The crew spoke very little as they rested their tired legs and aching feet by the stream. Miss Landon and Suzette sat on a slope. They had taken their boots off and splashed their feet in the water.
Felix munched on beef jerky as he mapped out the rest of the way in his head. If his calculations were correct—which of course, they were—they would reach her father’s plantation in about four days. Perhaps, five. Of course, if by chance it rained, that would slow down their expedition. He glanced up at the sky and silently prayed it wouldn’t rain. Yet, this was the Amazon jungle. It wasn’t called a rainforest for nothing.
Miss Landon dried off her dainty feet and pulled her socks back on before slipping her feet into the boots. Once she was laced up, she stood and walked toward him. Her hair still dripped a little with water, but thankfully her clothes didn’t look very wet, so he wasn’t worried about them clinging to her womanly curves.
When she neared, he motioned to a spot on the ground next to him in a silent invitation for her to join him. Without a word, she squatted and brushed the ground with her hand, making it smooth for her bottom. She sat and met his gaze.
“Do you feel a little more refreshed?” he asked.
“I do. It was a much needed break.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Her focus moved to the half-eaten jerky still in his hand. “May I have some?”
“Certainly, Miss Landon.” He reached in his pack and pulled out a slice and handed it to her.
“Thank you, Mr. Knightly.” She nibbled on the end as her attention roamed the trees behind him. “How much longer until we camp for the night?”
Felix looked up at the sky to study where the sun was in the horizon before meeting her questioning gaze. “I suspect we have approximately three more hours before we should stop and put up our tents.”
“Oh,” she said with a sigh. “That long?”
“Yes, that long. Why? Don’t you think you can travel three more hours?”
She shrugged as she pushed a wayward curl from her forehead. “I hesitate to tell you, only because you thought so highly of me earlier.”
“Let me guess...you really are weary and your feet ache along with the rest of your body.”
She narrowed her gaze on him, showing her stubborn temperament again. “Mr. Knightly, I didn’t say—”
“No, you didn’t. Forgive me for putting words in your mouth. Please, I beg you, finish what you were going to tell me.”
Huffing, she folded her arms. “All I was going to say was I would rather rest for the remainder of the day only so I will have the energy to walk tomorrow.”
“I understand, but you also have to realize, if we want to arrive at your father’s plantation in four days, we have to use up as much daylight as we can.”
“Yes, I know, but you and your crew are used to this—” she gestured with her hand— “kind of life. I’m not.” Her voice rose slightly. “I’m only suggesting you not make this a full day of walking on my first day of the journey.”
He leaned forward and gently touched her cheek. She froze but didn’t pull away. “Miss Landon, I fear this heat has made you forgetful. We spent a few hours on the barge this morning, which means we have not been walking a full day at all.”
A growl escaped her throat as she slapped his hand away. “Then by all means, let’s keep moving today so tomorrow I’ll be so stiff and sore that I’ll require someone to carry me most of the way.”
Chuckling, he stood and shook his head. “I have faith in you, Miss Landon. I think you will be just fine tomorrow.”
Her mouth tightened as she glared up at him. She grumbled and rose to stand. “Naturally, nothing I say will change your mind.”
“Naturally.” He nodded. “We will keep walking until I say it’s time to stop.”
Suddenly, her whole face tightened and she closed her eyes. Was she preparing to throw another temper tantrum? And yet, this was different.
“Miss Landon? Are you all right?”
She didn’t respond. Her hands fisted, but she didn’t open her eyes. Her face lost a little color.
Worry crawled inside of him. “Katrina? What’s amiss?”
Finally, her body jerked and her eyes snapped open. She glanced around them as if searching for something.
“Katrina? Are you going to answer me?” he asked warily.
When her gaze met his, she appeared unsettled. She swallowed and nodded. “Forgive me, but...did you just hear someone cry out?”
“No. The group has been very quiet, in fact. Why?”
