“Would you care for a drink, Mister Cross?” Cade asked smoothly.
Danielle did not mistake the emphasis he placed on her name. She closed her eyes briefly, praying. How long had it been since she’d prayed? No time like the present to begin again.
After a quick knock, the door swung open again and this time McCummins strolled in. The first mate was usually humming and this time was no exception. He stopped as soon as he saw them. “Ah, there ye be, Cross. I was looking fer ye ta bring ye here ta meet the cap’n. Seems me matey Seanny beat me ta it.”
“That’s what ye get fer snoozin’ on the job,” O’Malley replied, still laughing.
McCummins grabbed his tricorn off his balding head and slapped at the other man with it. O’Malley followed suit and a good-natured tussle ensued before Cade ended it with one word that shot through the cabin like the crack of a pistol. “Enough.”
Both men fell into line next to each other and jammed their hats back on their heads. Cade smiled. “I was just about to ask Cross here if he’d like a drink.” He made his way toward the desk. “Where did you say you found Cross again?”
Nearly panting from fear, Danielle couldn’t look away from him. It was as if their gazes were melded together. Would he betray her? Would he? Sweat trickled between her breasts. She clenched her jaw. Why was there a tiny part of her that was … glad to see him?
“I told ye, Cap’n,” McCummins began. “O’Malley met his pa in—”
“No.” Another crack like a pistol. “I’d like Cross to tell the story.”
Danielle sucked in her breath. She could do this. Grimaldi wasn’t a fool. He’d prepared her well by explaining how she’d come to be on the boat. She expelled a breath and focused on her earlier conversation with the general. It was not possible Grimaldi hadn’t known Cade was the captain of this ship. Known and not seen fit—for some godforsaken reason—to tell her. She was going to gut the general from ear to navel when next they met. Ironic, considering he’d been the one to teach her how to use a knife so deftly. There would be time later to fantasize about how she’d murder Grimaldi.
At the moment, her only concern, her greatest concern, was ensuring that Cade kept her secret. She’d be no better than horsemeat on a ship like this within minutes if word got out she was a woman.
She kept her eyes trained on Cade. “I’ve done a few things I ain’t proud of, Cap’n,” she said, silently willing him to hold his tongue.
His brows rose when he heard her accent. A quirk of amusement? She deftly continued. “Me pa were looking out fer me, wanted ta find me a spot on the first ship what was leaving ’arbor.”
“And that was my ship?” Cade drawled. He crossed over to a cupboard near the desk and took out two glasses. Next, he pulled a bottle of whiskey from the cupboard. He splashed a healthy portion of the brown liquid into both glasses.
“Aye.” She still eyed him warily.
He held up both glasses. “Care for a drink, Cross?”
“No, thank ye, Cap’n,” she answered politely, folding her hands together in front of her.
“Ah, come now, Cross,” he replied, a lazy smile covering his handsome features. “On this ship it’s bad luck not to drink a toast to the newest member of the crew. How else will we thank you for coming to our rescue when we so desperately needed a cook’s assistant?”
She shifted uncomfortably on both feet. “If it’s all the same ta ye, Cap’n, I don’t like ta take spirits whilst I’m workin’.”
That statement sent Danny and Sean into peals of laughter.
Cade arched one blond brow. “It isn’t all the same to me, Cross. As I’m certain you know from all your experience on ships. We sailors are quite odd about our superstitions … the things we consider bad luck. Not drinking a toast to a new crew member’s health is considered extremely bad luck on The Elenor. Isn’t it, lads?” He directed his words to McCummins and O’Malley but his eyes remained locked with Danielle’s.
“That ’tis,” McCummins agreed. “I, fer one, am quite willin’ ta drink ta yer health, Cross, me boy.”
“Aye,” O’Malley added with a resolute nod.
“It’s nearly as bad of luck as say, killing an albatross or having a woman aboard,” Cade drawled.
