the speed of the clipper and the sun's great orange arc balanced on the horizon. “How long can we stay like this?"
"A half hour,” he said. “Not much beyond that. Cerberus never quite catches her.” Rand saw Claire shiver slightly beneath her mantel. “You're cold. Perhaps I should escort you below."
"Oh no, not just now. Really, I'm fine.” It was not that kind of shiver. Claire pulled her mantel more closely about her shoulders. “There, it only takes a bit of adjustment."
Rand looked over her fine profile as she turned away again. The wind had beaten some roses into her cheeks, but he knew it didn't account for all of her favorable coloring. He had witnessed the pallor fading from Claire's complexion even before they left London, and on board Cerberus her health continued to improve. Rand came to realize the woman he had first seen in the duke's study was the shadow of this one. He had long ago dismissed the possibility that she would not be noticed in a sea of people. His eyes would invariably find her.
The wind pushed strands of Claire's dark hair forward again. This time she didn't bother to repair them. They tickled her cheeks and the sides of her throat. Rand could hear the soft hum of her pleasure above the chuckle of the water. “You left your hat behind,” he said.
"Hmmm,” she murmured. “I did. Shall I tell you why?"
"If you wish."
"They're impractical. The ones with no ribbons to secure them will simply be blown away. I would require pins the size of anchors to keep them on my head up here. The ones with ribbons will choke me.” She raised one hand to her throat to show him how the ribbons would catch her under the chin. “It's better that they remain in my cabin."
"Apparently so."
"Are you wearing a hat?"
"No."
Claire imagined the wind beating back his copper hair. “You don't have some sort of captain's hat?"
"I'm not that sort of captain. Cerberus is a research vessel, not a military ship."
"I understand that.” Cutch at her side, Claire had explored almost all of the ship these last ten days, including Rand Hamilton's workroom. Cerberus was equipped with microscopes and slides, chemicals for specimen preservation, and all the tools for probing and dissection. Cutch had allowed her to run her hands across the dozens of journals where Rand kept account of his studies, and he explained in some detail what the glass jars secured on the shelves contained. The older man was clearly proud of what the master of Cerberus had accomplished. Claire did not think she allowed her own discomfort at being in the room to show. “But you were a captain during your war, weren't you?"
"Actually, I was a lieutenant. In the army, not the navy. And I didn't keep the hat."
Claire heard the lightness Rand forced into his tone. His war experiences were not a subject for discussion. “How is it that you came to command Cerberus? Why not hire someone to do it for you?"
"I'm not especially good at taking orders."
Claire raised one hand to her lips to hide her smile. She could believe that. “But you've sailed before?"
"Only as a passenger before I bought this ship. I studied under some real salts while Cerberus was being repaired. They pronounced me fit to take a skiff out to Fort Sumter and back.” One corner of his mouth lifted in a half smile. “I've done a little better than that."
"You haven't run her aground."
"I didn't say that.” He laughed outright at Claire's openmouthed surprise. “Once. In the shoals at Avarua. It took quite a feat of engineering and two hundred strong backs to pull her free. The natives extracted a high price for their help. Since then I've learned to read the charts better and exercise more caution around the islands."
"I should hope so."
"You have nothing to worry about, Miss Bancroft. At least on that account. Come, take my arm again and let's continue. It won't be long before you won't be able to stand the chill."
Claire found his elbow and fell into step.
"A half hour,” he said. “Not much beyond that. Cerberus never quite catches her.” Rand saw Claire shiver slightly beneath her mantel. “You're cold. Perhaps I should escort you below."
"Oh no, not just now. Really, I'm fine.” It was not that kind of shiver. Claire pulled her mantel more closely about her shoulders. “There, it only takes a bit of adjustment."
Rand looked over her fine profile as she turned away again. The wind had beaten some roses into her cheeks, but he knew it didn't account for all of her favorable coloring. He had witnessed the pallor fading from Claire's complexion even before they left London, and on board Cerberus her health continued to improve. Rand came to realize the woman he had first seen in the duke's study was the shadow of this one. He had long ago dismissed the possibility that she would not be noticed in a sea of people. His eyes would invariably find her.
The wind pushed strands of Claire's dark hair forward again. This time she didn't bother to repair them. They tickled her cheeks and the sides of her throat. Rand could hear the soft hum of her pleasure above the chuckle of the water. “You left your hat behind,” he said.
"Hmmm,” she murmured. “I did. Shall I tell you why?"
"If you wish."
"They're impractical. The ones with no ribbons to secure them will simply be blown away. I would require pins the size of anchors to keep them on my head up here. The ones with ribbons will choke me.” She raised one hand to her throat to show him how the ribbons would catch her under the chin. “It's better that they remain in my cabin."
"Apparently so."
"Are you wearing a hat?"
"No."
Claire imagined the wind beating back his copper hair. “You don't have some sort of captain's hat?"
"I'm not that sort of captain. Cerberus is a research vessel, not a military ship."
"I understand that.” Cutch at her side, Claire had explored almost all of the ship these last ten days, including Rand Hamilton's workroom. Cerberus was equipped with microscopes and slides, chemicals for specimen preservation, and all the tools for probing and dissection. Cutch had allowed her to run her hands across the dozens of journals where Rand kept account of his studies, and he explained in some detail what the glass jars secured on the shelves contained. The older man was clearly proud of what the master of Cerberus had accomplished. Claire did not think she allowed her own discomfort at being in the room to show. “But you were a captain during your war, weren't you?"
"Actually, I was a lieutenant. In the army, not the navy. And I didn't keep the hat."
Claire heard the lightness Rand forced into his tone. His war experiences were not a subject for discussion. “How is it that you came to command Cerberus? Why not hire someone to do it for you?"
"I'm not especially good at taking orders."
Claire raised one hand to her lips to hide her smile. She could believe that. “But you've sailed before?"
"Only as a passenger before I bought this ship. I studied under some real salts while Cerberus was being repaired. They pronounced me fit to take a skiff out to Fort Sumter and back.” One corner of his mouth lifted in a half smile. “I've done a little better than that."
"You haven't run her aground."
"I didn't say that.” He laughed outright at Claire's openmouthed surprise. “Once. In the shoals at Avarua. It took quite a feat of engineering and two hundred strong backs to pull her free. The natives extracted a high price for their help. Since then I've learned to read the charts better and exercise more caution around the islands."
"I should hope so."
"You have nothing to worry about, Miss Bancroft. At least on that account. Come, take my arm again and let's continue. It won't be long before you won't be able to stand the chill."
Claire found his elbow and fell into step.
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