She shrugged. “I...I thought I heard someone cry out in pain.”
“No, sorry.” He shook his head.
Her chest rose and fell with what appeared to be a deep breath. The frightened expression left her face when she gave him a scowl.
“So, Mr. Knightly, you were saying that we would not stop until you give the word?”
“Indeed, that’s what I had implied.”
She arched an eyebrow. “And when, pray tell, will that be?”
“Just before sunset...and not a moment sooner.”
Perhaps he shouldn’t enjoy her piercing glare or the way she held her mouth so tight he feared it would break into pieces at any moment. Obviously, she was not used to having other people win arguments.
Although he felt victorious right now, a small part of his conscience wanted to back down and give her what she wanted. Women like Miss Landon were not used to this kind of physical exertion—or the heat. Yet, for some reason, he wanted to push her. He enjoyed seeing her eyes flash with annoyance. He didn’t know why, but he also enjoyed their arguments.
However, he also didn’t want to carry her tomorrow, even if the prospect of having her in his arms did sound tempting. But neither did he want any of his men to carry her. So perhaps he should find a good place to camp for the night. Very soon, in fact.
Just as he opened his mouth to tell her of his thoughts, a blood-curdling scream ripped through the air, followed by panicked, painful sobs.
Felix swung his attention to where the cries were coming from. His crew ran in one direction toward the stream, making it impossible to see who had been injured and what had caused the outburst.
He knew one thing. Here in the Amazon jungle, a scream like that was not a good thing. It meant danger was near.
FIVE
The terrified shouts and painful cries from Suzette kept Katrina frozen with fear. The same chilling sound she’d heard in her premonition. Katrina saw no face in her vision, just raised red welts on someone’s dark skin, and of course, the unforgettable screech of their cry.
Men rushed past her, following Felix, as they charged toward the other woman. Manuel stood near his wife with a torch, trying to set fire to something. Between Felix and three other men, they were able to pull Suzette away from the bank of water toward drier land.
I’d been at that section of water. Fear pierced through Katrina again.
Katrina gingerly approached Suzette. Red welts—the same as in Katrina’s vision—covered the woman’s arms and face. Her nose and lips appeared larger than normal.
As the men lay her on the ground, Manuel rushed to his wife and cautiously began to remove her clothes. Murmurs grew from the other men, and the words fire ants were heard. Katrina sucked in a quick breath, watching as each layer of clothes was removed, and in the process, more red welts were revealed on Suzette’s arms and legs.
Katrina’s stomach leapt and she placed a hand over her mouth to keep from losing what little food she’d eaten today. That could have been me!
Suzette’s sobs were unlike anything Katrina had ever heard, and she felt helpless just standing and watching. She didn’t want to get too close, because the men were still finding ants hidden in Suzette’s clothes. Once the insects were freed, the men torched the ants to kill them.
Shivering, Katrina rubbed her hands up and down her arms, grateful that hadn’t happened to her.
Another man with a medical
handbag knelt beside Suzette. Katrina uttered a prayer of relief that Felix had brought a physician with them on the trek. The man’s skin was darker than the others, and a few gray strands streaked his black hair, but his body was just as robust as the rest.
“We must leave this area immediately,” Felix said to the doctor. “But is she well enough to travel?”
Worried lines creased the man’s face as he shook his head. “We should not move her, but I agree, we cannot stay here, either. Have the others quickly make a stretcher to carry her on.”
Before Felix could issue orders, his men were already searching the area for branches or anything useful to make the stretcher. The doctor smeared cream on Suzette’s welts, making her cry out again.
Katrina stepped beside Felix and touched his shoulder. His head swung around, and he locked gazes with her. His expression was filled with concern, and her stomach twisted tighter.
“What can I do to help?”
He motioned his head toward his crew scurrying around and scavenging the area. “Help them carry the branches. You will be more use to them than to Suzette right now.”
