and her reputation is soiled, if not her virtue.”
Logan narrowed his eyes . “You think that I would take advantage of her?”
The tall quartermaster bit back a laugh . “I think that you have to stop women from throwing themselves upon you as soon as you flash them that dashing smile, with a seductive look in those brooding eyes.”
Logan lifted an eyebrow. “ Dashing smile ? Brooding eyes?”
“I got a little caught up in the imagery, my apologies . The fact remains, however, that you have a way of making a woman feel like a woman, like she’s important to you.”
Logan was taken aback . “How do you know all this?”
Eli gave him a sheepish smile. “A few of your broken-hearted mistresses have come to me for comforting.” Abe laughed f rom his position at the stove as he stirred the contents of a large pot.
“Is that so? Well, I hope you were able to comfort them properly,” Logan said with a chuckle.
“For the record, they came to me. I did not seek them out.”
Logan rolled his eyes . “Listen, whatever you do with my discarded mistresses is your own business.”
They were momentarily interrupted as Abe hobbled over and extended a ladle filled with a thick, red stew . After both men had tasted it and voiced their approval, the topic returned to Amber .
“Did you talk to her at all last night?” Eli prodded.
“A little, though I find it hard to converse with a woman who wishes I w as dead.”
“Valid point . Did you ask her why she was on the Queen Charlotte ?”
“I did,” Logan said as he stood up so that Abe could get to the barrel he had been sitting on, then went to lean against the wall with his arms crossed. “She pretended to ignore me and wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“I wonder why she was so anxious to get to England,” Eli mused aloud as he sipped his coffee.
“Maybe she’s goin’ to see her husband,” offered Abe.
Logan shook his head . “She’s not married.”
“How can you be sure? She’s looks to be the right age.”
“No ring,” Logan said . “And I can also just tell.”
“He’s practically made it a life skill to be able to tell if a woman is married or not . Hazards of the trade I guess , ” Eli explained to Abe. A look from Logan quickly shut him up .
“Well how old do you think she is, Elijah?” asked Abe as he added another pungent spice to the stew .
“I reckon abou t mid-twenties or so.”
“She sure doesn’t act like it,” Logan muttered .
“I’m twenty-three,” came Amber’s cool voice behind them, causing the men to swing their heads in her direction . She met Logan’s gaze as she walked towards the center table . “And I act in the only rational way one can while dealing with you.”
Abe jumped forward with the pot of coffee and a mug . “Good morning, Miss Amber.” She took it from him with a grateful nod . While she poured some for herself, Logan took the opportunity to survey her appearance.
A faint blush was visible on her cheeks from the brisk walk outside, and her curls were twisted on top of her head, a feat that must have been difficult to accomplish without a lady’s maid to assist her . As evidence of this, a few strands fell from the pins as she tilted her head back to drain the last drops of coffee from her cup . Her dress was dusty pink, and cut stylishly low as was the current fashion, though it was still far less tight and revealing than her previous gown . Logan continued his silent scrutiny, from the small pearl bobs in her ears, to the lace at her wrists, down to the soles of her slippers peeking out from the hem of her dress . When he was finished, he was disappointed that he could find no fault; she was beautiful .
He looked up to see that Eli had left, and Amber was staring at him . “Are you quite finished?”
“Excuse me?”
“Please don’t play games with me, Captain . ” The last word came out as a sneer . “If you’re done gawking at me, I’d like to discuss how we are going to
Logan narrowed his eyes . “You think that I would take advantage of her?”
The tall quartermaster bit back a laugh . “I think that you have to stop women from throwing themselves upon you as soon as you flash them that dashing smile, with a seductive look in those brooding eyes.”
Logan lifted an eyebrow. “ Dashing smile ? Brooding eyes?”
“I got a little caught up in the imagery, my apologies . The fact remains, however, that you have a way of making a woman feel like a woman, like she’s important to you.”
Logan was taken aback . “How do you know all this?”
Eli gave him a sheepish smile. “A few of your broken-hearted mistresses have come to me for comforting.” Abe laughed f rom his position at the stove as he stirred the contents of a large pot.
“Is that so? Well, I hope you were able to comfort them properly,” Logan said with a chuckle.
“For the record, they came to me. I did not seek them out.”
Logan rolled his eyes . “Listen, whatever you do with my discarded mistresses is your own business.”
They were momentarily interrupted as Abe hobbled over and extended a ladle filled with a thick, red stew . After both men had tasted it and voiced their approval, the topic returned to Amber .
“Did you talk to her at all last night?” Eli prodded.
“A little, though I find it hard to converse with a woman who wishes I w as dead.”
“Valid point . Did you ask her why she was on the Queen Charlotte ?”
“I did,” Logan said as he stood up so that Abe could get to the barrel he had been sitting on, then went to lean against the wall with his arms crossed. “She pretended to ignore me and wouldn’t tell me anything.”
“I wonder why she was so anxious to get to England,” Eli mused aloud as he sipped his coffee.
“Maybe she’s goin’ to see her husband,” offered Abe.
Logan shook his head . “She’s not married.”
“How can you be sure? She’s looks to be the right age.”
“No ring,” Logan said . “And I can also just tell.”
“He’s practically made it a life skill to be able to tell if a woman is married or not . Hazards of the trade I guess , ” Eli explained to Abe. A look from Logan quickly shut him up .
“Well how old do you think she is, Elijah?” asked Abe as he added another pungent spice to the stew .
“I reckon abou t mid-twenties or so.”
“She sure doesn’t act like it,” Logan muttered .
“I’m twenty-three,” came Amber’s cool voice behind them, causing the men to swing their heads in her direction . She met Logan’s gaze as she walked towards the center table . “And I act in the only rational way one can while dealing with you.”
Abe jumped forward with the pot of coffee and a mug . “Good morning, Miss Amber.” She took it from him with a grateful nod . While she poured some for herself, Logan took the opportunity to survey her appearance.
A faint blush was visible on her cheeks from the brisk walk outside, and her curls were twisted on top of her head, a feat that must have been difficult to accomplish without a lady’s maid to assist her . As evidence of this, a few strands fell from the pins as she tilted her head back to drain the last drops of coffee from her cup . Her dress was dusty pink, and cut stylishly low as was the current fashion, though it was still far less tight and revealing than her previous gown . Logan continued his silent scrutiny, from the small pearl bobs in her ears, to the lace at her wrists, down to the soles of her slippers peeking out from the hem of her dress . When he was finished, he was disappointed that he could find no fault; she was beautiful .
He looked up to see that Eli had left, and Amber was staring at him . “Are you quite finished?”
“Excuse me?”
“Please don’t play games with me, Captain . ” The last word came out as a sneer . “If you’re done gawking at me, I’d like to discuss how we are going to
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