Both O’Malley and McCummins gasped and both men quickly crossed themselves. “Oy, Cap’n, don’t say somethin’ like that even in jest,” O’Malley pleaded, shaking his head.
Cade held the whiskey glass at arm’s length to Danielle.
With tight lips, she took it. “I wouldn’t want ta cause no bad luck, Cap’n,” she ground out, giving him a withering glare.
“Excellent.” Cade replaced the stopper on the bottle and put it back in the cabinet.
“None for us, Cap’n?” O’Malley looked hopefully toward the bottle and licked his lips.
Danielle eyed Cade. He was toying with her. Letting her know he held the power in this exchange of wills because he knew her secret. She squared her shoulders and took a swig from the glass. She’d had whiskey before. This was some maudit fine whiskey, but she mustn’t drink too much. She needed to keep her wits about her. Cade may have scored the first blow, but she wasn’t about to let him win the battle. It was time to fight back.
“Yes, Captain Oakleaf. None fer the others?” She blinked at him innocently. “Oakleaf is a mighty interestin’ name, by the by. Who are yer kinsfolk if’n ye don’t mind me askin’?”
Cade’s gaze narrowed on her and he tilted his head to the side almost imperceptibly as if acknowledging the point she’d just made. He turned to his first and second mates. “McCummins, go see to it that we’re on course. O’Malley, climb up to the eagle’s nest and get a report.”
“But Cap’n, Hendricks usually gets the rep—”
“Now!” With that one word, both men scrambled toward the door. “I’d like to speak to Cross alone.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
A deafening silence ensued once the two men had gone. Danielle couldn’t decide which was louder, the ticking of the gilded clock anchored to the desk, or the beating of her own heart. Cade faced away from her the entire time. It lasted until she wanted to scream, “Say something! Do something!”
Finally he turned, stared at her, and drained his glass in one large gulp. “I’m only going to ask you one time and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll tell the truth.” His voice was more deadly calm and filled with anger than she’d ever heard it. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“I have the same question for you.” She tossed her head, though admittedly the effect was ruined with her hair tucked into her hat. She’d never noticed until recently how effective a good head toss could be for a woman.
“You want to know why I’m on my own ship?” He scoffed. “That’s rich. Why did you follow me here?”
“Follow you? Don’t flatter yourself. I’m not here for you. I needed the passage.”
He snorted. “Important lady’s maid business, is it?”
She rolled her eyes. “If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m not a lady’s maid.”
“And I’m the bloody prince.”
“Your highness.” She bowed.
His eyes narrowed on her. “Are you seriously trying to convince me that you’re actually a ship’s cook’s assistant? I happen to know you make more money seeing to my sister-in-law’s hair.”
“Of course I’m not going to try to convince you I’m a cook’s assistant. I’m going to succeed in convincing you that I know General Grimaldi.”
Cade’s eyes flashed blue fire before narrowing on her closely. “What did you say?”
“Don’t deny that you know him, too. He’s obviously thrown us together for this little adventure.”
Cade opened his mouth to say something, closed it, pulled out the whiskey bottle, splashed more into this glass, and tossed that back, too. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“General Grimaldi, my superior.”
“You report to Grim?”
Cade asked in a way that made Danielle realize he was trying to convince himself he wasn’t in the middle of a dream. Perhaps a nightmare.
Grim? She’d never heard her stately boss referred to by that nickname, but she wasn’t about to admit it to Cade. “Yes. If I don’t mistake my guess, you do, too.”
“You’re serious. You didn’t follow me. You’re really here because Grim sent you?”
“Yes.”
“Why are you dressed like a boy?
“Because women aren’t usually welcome aboard ships.”
“Why is a lady’s maid pretending to be a cook’s assistant?”
Danielle took a deep breath. Obviously, Grimaldi had meant for them to discover each other. There was hardly any use in prevaricating. “The truth is, I’m a pirate.”
“You’re a pirate?”
“A smuggler really. Reformed at times.” She nodded toward him. “And you?”