“All right, I will.” Katrina glanced at Suzette one last time. The pain written on her expression brought tears to Katrina’s eyes. Silently, she said another prayer that Suzette would not become any worse and the doctor could heal her quickly.
In less than twenty minutes, a makeshift stretcher was fashioned, and Manuel gently laid his wife upon it. Moaning in pain, tears slid from the corner of Suzette’s eyes. Once again, Katrina felt an overwhelming helplessness sweep through her, and she wished she could do more to assist her new friend.
Why hadn’t she done anything about the forewarning she’d seen? Katrina should have left Felix’s side and gone in search of... Frowning, she shook her head. She hadn’t seen enough in her vision to stop it from happening.
As they resumed their hike, the group moved slower than before. The men carrying the stretcher took careful steps, but Suzette still bounced causing her to cry out.
Because Katrina had nobody to walk with, she decided to stay close to Felix. Hopefully, he wouldn’t be in a foul disposition—although with what happened to Suzette, Katrina would certainly understand if he was. When she reached his side, he was mumbling. As she listened closer, he kept repeating the phrase shouldn’t have happened in between other disjointed words. For the first few moments, he didn’t notice her, so she kept quiet and eavesdropped.
While she was concentrating on deciphering his mumblings, her toe hit a rock and she stumbled. To keep from falling to her knees, she grasped his arm. His attention jerked toward her, eyes wide with question.
“Forgive me,” she said hesitantly, composing herself. “I tripped over a rock.”
He nodded, but didn’t say anything.
It surprised her that he didn’t make any comment. “Mr. Knightly, are you all right?” she asked.
Taking a deep breath, he scratched his cheek. “I’m just confused.”
“About what?”
He peeked back at Suzette before returning his attention to Katrina. “The fire ants. I have been in this part of the jungle so many times I’ve lost count. Not once in all these years have I seen the ants at that particular stream. If I had known they were there, I wouldn’t have stopped.”
Confusion swept through her and she shook her head. “Then why were the ants there this time?”
He shrugged. “I wish I knew.”
“How very odd.”
“Indeed, it is.”
“What are you going to do about Suzette?”
A gush of air whooshed out of his mouth. “She really needs to rest. I will find a spot shortly for us to make camp.”
She nodded, relieved they’d be stopping for Suzette, and Katrina would also be able to rest her tired limbs. “That is probably very wise, but...what about tomorrow? Will she be well enough to travel then?”
He sneaked another glance back at Suzette before meeting Katrina’s gaze. “I fear she won’t recover that fast. Fire ants are known for swarming over their prey quickly, and by the look of her welts, I’d say the insects covered most of her body.”
“Yes, it does appear that way,” she muttered as her stomach lurched from remembering Suzette’s awful screams, and the terror that had raced through Katrina while she’d watched.
“However,” he continued, “I think we may have to make a detour in our journey. The town of Manaus is only about three hours west of here. There are people who will care for Suzette better than we could.” His frown deepened. “I hope you don’t mind going a few hours out of our way. It puts us behind schedule, but this cannot be helped.”
“I agree.” Ignoring his previous warning, she touched his forearm. “I don’t mind at all. Suzette’s health is more important.”
His footsteps faltered, and his eyes narrowed in scrutiny. She waited for him to say something, but he just continued to stare as he walked. Suddenly, a low-hanging branch struck his face. He flinched and quickly pulled away from her, slapping the branch away with his hand. The leaves were probably soft, but she was certain the wood was not. She tried her hardest not to laugh at his blunder. That’ll teach him to watch where he’s going.
Felix didn’t say anything about the tree as they continued to tread side by side. He didn’t meet her eyes, and she wondered if he was a little embarrassed. After all, he was the guide and was supposed to know better than to take his attention off the path.
They hiked a little farther in silence. During this time, she couldn’t stop her gaze from roaming over his physique. He really was a ruggedly handsome man, even if he infuriated her constantly. The humidity coated his body with moisture. With his dark hair damp, there was a slight wave to the length. The beige shirt he wore was also wet with his sweat. She enjoyed watching him run his fingers through his hair when he was deep in thought. She especially liked it when his intense gaze held a hint of interest.
