Unfortunately, Dado had commented that the bad spirit didn’t like Katrina. So obviously, it wasn’t her.
All he wanted was get this trek over with. Of course, then he’d have to return to England. He didn’t want to return, but it was expected of him. It was his duty. There was no way around it.
These past years, he’d been living in the nearest thing to a paradise that he’d ever find. He was able to live as he’d wanted and didn’t have to answer to anyone. He earned money doing what he loved. Now his fun was coming to a close, and of course, he had to let a woman like Katrina Landon bring his last big adventure to a crashing end.
He glanced back at his group and realized he was punishing them all by walking fast. Of course, there was no way his foul mood would allow him to take smaller, slower steps today. Irritation filled him once again. Thank you very much, Miss Landon! However, he still needed to protect them. All of them.
As much as Katrina would like to think he didn’t have a heart, he did. When he’d discovered Paulo was missing, worry grew inside of him, making him restless. Felix had his men go in groups and search for their friend. When there was no sign of where Paulo could have gone, frustration was the emotion taking over Felix. He wanted to scream or hit something. He also wanted to throw his hands in the air and give up, but that was one thing he couldn’t do.
Once again, the words from Mr. Faro echoed in Felix’s ears. “Something magical has taken over the jungle.”
Gnashing his teeth, Felix was determined that this magical thing would not take over the jungle, and especially not his crew. Even if he had to put them all in one tent to sleep tonight, he would not lose them.
He led them into another clearing and raised his hand to stop. “We’ll rest here for a spell and have lunch.” He turned to his men, his gaze moving to each one. “Emilio, Pete—you two find us more fruits and nuts. Carlos and Alexio, you two gather firewood. The rest of you set up the things we need to build a fire.”
Katrina stood with her eyes on him, wringing her hands against her middle. Exhaustion was apparent in her drooped limbs. He tried ignoring her sad eyes. He wasn’t in the mood to explain to her how her words had hurt him so much this morning. Perhaps he shouldn’t have pushed her so hard. His men could handle it. She—the pampered daughter of a wealthy plantation owner—could not.
He moved away from her to gather whatever he could that would help set up camp, but she followed.
“Felix? What do you want me to do?” she asked with a squeaky voice.
He briefly peeked at her over his shoulder and snapped, “Find something to sit on. You look tired.” Felix refused to study her for too long for fear he’d feel guilty. But he had a right to be upset, and he wouldn’t feel responsible for his actions.
First Felix helped Carlos and Alexio with firewood, and then he hurried to pick some fruit. When he returned, his men had gathered around the small burning fire. Piles of fruits and nuts were placed nearby. Two of his men were busy breaking open the shells to separate the nuts.
Katrina sat on a rock, staring at the fire. Her frown deepened, and the melancholy on her expression tugged at his heart. He shook off the feeling and set the items down that had been stacked in his arms.
As he scanned the area again, something eerie crawled up his spine. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what had bothered him. Once more, he skimmed over their camp, being more cautious this time. His attention stopped on a pile of fruit nearby. They were amongst the ones his men had brought, but he wasn’t sure just what made these appear so different.
Felix’s stomach grumbled. He hadn’t had anything to eat, and the fruit appeared tantalizing. His mouth watered. He knelt by the pile of fruit and picked up a banana. Just as he started to peel it, Katrina shrieked and jumped toward him, knocking the banana out of his hand.
“Miss Landon, what is the meaning of your outburst?” he grumbled.
Her face was white and eyes wide as she shook her head. “I...don’t think you should eat that fruit.”
“Why?”
“Because...um...it’s not the right color.”
He rolled his eyes. She couldn’t possibly be that foolish, could she? As he opened up his mouth to snap at her, his gaze landed on the banana. Finally, his mind cleared and he realized it was the wrong color.
Hesitantly, he lifted it and sniffed it. The fruit didn’t smell right, either. He moved his focus back to Katrina. How could she have possibly known this fruit might have made him sick?
