Sickened, she lowered her gaze. She felt worse than when she'd heard his story about the man who'd attacked him in the Casbah. In spite of the genteel atmosphere Mrs. Bluefield had tried to create in the Home, the social ills of the times intruded. By running an orphanage, they were helplessly familiar with the many ways the world abused its children. She knew just what Vashon was describing.
Against her will, her eyes filled with tears. Was this quest for the Star revenge for what had happened to him as a child? Had Peterborough been the one responsible?
All the questions weren't answered, yet she finally believed she understood one facet of him now. That pampered boy of thirteen he'd spoken of, the one who'd had a governess, a mother, and even a cook, had suddenly been thrust into Algiers not only to fight for his very life over a tuppence worth of silver, but to fight for the most basic dignity as well. She could see how that would harden that boy toward cruelty. And how that could create the man who was sitting across from her now.
She looked up and their eyes met. Though all her good sense said to stay uninvolved, she couldn't hide the ache she felt for him. When he saw her face, his expression grew colder and her ache only grew more deep.
"My story moves you, doesn't it?" he asked, seeming to take a dispassionate interest in her tears.
"I would be less of a person if it didn't," she answered.
His stare became more intense. "You've a rare and gentle spirit, Aurora. It frightens me how vulnerable that makes you."
"Vulnerable?"
He glanced away. Slowly he said, "I want that emerald. I—" He paused. "I really think I might do anything to get it. I implore you. Cooperate. Tell me whatever might help. Assist me. Don't . . . test me."
Again that chill ran down her spine. No matter how her heart bled for that thirteen-year-old boy, she had to remember he was gone now and the dragon was there in his stead.
She wiped away her tears with her napkin. "You do a disservice to yourself, threatening me this way."
"I don't want to threaten you. I just want that emerald."
"For revenge on this man Peterborough? Did he send you to the Casbah?" He didn't answer.
She took a deep breath. "Contrary to what they say, Vashon, revenge reaps little satisfaction."
He should have lashed out at her, but he hid his fury with admirable grace. He simply sat there and stared at his brandy. "All right, Aurora. I've noted your position." He met her gaze; his voice turned deadly. "But revenge reaps great satisfaction when that's all you have. And I will have revenge on Peterborough."
"Then I pity you, sir."
Their eyes held for one long moment. Silently Vashon stood. He helped her to her feet, and they left for Flossie's rooms.
Aurora's reunion with Flossie was heartening. If anything, the widow looked even better than the last time Aurora had seen her. There was a brilliant color to Flossie's cheeks, and for the first time the widow had donned a white jaconet collar to break the black of her weeds. In truth, Aurora thought Flossie looked wonderful, and for some reason she had the strange suspicion that the widow's good spirits could be directly linked to Isaac.
Their visit was brief. Aurora was uncomfortable talking to Flossie while Vashon was around, and she guessed Flossie felt the same from all the hesitating looks the widow gave Vashon while he sat mutely in a nearby chair. When they'd said all they could say in their present company, Flossie hugged her and whispered in her ear that she would never leave Mirage without her. Aurora only nodded helplessly, all the while thinking that Flossie would probably have no choice.
When they left and were walking through Dragonard's breezy passages, Aurora couldn't stop herself from thinking about the Resolute. The ship was way off Mirage, but she just couldn't devise a plan to get herself on it when it sailed. She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear Vashon until he grabbed her hand and pulled her to his chest.
"What has you so preoccupied you cannot even look at me when I speak?" he teased. He lifted a tress of her hair and began rubbing it in his hand.
"When you send Flossie back to St. George's, you realize she'll go straight to the authorities about you," she informed him.
He gave the curl a playful tug. "Yes, I suspect she'll do just that."
"Then you're not afraid?"
"Do you think they'll believe her?"
She paused. "She's well respected there. Why wouldn't they believe her?"
