second time, though no sound came out.
“Well?” she demanded. “Do you mean to tell me or not?”
“Aye.” He seemed to force the word out, and Claire had a bewildering certainty that whatever he was about to say would not be what he’d originally intended. “I’m telling ye I’ve had enough and I want off.”
“I beg your …” She stopped herself from giving him another opportunity to insult her. “That’s impossible. We cannot—”
He raised his hand and pointed. Claire glanced over her shoulder. The
Marlet
was passing very close to an island off the southern coast.
“Tell the captain to put in there,” said Ewan, “and let me off.”
So he could catch the first train to London and compare notes with Tessa? Her sister would elope with him on the spot and probably never speak to her again.
And what might Ewan Geddes do to revenge himself upon her? The Brancaster shares Tessa had inherited from their father were few, but in the hands of a man more clever than scrupulous …
“No.”
“What are ye saying, woman?”
“I believe my meaning is plain enough, sir. You will remain on the
Marlet
until we reach Scotland. After that, you may go where you wish.”
Was she mad? her better judgment protested. What good would a few more days do? At this rate, it would be a wonder if they managed to reach Strathandrew without killing one another!
Indignation and desperation drowned out the quiet voice of reason. She would not allow Ewan Geddes to dictate to her. Without even trying, he made her say and do too many things against her will.
For a moment she feared he might strike her … or take some other equally shocking action. Then he appeared to master his passion by a fierce act of will.
“Fine, then.” He strode past her. “I’ll swim to shore.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” The words had scarcely left her lips before Claire realized they were the worst possible ones she could have uttered.
Ewan pried off his boots and stockings, tossing them onto the deck. “Just ye watch me.”
Suddenly she was aware of the unnatural hush on deck, and the crew of the
Marlet
watching them both.
“Are you just going to stand there?” she cried. “Someone stop him!”
No one moved, but from the helm Captain MacLeod called, “We can’t hold the man against his will, miss. That’d be kidnapping.”
Dear heaven! Might he have her charged with attempted abduction? Claire could just imagine the newspaper accounts.
“You could drown!” she warned him.
Ewan clawed at his neck linen and collar buttons as he struggled out of his coat, waistcoat and shirt. The sight of his broad, naked shoulders and muscular bare chest took Claire’s breath away.
“I’d rather take my chances with the sea than with ye!”
He was bluffing. He must be.
“Please.” She would have to order the captain to head for shore. “Don’t be a fool.”
“I’ll be and do what I want, woman. I’m not yer servant anymore!”
Before she could relent, Ewan scrambled over the deck railing and dived into the ocean.
Chapter Eight
Had he lost his mind?
The question tumbled over and over in Ewan’s thoughts as his body tumbled through the air on its plunge from the deck of the
Marlet.
It was a far longer drop to the water than he’d realized. Or perhaps it just seemed that way.
He slammed into the waves, knocking the wind out of him. When he finally came up, sputtering, the
Marlet
had already moved some distance away. There could be no question of swimming back to it. Not that he’d give Claire Talbot the satisfaction, anyway.
So he struck out for shore, which looked much farther off than it had from the deck of the yacht. He swam hard for a while, propelled by the power of his outrage.
But outrage, he soon discovered, did not make an ideal fuel. True, it blazed hot. But that only made it burn itself out faster. Soon cold ocean water quenched even the embers.
After swimming hard for what seemed like a long time, but coming
“Well?” she demanded. “Do you mean to tell me or not?”
“Aye.” He seemed to force the word out, and Claire had a bewildering certainty that whatever he was about to say would not be what he’d originally intended. “I’m telling ye I’ve had enough and I want off.”
“I beg your …” She stopped herself from giving him another opportunity to insult her. “That’s impossible. We cannot—”
He raised his hand and pointed. Claire glanced over her shoulder. The
Marlet
was passing very close to an island off the southern coast.
“Tell the captain to put in there,” said Ewan, “and let me off.”
So he could catch the first train to London and compare notes with Tessa? Her sister would elope with him on the spot and probably never speak to her again.
And what might Ewan Geddes do to revenge himself upon her? The Brancaster shares Tessa had inherited from their father were few, but in the hands of a man more clever than scrupulous …
“No.”
“What are ye saying, woman?”
“I believe my meaning is plain enough, sir. You will remain on the
Marlet
until we reach Scotland. After that, you may go where you wish.”
Was she mad? her better judgment protested. What good would a few more days do? At this rate, it would be a wonder if they managed to reach Strathandrew without killing one another!
Indignation and desperation drowned out the quiet voice of reason. She would not allow Ewan Geddes to dictate to her. Without even trying, he made her say and do too many things against her will.
For a moment she feared he might strike her … or take some other equally shocking action. Then he appeared to master his passion by a fierce act of will.
“Fine, then.” He strode past her. “I’ll swim to shore.”
“You wouldn’t dare.” The words had scarcely left her lips before Claire realized they were the worst possible ones she could have uttered.
Ewan pried off his boots and stockings, tossing them onto the deck. “Just ye watch me.”
Suddenly she was aware of the unnatural hush on deck, and the crew of the
Marlet
watching them both.
“Are you just going to stand there?” she cried. “Someone stop him!”
No one moved, but from the helm Captain MacLeod called, “We can’t hold the man against his will, miss. That’d be kidnapping.”
Dear heaven! Might he have her charged with attempted abduction? Claire could just imagine the newspaper accounts.
“You could drown!” she warned him.
Ewan clawed at his neck linen and collar buttons as he struggled out of his coat, waistcoat and shirt. The sight of his broad, naked shoulders and muscular bare chest took Claire’s breath away.
“I’d rather take my chances with the sea than with ye!”
He was bluffing. He must be.
“Please.” She would have to order the captain to head for shore. “Don’t be a fool.”
“I’ll be and do what I want, woman. I’m not yer servant anymore!”
Before she could relent, Ewan scrambled over the deck railing and dived into the ocean.
Chapter Eight
Had he lost his mind?
The question tumbled over and over in Ewan’s thoughts as his body tumbled through the air on its plunge from the deck of the
Marlet.
It was a far longer drop to the water than he’d realized. Or perhaps it just seemed that way.
He slammed into the waves, knocking the wind out of him. When he finally came up, sputtering, the
Marlet
had already moved some distance away. There could be no question of swimming back to it. Not that he’d give Claire Talbot the satisfaction, anyway.
So he struck out for shore, which looked much farther off than it had from the deck of the yacht. He swam hard for a while, propelled by the power of his outrage.
But outrage, he soon discovered, did not make an ideal fuel. True, it blazed hot. But that only made it burn itself out faster. Soon cold ocean water quenched even the embers.
After swimming hard for what seemed like a long time, but coming
Similar Books