Murmurs from his men circled the group, each nodding in agreement as they looked at the banana.
Carlos stood and faced Felix. “What are you thinking, Knightly?”
“I don’t know,” Felix shrugged. “Maybe something is wrong with this fruit just as Miss Landon suggested.”
“Mr. Knightly,” Pete said in broken English as he rose to his feet. “I think food is fine.”
Felix switched his gaze from Emilio to Pete. “Which one of you brought this fruit?”
Emilio shrugged. “We both brought it in.”
“Then why isn’t the color as bright as the other bananas?” Felix questioned.
“I not know.” Pete shook his head.
Felix wanted to believe that the fruit was good, but there were too many things happening that didn’t make sense. “Please indulge me, my friends.” He swept his gaze around the group. “I don’t think we should eat the darkened bananas.” He knelt beside the fruit and put the browner bananas in a pile, moving them away from the fresher-looking food.
He moved to Emilio who held a variety of fruits in his large arms. Felix took a papaya and handed it to Katrina. “Here, eat this.”
Sadness still coated her face. “Thank you, Mr. Knightly.” She turned and sat back on the rock.
Within a few minutes, the fire was hot enough for Carlos to cook another batch of the Bacaba fruit drink. He also mixed in some of the herbs they’d picked when their quinine had disappeared. Felix said a silent prayer of thanks that none of them were sick with the jungle fever.
Not yet, anyway.
Katrina sat in silence as she chewed her fruit, keeping her gaze on the ground. Perhaps he had been a little too harsh with her, but that was what she deserved for lying to him. However, he never really discovered what she was lying about. The longer he pondered on it, the more curious he became. Could it just be a small matter and he was making it bigger than it should be? Then again, this wasn’t the first time a woman had done this—and he was quite certain it wouldn’t be the last time, either.
There wasn’t much talk amongst the men as they ate, but soon their laughter grew. Felix glanced toward the source of entertainment. A squirrel monkey had wandered into camp. He had to admit these monkeys were great entertainment since they were not afraid of interacting with humans. Their long tails, yellow legs and grayish coats, certainly brought smiles to anyone’s face.
The animal darted toward the darkened fruit and grabbed the banana that Felix almost ate. The men who sat nearby tried to take it away from the monkey, but the little primate was too quick and scurried up the nearest tree.
Felix watched as the monkey bit into the end as he gradually took off the peeling. Felix held his breath, hoping the banana was safe to eat. But within seconds, the animal stopped. The half-eaten fruit fell from the primate’s hands before the animal dove out of the tree, landing on the ground in a dead heap.
Gasps ricocheted around the group. In unison, the men jumped to their feet. Katrina let out a cry and covered her mouth, turning away from the dead animal.
Groaning, Felix rubbed his forehead. His fears had been correct. The fruit had somehow been poisoned.
But...how had Katrina known this? The look of terror on her face when she’d smacked the fruit out of his hands earlier was unmistakable. She knew something.
He moved to her and knelt beside her, running his hand up and down her arm. She cried softly in her hands and shook her head. Really, he didn’t know what to say to soothe her
fears, only because he had the same worries.
Lowering her hands, she looked into his eyes. “You could have...eaten that fruit.” Her voice shook.”
“I know.” He swept his thumb across her cheek, removing the tears. “So tell me, how did you know it was poisoned?”
Shaking her head, she dropped her gaze to the ground. “I-I-don’t know.”
He knew she was lying. Her expression and her actions were very clear. “Yes, you did. I want you to tell me,” he encouraged her with a gentle voice.
She peeked back over to the dead monkey and quickly looked back at him. “Who could be doing this? Why is someone trying to kill us?” she whispered.
He shrugged and lowered his attention to her quivering mouth. “If I knew that, I would put a stop to it immediately.”
“I know,” she mouthed, but no sound came out.