“Also a pirate. Who do you think I am?”
She nearly stamped her foot. “At the moment I don’t care if you’re the ghost of Horatio Nelson. I need passage to where this pile of wood is going.”
“Pile of wood?” His voice was outraged.
She shrugged. “Very well. She’s actually a fine ship. Beautiful lines. This cabin is particularly impressive. It’s positively grand.”
“Thank you. Now, tell me what the bloody hell you were doing in my brother’s house posing as a lady’s maid? Were you spying on Rafe?”
“I was spying on you.”
“Me? You were spying on me? That’s why you were at Rafe’s house?”
“Why were you staying with your brother?”
Cade slammed his fist on the table. “Damn it. Stop answering questions with questions.”
“Or what? You’ll toss me overboard? You’ll have to answer to Grimaldi for that and he’s not a day behind us.”
Cade paced across the cabin and back, scrubbing his hand through his hair. “What in the devil’s name is going on?”
“I’d like to know as well. Do you want to slow the ship and wait to ask the general?”
“No.”
“Neither do I. Baptiste might outrun us.”
Cade’s eyes were as wide as the bottom of the whiskey glasses. “You know about Baptiste?”
“Among other things,” Danielle replied with a sigh.
Cade’s nostrils flared. “What the hell am I supposed to do with a woman on my ship?”
“I know my way around a ship probably better than you do.”
“How is that possible? You’re a bloody lady’s maid.”
“In case it still hasn’t sunk in, you lug-headed brute, I’m not a lady’s maid. Just like you’re not a London gadabout leeching off his brother’s money, or named Captain Oakleaf for that matter.”
He narrowed his eyes at her, apparently not believing any of it. “This ship isn’t going to France if that’s what you think.”
“I know. You’re following Lafayette Baptiste to St. Helena, which is where I’m going, too. Stay out of my way and I’ll stay out of yours, and perhaps Grimaldi can explain this mess when we get there.”
Cade looked positively dumbfounded. “There’s no possibility I’m allowing you to remain pretending to be this ship’s cook’s assistant. Not even for one night.”
She smiled at him smugly and crossed her arms over her chest. “What do you intend to do, toss me overboard?”
He gripped the back of the chair so tightly his knuckles turned white. “No. If Grim put you here, as you said, you must stay. But I also cannot allow you to go gallivanting around the ship unprotected, either.”
“No one but you knows I’m a woman.”
His gaze traced her up and down, a sultry look in his eyes. “I find that difficult to believe.”
She gave him a tight smile. “Believe it.”
“I happen to know the truth and I won’t allow you to go about. The more interaction you have with the crew, the more chance they’ll discover your sex.”
She groaned and rubbed her temples. “I don’t expect you’ll believe this, but I’ve made my way on ships, convincing everyone I was male, since I was thirteen.”
He gave her a tight-lipped smile. “You’re right. I don’t believe you.”
“You’re a stubborn ass.”
“And you are my responsibility now.”
“I can take care of myself.”
He planted both fists on his hips. “I will not take the risk.”
“What do you intend to do? Store me in a trunk in this cabin?”
“You’re partially right. I do intend to keep you in this cabin.”
“What!” Her eyes flew wide.
“My cabin boy will take over as cook’s assistant.”
“That makes no sense. What will you tell everyone?”
“I’ll tell them Martin wants to try his hand at cooking. I’ll tell them I want to keep an eye on you because I don’t trust you. I’ll tell them I bloody well made a ruling decision. It doesn’t matter what I tell them. I’m the captain and what I say goes.”
She glared at him, nearly spitting out of anger. “Have I told you you’re a stubborn ass?”
“Not in the last five seconds.”
“Well, you are.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment.” He called out, “McCummins!”
The first mate arrived in seconds, doffing his cap. “Yes, Cap’n?”
“Tell Martin he’ll be taking over as cook’s assistant. I’m going to teach Cross here how to be a proper cabin boy.”