He smiled. "It's a rather fantastic story, don't you think? A woman of her age mistakenly kidnapped to an island that on most maps doesn't even exist. Even if they wanted to believe her, why should they go to the trouble of sailing hundreds of miles across the Atlantic just to confront a man who had the courtesy, when he saw he'd made an error, to deposit her safely back home?"
"She'll tell them about me. They'll go to the trouble to try and rescue me."
"Will they?" He raised one maddening eyebrow.
"Why shouldn't they? I'm an innocent victim."
"Not so innocent anymore."
Her gaze riveted to his for one sizzling second, then she looked away, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of an answer.
His hand continued caressing her curl. "Let me tell you what will happen. Flossie will inform the St. George's authorities that you were kidnapped. The first thing they'll do before they even think of sailing to Mirage will be to contact the London authorities to see if anyone has reported a young girl named Aurora Dayne missing. And what will they find? Does John Phipps miss you yet, little wren?"
Her expression turned worried. Absentmindedly she took the curl away from him. No, no one was looking for her. That had been the brilliance of his plan all along.
"Shall I show you Mirage tomorrow?" he asked softly.
"If you show me your island, might I not escape then?"
"Ah, but I love the thrill of the chase."
He tried to take her curl again. Piqued, she stepped from his arms. She realized they were right by her doors.
"I want you to breakfast with me. I'll send Tsing to fetch you," he said.
"I shall have my breakfast in my prison, thank you." She opened the double doors. Immediately Koonga ran to the threshold and leaped into her arms.
"Aurora."
She turned to look at him.
"You shall have breakfast with your jailer. Be ready when Tsing comes." To her surprise, he flipped her the key to her door. The heavy brass felt delicious in her palm. She looked up at him, her eyes questioning. He gave her a sardonic smile. "Go anywhere you like. Every road leads back to here. Besides, I'd like to see you after a night spent in the mangroves. We have creatures here in paradise even Old Nick might not have thought of."
"We'll see about that," she answered tartly, already feeling powerful now that she possessed the key to her room. She wasn't going to let him scare her. Her head was suddenly buzzing with plans. She could go to the docks and stow away. Or she could implore a servant to help her. With this key there were so many possibilities.
"Sleep well then, my love." He smirked, then watched her retire to her room.
When the doors were closed, she sank back against the door panels. Koonga chattered away, as if she'd missed her, but Aurora didn't pay much attention. She had too much to think about. Tumbling the monkey onto her bedstead, she sat down on the edge of the mattress. Koonga began to scream, so Aurora, went to take her back in her arms. That was when she saw it: a brilliant red creature over a foot in length barreling toward her from the bedpillows.
She let out a bloodcurdling scream and grabbed Koonga. She had run to the corner when Vashon burst into her room, a murderous expression frozen on his face.
"Over there!" she sobbed, pointing to her now empty bed.
He looked around. It was obvious whatever she was pointing at he couldn't find.
"My God, do something! It was horrible!"
"It!" he asked, suddenly calm.
"It was the most wicked—looking—thing." She hi
ccoughed and hugged Koonga to her breast.
"Well, what did it look like?" he asked.
"It was a huge red snake! With legs!"
He suddenly laughed.
"Whatever is so funny?" she demanded. "It almost killed me!"
"Well, if it's any consolation, it didn't. Are you stung?"
She shook her head.
"The monkey?" He nodded to Koonga.
"I—I don't think so," she stuttered. "Good God, what was that thing?"
"A centipede. Quite poisonous. One sting won't kill you. However, if you get into a nest of them—"
"A nest! You mean I have a nest of those creatures in my room?"
"Probably not. They come from outside. Did I remember to give you the key to your room? I don't want to keep you in your room if you feel like wandering."
She looked at him and promptly burst into tears. Her behavior was unforgivably foolish, but that horrifying centipede had made her hysterical. She was still shaking from the whole ordeal.