“But I promised to protect you and deliver you safely to your father, and I will not let anything happen to you.”
“Thank you,” she said softly and wiped her eyes. “I have tried so hard to be strong for you, but I fear I’m not. I know you want me to quit, but I can’t.”
He cupped the side of her face. “Being out here in the jungle is very difficult for women native to this part of the world, but for pampered women such as yourself—”
“Don’t call me that.”
He furrowed his brow. “Call you what?”
“Pampered.”
“Why not?”
Taking a deep breath, she sat up straighter. “Because that’s not who I am.” She sniffed and wiped her eyes again. “Felix, since our first meeting, I have led you to believe I’m someone I’m not. Just because my father is wealthy doesn’t mean I grew up that way.”
Her words stunned him, and he dropped his hand from her face. Was this the lie she had muttered while half asleep this morning? “You didn’t?”
“No. My father left my mother before I was even born. He didn’t help us with money, which forced my mother to work in a tavern. I was born in the slums of London without the comforts you grew up with. Mother and I scraped and saved for the little food we ate. Sometimes a kind person in town would help us, but mainly my mother and I made what we could out of our poor circumstances.”
She kept her voice low, and Felix assumed none of the other men could hear what she said. For the first time Felix could remember, he was speechless. He had no clue that she was a pauper. Why would he? She dressed and acted like a spoiled rich girl.
“It wasn’t until a couple of months ago when my father paid for my passageway to Macapá and sent me money to buy myself some dresses that I finally felt worthy of being a rich man’s daughter. The only reason I accepted his money and decided to come was because my mother is very ill and needs a doctor. We are very low on funds and can’t afford a doctor or medicine, but if my father gives me my inheritance, then I’ll have the means to get my mother the care she needs.” She took a deep breath and continued, “I’m stronger than the woman you expected me to be, but I still need your help getting to my father’s plantation. My mother needs care, and this is the only way I can help her.”
He wasn’t sure when she’d stopped talking, because his mind was going in several different directions at once. He couldn’t think straight. She stared at him, waiting for him to say something, but his tongue wouldn’t work. He had been wrong about her all this time, and he had treated her so poorly, especially today, thinking that she had lied to him.
In truth, she had lied, but this was nothing like he’d expected.
Closing his eyes, he scrubbed his hand over his face. For certain, this woman was different from the others he’d been acquainted with over the years. But was Katrina the type of woman he wanted to fall in love with? Could he dare trust her with his heart?
Why wouldn’t he? Katrina proved that she had a heart and cared about others. The only reason she came on this journey was to save her mother.
To be sure, he’d been a fool to doubt and mistrust Katrina.
He looked back at her. A different expression had crossed her face. Sadness? Yes, but there was something more...dejection.
Felix cupped her face again and stared deeply into her eyes. “I will get you to your father. Rest assured, your mother will get the medical help she needs.”
It took Katrina a few moments to react, as if she pondered each word he said. Her lips trembled, and she nodded as more tears slid from her eyes.
“God bless you, Mr. Knightly.”
KATRINA’S HEART WAS breaking. It wasn’t until now that she realized how much she cared for Felix. When she’d had that forewarning about him eating the poisonous banana, she acted quickly. Now he was curious about her, which was why she told him the truth about her lowly circumstance. She needed to change the subject before he kept prodding her about how she knew the fruit would kill him.
Another reason for the ache in her chest was because in only a few short days, she’d been able to see that there was a kind man hiding beneath his hardened façade. Without being able to help it, she’d lost her heart to him.
Only to have him crush it.
She’d told him the truth—well, most of it, anyway, but it was apparent by his expression that he pitied her. For many years she’d met people just like him. She recognized the disappointment in their eyes at first, but then they all turned up their noses and acted as if she and her mother were so low that the Landon women weren’t even good enough to be spit upon.
The group traveled a few more hours before Felix called for another rest. She knew he did this for her, because he couldn’t stop glancing over his shoulder at her, giving her that pitiful look she’d come to loathe for so long.
