary eye on the underbrush, Bea edged closer to Colin.
“Soon,” Raj said. “We there soon.”
Bea frowned, studying their guide. He was so young, how could he possibly help? And Colin was certainly in no shape to ward off an attack, should someone feel so inclined to do so. Still, she had to admit that he was much more capable than she’d first thought. In fact, she was quite at a loss as to how to feel about Colin. The moment he’d cut her corset from her body, saving her life, she’d found her opinion of the man changing.
“Colin,” she couldn’t help but ask, “how do you feel?”
He slid her an annoyed glance that had her frown deepening.
Apparently, he was some sort of doctor. He’d gone from hut to hut, helping the sick, and she’d been left to sit aside and wait and wonder. Only once had she mentioned assistinghim. The immediate rejection she’d received had left her flushing in embarrassment. Colin didn’t want her underfoot. He’d made that perfectly clear. Her thoughts toward him might have changed for the better, but it was obvious he still thought of her as the pampered chit he’d first met.
“It was a mere question,” she said.
“I’m fine,” he muttered, not bothering to look at her.
She didn’t believe him in the least, and apparently when he was tired, he was far from pleasant. She tilted her chin high and resisted the urge to let out a disgruntled huff. Well, then, let him pout on his own.
“Ahead.” Raj pointed down the path with a machete, the blade flashing in the quickly rising sun.
He brought the weapon down and with a thunk he snapped a branch in half. The bush fell to the ground, sending dust into the air. Bea stepped through the cloud, waving the dust away, but coughing anyway. Colin glanced back at her as the coughing abated. There was concern in his gaze, but she was too hot to ponder it further.
The gauzy material of her clothing was a cool relief from the confining English dresses she owned. But still, it wasn’t enough. One could be completely devoid of clothing and it wouldn’t be enough in this wretched heat. And it wasn’t just the heat that made her uncomfortable. Each time she set her foot upon the ground, her head seemed to vibrate, sending a deep ache through her skull.
She glanced at the sun. Although still low in the sky, the ground already shimmered with warmth. Sweat beaded between her shoulder blades, tickling her skin. What she wouldn’t do for water … a river, a lake, rain. Bloody anything to cool her off and clean her dusty skin. As if answering her prayers, she swore she caught the whisper of rushing water. She stumbled in her haste and licked her dry lips. Was she imagining things?
“Water?” she asked Colin. “Is the river ahead?” Her throat was as dry as the ground they shuffled over. How desperately she wanted something to drink. To close her eyes and drift to sleep … She stumbled again and her lashes lifted.
“Yes,” Colin muttered, his voice sounding as weak as she felt. “Water ahead.”
“Oh, thank heavens.”
He glanced down at her, amusement flickering in his eyes. For the first time that morning, she caught a glimpse of the man she’d met. The sort of man who found humor in everything. The sort of man who drove her mad half the time, while the other half piqued her curiosity. How could anyone who’d seen as much as he’d seen be so amused with the world? His father and mother had died when he’d been a lad; she knew that much, thanks to Ella. It was obvious he had barely two shillings to his name. What could he possibly be happy about?
“There it is.” Colin nodded toward the right.
“We’ll have time to wash, I hope?” She spotted the river weaving its way through the hills below. The water was a murky snake, far from the crystalline creeks in Scotland. Her heart fell.
Colin chuckled as if sensing her thoughts. “Jump on in, darlin’.”
She had just enough energy to glare at him.
“Here,” Raj called out, waving them over and handing Colin a clay jar.
But he didn’t drink. Instead, he pushed the vessel into Bea’s hands. “Water.”
Nodding her thanks, she pulled open the lid and downed the warm liquid. Her dry throat cried out in protest. Just as quickly, the ache eased and the liquid swept through her body, bringing back life for one brief moment. Her thirst quenched, she handed the jar to Colin.
He settled the jar at his mouth and tilted the vessel back. She tried not to look at his lips, tried not to notice the way his tanned neck moved, the way his thick lashes fluttered down for a brief moment. A sudden heat crawled through her veins, warming her blood. Even exhausted and dirty, the man was beautiful.
Annoyed with her wayward thoughts, she tore her gaze from Colin and studied their surroundings. A boat rocked gently on the river. A boat that looked more raft than vessel.
“We’re supposed to get on that?” Bea whispered, not wanting to offend Raj, who was currently climbing aboard, confirming her worst fears.
Colin merely nodded and started down the dirt bank. It was worse than the boat Leo and Ella had sailed off on. Thoughts of her cousin settled around her heavy and thick, like the fog currently hovering over the river. Had they made it to safety? Would she ever see them again?
Colin jumped onto the vessel and the boat rocked back and forth, threatening to tip. Without a word, he held out his hand. She hesitated only a moment and then slipped her fingers around his. He lifted her easily, his strong hands settling around her waist. The boat rocked with the movement and Bea sucked in a breath, preparing to hit the muddy water. Somehow Colin managed to keep them upright.
“How long will it take?”
Colin shrugged. “Not sure.”
Exhausted, Bea slumped onto a wooden seat and gripped the sides. Water sloshed over the low edges, settling on the bottom of the boat like gravy.
With a shove, they were off, careening down the river. Bea’s stomach churned with the rocking sensation. Sweat broke out on her forehead and the water wavered in a dizzying swirl before her.
“How long?” Colin asked Raj.
The boy lifted a long wooden stick from the bottom of the boat. With a grunt, he shoved the pole into the water and pushed off the bank. “Depends on current. We’ll go as far as the Chambal.”
The boat swept toward the middle of the river, weaving from side to side.
Bea’s stomach lurched. She tightened her hold on the small bench. She must have looked wretched, for Colin collapsed next to her, his attention scanning her face and the concern evident in his gaze.
“Are you all right?”
She nodded, swallowing the bile that threatened to make a fool of her. Dear Lord, she would not get sick in front of Colin. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. She’d always loved the water, learned to swim at five years of age. So why, now, was she suddenly nauseous?
A slight breeze swept from the river and cooled Bea’s damp strands. A caress from Heaven. Bea sighed in sweet relief. Her hair rose on the wind and tickled Colin’s neck. He didn’t seem to notice but stared vacantly ahead.
What he looked at, she wasn’t sure. Low brush lined the wide, shallow river, above a pale sky without a cloud. Only a single, lone woman knelt on the bank, scooping up water in a large, clay pot, but Colin wasn’t focused on her. What was he so intent upon?
“Colin, I’m worried.”
His gaze slid to her, and arrogantly he lifted a brow, barely visible under the brim of his hat. “Really? I’m touched.”
“I’m serious, Colin.” She scooted closer to him, her thigh touching his. “You look just wretched.”
“Gee, thanks, darlin’.”
She ignored his wry tone and settled her hand on his, his fingers warm under her touch. She tried not to focus on the way his skin felt, warm and rough. “Colin, what happened? You seem drained of life.”
He gave her a weak smile. “Maybe I am.”
She couldn’t respond because she didn’t really understand what he meant. The boat turned a bend and Colin fell into her, his arm hitting hers.
“Sorry,” he muttered, straightening himself.
Bea’s worry escalated. This was the man who was supposed to keep her safe? Was he getting sick? Injured? But he remained quiet and reclusive, offering her no indication of what was wrong.
Swiftly, the river moved them along, taking them farther downstream. How many minutes passed as the sun beat down on them relentlessly, she wasn’t sure. Bea pulled her scarf lower over her face, trying to keep her skin from burning, but she feared it was a moot movement. Grandmother would berate her when she came back with freckles.
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