"Come now," he soothed, going to her. "It's not that bad. I'm sure if you decide to roam the island tonight, you'll only find a few centipedes. Just stay away from the cane."
"You wretch! You probably put that thing in my bed! That's why you gave me the key!"
He laughed. "I didn't put it there. You were bound to see one eventually, but I must say, its appearance was certainly fortuitous." He took Koonga from her arms and put her on a nearby table. Then he gathered Aurora into his embrace. "If you're so terrified to sleep here tonight, you can come with me." He placed a heated kiss on her neck.
She broke free and cursed him. "Only you would take advantage of a situation like this! You have absolutely no character! Seducing me when I've just been through the most—" She choked. The centipede suddenly dashed from underneath the bed and once again raced in her direction. She screamed and ran back to Vashon, all but climbing onto his chest. He chuckled and lifted her up by the waist. The centipede sped to the window and in a flash disappeared through the open louvers.
She buried her head against his shoulder and quaked. She felt as if she'd just seen a glimpse of Hades. If she never again.saw another one of those creatures, it would be too soon.
Lifting her legs, he carried her to the recamier. He placed her gently against the scroll end and brushed the hair out of her eyes. "Don't be frightened," he whispered, gazing at her pale features.
"I don't want to stay here, Vashon. Take me someplace where they don't have those things," she begged.
He looked as if he were contemplating taking her away all right, but when her imploring, fearful gaze locked with his, he seemed to change his mind. "I'd have to take you off the island for that, love."
"Then take me," she begged.
He ran his knuckles along the cream of her cheek, not answering.
"Take me away," she whispered.
"To my room then?"
"Do you get those creatures in your room?"
The corner of his lips lifted in a wry smile. "I'd be lying if I said nay."
She stared at him, unable to stop the emotion from roiling within her. She babbled, "Thank you for coming to rescue me. I was so frightened."
"Come along, you've been through worse. Old Robert surely frightened you." He laughed. "But maybe he didn't frighten you as much as all this."
"I'd never seen a creature like that before," she gasped.
"You'll probably not see another anytime soon."
She shivered despite the balmy evening.
Hesitating, he pressed her head against his chest and held her. Just being in his embrace made her feel less frightened. She stayed there for a long time, her hand clutching his shirt, her face buried in his muscular shoulder, and she probably could have left much sooner, but his arms felt so strong around her, his cheek so right against her hair that she couldn't pull away.
When she'd been in his arms too long, she reluctantly pulled back and glanced at him. Their eyes met and a look passed between them, a dark, agonizing look, as if they had both discovered something that neither one of them wanted to accept.
"Shall you come to my chambers after all?" he whispered, his face taut with unexpressed emotion.
She closed her eyes, shocked by the wild desire that was suddenly coursing through her veins. "And if I do?" she answered pitifully, her voice full of remorse, "Will anything good come of it?"
He stared at her, unable to answer. There was no good answer and they both knew it.
He extricated her from his arms and stiffly rose from the recamier. It was insanity, but she wanted to pull him back and beg him to stay. She curled her fingers into her palms to keep her from clutching at him.
"Tsing will fetch you in the morning. Will you be all right until then?" he asked coolly.
She nodded, her heart twisting in her chest.
"If you're frightened, my rooms are down the passage."
She nodded again, but truly, how she was feeling now, she was more frightened to run to his room in the middle of the night than she was of the centipedes.
"I'll see you at eight."
He left, and Aurora wondered how the world could turn so mad as to make her fall in love with a pirate.
Chapter Twenty-One
When Aurora arrived on the terrace for breakfast, she brought Koonga with her. The monkey was certainly no complement to Aurora's new day dress, a fine sprigged muslin, but Aurora, worried about leaving her in the room after last night's scare, decided to take her with her.
Vashon did not seem pleased. He was in his usual heathen attire, bare-chested with only the thin white baggy trousers keeping his modesty, yet today he wore his hair untied and it blew back freely in the wind, making him appear even more savage than usual. As she took her seat at the pristinely laid table, his stare was as heavy as a manacle, but she ignored it, settling Koonga on the iron seat next to her.