Thankfully, the place they stopped at was by another waterfall. So far during today’s journey they had passed several waterfalls, all of them as beautiful as the next. Now she was grateful they’d stopped because she wanted to splash herself with the refreshing liquid. Hopefully, she wouldn’t think about the time she and Felix were together in the water as they enjoyed each other’s nearness while playing in the water.
Her heart wrenched once more. No, she definitely couldn’t think about that any longer.
Pete cut up a coconut and shared some with her. Slowly, she walked toward the waterfall. A few of the men were gathered, kneeling on the bank as they splashed their faces. Some laughed and splashed each other. Katrina smiled, and for a moment, her heart was light.
Carlos jumped into a deeper section that reached his knees. He motioned with his hands. “Knightly, come inside. The water feels wonderful,” he shouted.
She swung her attention to Felix who relaxed on the ground with his feet stretched in front of him. In his hand he held a kiwi as he munched on it.
Chuckling, he shook his head. “Not yet, my friend. Will you let me eat first?”
“Oh, but the water is more refreshing than that kiwi.” Carlos grinned. He turned his focus to Katrina and waved his hand. “Miss Landon, please come in the water. The coolness will regenerate your tired legs, I assure you.”
Since she was nearly finished with her coconut, she nodded and walked toward him. “I believe I will.” She stopped near the bank.
“Come inside.” Carlos sunk a little lower. “Never have you felt such—”
He lost his balance and he glanced in the water. Fear crossed his face mere seconds before he cried out and went under. Frozen in shock, all Katrina could do was watch the terror unfold in front of her. Carlos jumped up for air, screaming in agony. But in a blink of an eye, something pulled him back under the water again.
She waited for him to resurface. Along the bank, the other men shouted for Carlos to come up for air. They acted as though Carlos was playing a joke on them. Holding her breath, she prayed he was all right. But soon the water became bloody.
His arms came out of the water, flaying as if trying to get away from something. The tone in the other men’s voices pitched higher with worry. Gradually, Carlos’ limbs became limp a
nd drifted back under the bloody water.
Tears stung her eyes. Silently, she willed Carlos to jump out of the water and tell everyone this was a joke. But Carlos never came up again.
“It’s a croc!” Felix yelled as he dashed toward the water. Two other men quickly followed.
Before they reached the bank, the top of a large, and very long, reptile emerged from the other side of the pool, popping it’s head out of the crimson water. Beady yellow eyes stared right at Katrina as he sped toward her. It’s green, scaly skin bobbed just above the tainted liquid.
There are two of them? Or was this the same one who had killed Carlos? Her stomach lurched, but she couldn’t move. Fear had left her immobilized.
“Katrina!” Felix screamed and ran to her.
Just before the second crocodile reached the shore, Felix swept her up in his arms and darted back toward camp. Behind them, the other men followed. Terror covered their pale faces as tears spiked their eyes.
When Felix reached safety, he collapsed to his knees on the ground, still holding her as he rocked her back and forth in his arms. His hand held her head against his chest. His heartbeat was fast and his breaths were uneven.
“What just...happened?” she asked.
“I wish I knew.”
“Is Carlos...dead?” Her voice squeaked.
“Yes.” He choked on the word.
She lifted her head and gazed into his watery eyes. “Would that other crocodile...have eaten...me?”
He shook his head. “I would never allow that to happen.”
Her body shook harder the more she tried to relax. She could have been killed, too. Never in her life had she witnessed such an attack. And Carlos, he did nothing wrong. He’d been frolicking in the water, just as she and Felix had done yesterday.
Why hadn’t she seen a forewarning of it? She could have stopped Carlos from going in the water. She could have...done something. Anything.
“Why—why were the crocodiles there?” she asked, sitting up fully. “You said they don’t live near waterfalls.”
“They don’t.” His voice cracked.
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