Men had courted her a few times over the past years, but she’d never found any man that she’d liked well enough to be her husband. It didn’t matter if she’d been raised in a tavern and had a working mother who did her best to provide shelter and food, Katrina had always wanted more than what the customers at the pub offered. Now as she gazed upon Mr. Knightly, she realized he was the kind of man she’d been dreaming about most of her life.
However, she could do without his sour disposition. She could also do without his commanding authority.
“Miss Landon, might I inquire as to why you are staring at me?” he asked without turning to look her way.
Embarrassment flushed through her, making her cheeks burn. “I—I—” She quickly cleared her throat. “What makes you think I’m staring at you?”
A light chuckle bubbled up from his throat. “Do you not think I know when a woman is watching me?”
She didn’t believe her cheeks could feel any hotter, but they did. “Well, forgive me. I assure you it won’t happen again.”
This time he turned and met her gaze. His lips twitched as if he tried not to grin.
“If you say so, Miss Landon.”
Oh, that arrogant rogue! She wanted to slap him across the face for being so cocksure of himself...and for being so blasted handsome. Unfortunately, she couldn’t keep her eyes off him. With a man as strikingly good looking as Felix Knightly, how could any woman keep her focus on anything else?
THE WEARY TRAVELERS entered Manaus before dark. Earlier, Felix had asked Manuel what he wanted to do about Suzette, and his friend was adamant about getting his wife to town as soon as possible.
Felix pointed toward the small hut used as the doctor’s office. “Manuel, take your wife there while I make arrangements for our lodging at the inn.”
As soon as he said it, Katrina’s eyes widened with surprise and happiness spread across her face. The others in the group declined to stay at the inn as they walked toward the nearest tavern. Soon, only Felix and Katrina were left standing in the middle of the stre
et. He gave her a one-shoulder shrug and motioned with his hand toward the inn. “Shall we proceed?”
“Yes, we shall.” She grinned eagerly.
He led the way, and surprisingly she kept in step beside him, apparently she had the strength to keep on moving now.
“Mr. Knightly, do you suppose the inn will allow me to take a bath?”
He arched an eyebrow at her. “You are not too tired?”
“Of course not. Who in their right mind would be too tired to bathe?”
He nodded. “I see your point, and to answer your question, yes the inn does have accommodations, which of course, costs a little more.”
The light disappeared from her eyes when she frowned. “Does that mean you aren’t going to allow me any comfort?”
As much as he wanted to tease her, he really didn’t have the energy. Not tonight. Too much had happened today to sap his momentum. “On the contrary, I shall allow you that comfort seeing how you won’t get it again until you reach your father’s plantation.”
Her shoulders sagged as a relieved sigh blew from her mouth. “Thank you, Mr. Knightly.”
Felix walked into the small hut-style building and paid for two rooms. He strode beside her while escorting her to her room. She said a quick thank-you before hurrying inside and closing the door.
He looked forward to relaxing in his own tub as well, but first he needed to ask questions to the people he knew in Manaus. Fire ants in that location of the jungle was unheard of. Hopefully, someone would know something.
As he went into the street, he scanned the diminutive town. It held two taverns—one at each end of the street—a general store, one inn, and a doctor’s office. He knew nearly every person who lived in this area. With a pang in his heart, he realized this would be the last time he’d get to see them for quite a while. These people were like his family. From time to time other travelers wandered through, and the people who lived in these parts welcomed all newcomers as well.
He walked into the tavern and immediately noticed a couple of new faces mixed with a handful of familiar faces. The men who knew him lifted their mugs in salute as they called out his name. Felix grinned, wondering if he would ever feel just as welcomed when he returned to England and entered one of the gentlemen clubs. Definitely not!
Katrina's Sight Page 7