"That creature's certainly well enough to go back to its keeper," he commented coolly.
"Yes, but I haven't seen Benny." She tucked a napkin into the collar of Koonga's livery to keep it clean, then handed her a silver bowl of bright yellow-orange mango slices.
"The way you mother her, I wonder if you want to give her back."
She overlooked his brittle tone. "Koonga's been good company for me. I think it's only natural that I should grow attached to her."
"She's a pitiful substitute for a child, is what she is. I've never seen a woman so anxious for a babe as you."
Her temper suddenly flared. She glanced at him. "The way you snipe, sir, I wonder if you're not jealous."
"Good God, you must be joking," he snorted.
She took a deep breath and refused to let him anger her. He seemed to want to bicker. She'd rarely seen him in such a mood. She wondered if it had anything to do with that awkward moment before they parted last night.
Deciding that the best way to deal with his poor disposition was to ignore it, she went to take her napkin, but stopped. Sitting on top of it was an unpeeled banana. Suddenly she felt her cheeks grow red.
"Hungry?" he asked, the corner of his mouth lifted in a too-innocent smile.
She placed the banana aside and started on her sliced mango as if the banana didn't exist. Of course, he was quite unchivalrous to torment her about her staring last evening, but then, she didn't expect him to behave any better. The worst thing about the banana, though, was that she couldn't understand what he was teasing her about, and she had the horrid suspicion that when she did, she was going to be even more embarrassed than she was right now.
Koonga, soon bored with her mango, began chattering and climbing the iron chair. Aurora tried to get her to sit still, but it was impossible. The napkin around the monkey's neck was quickly studied, tasted, and just as quickly thrown away. With no other diversion, Koonga climbed the table, and before Aurora could stop her, she set herself atop Vashon's shoulder and began picking through the thick locks of his hair.
The expression on Vashon's f
ace was priceless. Aurora couldn't help herself, and she broke into peals of laughter.
"What on earth is she looking for?" he snapped, all the while keeping his eye on the monkey.
"I suspect she's looking for nits."
"Nits!" Vashon stood and Koonga tumbled off, catching herself on the back of his chair. "If I have any nits, that damned creature just gave them to me!"
Aurora laughed again and refrained from assuring him that Koonga didn't have lice. She took another bit of mango, suddenly feeling avenged for the banana.
When things had settled down again and Koonga was picking the scarlet blossoms off the flamboyant tree, Vashon said dryly, "If we're through with the amusements, I thought I'd show you the soufriere today. We've a nice little path to the top." His eyes lifted to the mist-covered emerald mountain above them.
"I'd rather you show me around the harbor," she countered, her voice bitingly sweet.
"Perhaps give you a tour of the Resolute?" He lifted one black eyebrow.
"That would be fascinating."
"Showing you my ships, love, won't get one out of the harbor with you aboard."
"One never knows." She sipped her tea.
"Tomorrow we might go down to the beach below Dragonard," he continued. "If you're brave enough, I might even coax you out into the bay to see the fish. They're every bit as beautiful as Mirage's flowers."
"I told you I don't know how to swim." "Well, I invite you to cling to me if you find yourself drowning."
She looked up at him, a censorious expression on her face. He smiled and began his breakfast again. She could see it was going to be a long day.
"If you're a worthy man at all, Isaac Corbeil, you will find a way to allow Aurora on the Resolute when she sails." After Flossie announced this, she paced the jute carpet and glared at Isaac.
"I shall not betray Vashon, not even for a woman." Isaac glared back, looking quite uncomfortable as he perched on a delicately proportioned settee in Flossie's apartments.
"I don't understand this blind loyalty to Vashon—why, you were ready to trade his life quite readily in Grand Talimen."
Till Dawn Tames the Night Page 27