to stifle a small smile. âThatâs utter nonsense. Captain Garret barely knows youâhow can he hate you?â He chuckled as if to laugh off her fears. âHeâs simply angry because heâs been duped. Heâll get over it.â
Thatâs what you think, Reeves, Bess mused, but then youâre unaware that the dear captain and I have a history . . .
Five
âHow long are you going to keep her waiting?â Reeves demanded.
Seth looked at him without expression. âAs long as I wish, Mr. Reeves. Iâll send for her when Iâm good and ready.â
The captain scowled darkly as the door slammed shut behind the manâs retreating back. Damn, but this was a fine turn of events! Elisabeth Metcalfe on board ship!
Something wrenched in his gut as he thought of her. Only hours before heâd been haunted by her image. And now she was here . . . even in her mannish clothing, more bewitching, more beautiful than the last time heâd seen her, years before.
What is she doing on my ship? Why had George Metcalfe, Edward Metcalfeâs heir and the new owner of E. Metcalfe Co., sent a woman on this dangerous voyage about Cape Horn?
He stared at his charts until they blurred beneath his gaze. It just didnât make sense, and when heâd questioned Reeves, the manâs answers had been anything but satisfying.
And now he, as the captain, was left with a decision. His instincts told him to turn the Sea Mistress around and take the woman back to Wilmington where she belonged. The consequences of having her on board ship would be dire. Heâd be forever trying to protect her from his menâthat is, once theyâd gotten over their horror of having a woman on the voyageâ if they ever got over their horror. All sailors believed it was bad luck to have a female on board, and on the journey about Cape Horn . . .
Seth stood, grinding his teeth in frustration. There was nothing to do but summon Bess and find out exactly what had possessed her cousin to send her on this trip. Did she truly believe she could pretend to be Robert Marlton for the entire journey? That she could come topside whenever the mood struck her?
The second mateâs reaction at finding her in their midst was just a sample of what sheâd have to contend with. Hadnât it occurred to either her or her cousin that sheâd be placing herself in peril by traveling with a group of cutthroat men?
He paced his cabin, his fingers clenching and unclenching at his sides. Elisabeth Mary Metcalfe. Or was it Mrs.â?
Sheâd caused him more pain and heartache than any other person on the face of Godâs earth. A wicked smile curved Sethâs mouth. He could pay her back for her betrayal . . . make her life uncomfortable beyond imagining. If he kept her on board.
He thought of those luminous dark eyes of hers and felt his heart lurch. Cursing himself for his response, he strode to the hatch and bellowed for his first mate. A decision about the woman must be made quickly, while there was still the option of turning back.
Mr. Kelley appeared within seconds of Sethâs call. âCaptain?â
âBring Miss Metcalfe to my cabin.â
âAye, sir.â Kelley left to do his captainâs bidding. Seth closed the cabin door . . . and waited.
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The knock came as Bess was sitting on her bunk, fuming about the captainâs behavior.
âCome in,â she said, believing it to be Reeves.
âMiss Metcalfe.â
She glanced up and saw that it was Sethâs first mate, a young man with bronzed skin and kind eyes. âYes, Mr. Kelley?â
âCaptain Garret will see you now.â
Bess stiffened at the mention of Seth. It was on the tip of her tongue to refuse to go, but what good would it do? The last thing she wanted was to spend another day below deck without knowing the captainâs plans for her. Would he take her back to Wilmington or on through
Learning to Kill: Stories