If the first mate thought the order odd, he didn’t betray it. “Yes, Cap’n.” He nodded before hurrying off to inform Martin.
“Perfect,” Danielle said. “Now the entire ship will be talking about me.”
“Make no mistake, they already were.”
“And you think this makes it better?”
“I think it makes you safer.”
“I already told you, I—”
“Can take care of yourself. I’ve heard that before, along with something about my being a stubborn ass. Regardless, my decision is final.”
She wanted to kick him, hit him, throw something at his big, overly confident head.
He slowly, deliberately crossed over to the door, shut it, and made his way back to the table that stood between them. “Tell me, Cross,” he drawled. “Do you know anything about being a cabin boy?”
“Oh, only everything.”
A roguish grin spread across his face. “Excellent. That means we can spend our time on things other than your lessons.”
She raised a brow. Her stomach lurched. “Other things?”
“Yes.”
“Such as?”
He leaned over, braced both hands on the table, and arched a brow. “I believe the last time we saw each other, you said it was a pity we hadn’t spent the night together.” He grinned, his eyes gleaming wickedly. “I’m willing to rectify that mistake, if you are.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Cade pulled the cabin door closed behind him and stood in the corridor outside. He scrubbed a hand through his hair and paced back and forth in the small space. What in the name of God was going on? He didn’t work for anyone, let alone Mark Grimaldi. It was true that the general and he had worked together in the past, but that was because they had a shared goal and it suited both men’s purposes. Cade’s preoccupation with Baptiste wasn’t something the law-abiding Grimaldi would approve of. But Grimaldi was after Baptiste, too, if Danielle was to be believed. Her story was outlandish enough to be true. But why the hell had she been spying on him?
Damn. He already knew the answer. Grimaldi didn’t trust him. He should have guessed. It all made sense. No doubt Daphne’s former lady’s maid had been well paid to leave town.
There was nothing left to do. Until they put into port—and according to O’Conner’s information they wouldn’t do that until they reached the coast of Spain—Cade had to keep an eye on Danielle. He must wait to get the an
swers he needed from Grimaldi. That bastard better have some damn good ones.
* * *
Danielle spent the time since Cade had left the cabin poking around through his belongings. It served to distract her from what he’d said. Mon dieu. The man knew how to say the most provocative things. Spend the night together? Here on this ship? After…? After what? What in the nom de dieu was happening here? She paced back and forth in front of the massive bed, trying to ignore the tingles Cade’s offer sparked in her belly.
She’d known all along that Baptiste had been the ultimate goal. But what did Cade have to do with it?
What exactly was Grimaldi up to? Why had he sent her to watch Cade to begin with? He had to have known they would recognize each other immediately on this ship. Why wouldn’t he have told her? What sort of sick, twisted game was all of this?
She knew from her training, the weeks she’d spent studying, running, lifting heavy objects, learning to fight, throwing knives, rowing oars, remaining silent, hiding, waiting, listening, watching. She’d been trained by the best. Mark Grimaldi. The first week of spy training he’d informed her over and over until the words blurred in her head. The mission always came first.
Maudit. She’d been put on this ship with Cade for some reason. Apparently they were meant to work together. But could she trust him? He certainly wouldn’t trust her now. Not after she’d lied to him. But they each had a mission to complete. They might be on this ship together for weeks. She refused to be cowed by him. Now that he’d deprived her of her duties as cook’s assistant, she’d be damned if she’d run around catering to his every whim.
She inspected the glorious cabin. Cade’s shaving utensils were lined up perfectly in the cabinet by the washbasin. His shirts were folded perfectly in the wardrobe. The man didn’t need a valet; why in heaven’s name did he need a cabin boy? She wrenched open the desk drawer. It held a sextant, a small spyglass, some paperwork, and … a map.
She unfurled it, studied it, but she already knew what it contained. She’d already discussed it with Grimaldi. It was a map of their destination. St. Helena.
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