Calypso Magic (Magic Trilogy 2)

"Good morning," he said, and grinned at the myriad of expressions that crossed her face as she ventured into reality.

She blinked at him, and for a brief instant she gave him the sweetest smile before she got a hold of herself.

"You may have the bunk for a while, if you wish," he said, rising. "I am going up on deck."

He stepped over her and left the cabin.

"Well, that is a relief," she said aloud. "Perhaps he will be a gentleman about this."

The instant the cabin door closed behind him, she scrambled into the bunk. She pulled the sheet to her chin and snuggled down. Her muscles were sore and stiff. The bunk felt like heaven. An

d the bedclothes smelled like him. She breathed in deeply before she caught herself.

Stop it, you ninny. Sleep was far away, so she forced herself to think about what she would do once they reached St. Thomas. Marry Lyon? She allowed that thought to linger, with all its complexities. Unbidden, she saw herself held over his thighs, her skirts up, his hand on her hips. She began shaking her head. His scent filled her nostrils again, and angry at herself, she rose.

She was brushing her hair when a tap came on the cabin door.

"Yes?"

"'Tis Blick, Diana. Would you like some breakfast?"

She quickly tied a ribbon about her hair and opened the door, a smile on her lips. "You, sir, are a most versatile man."

"So I've been told, many times. I've already seen your husband. He is sound again. If you would like to come with me now, I'll see that you're fed. I think old Harmon --- our cook, you know --- is outdoing himself since there is a lady on board to impress. Then, if you like, I'll give you a tour of the ship."

Diana found no fault with that program.

"Do you know much about sailing ships?" Blick asked as they made their way to the poop deck.

She smiled at that. "I have lived all my life in the West Indies, Blick. A schooner is my favorite vessel, so fast and so easily maneuverable. Indeed, a favorite of the pirates some hundred years ago."

He grinned, just a bit uncomfortably. "Well, yes. We can attain speeds of up to fourteen knots, you know, with a fair breeze at our backs."

Diana looked up at the forward wooden mast and the three foresails. "She is beautiful. How many crew?"

"At the present, we have forty men. Her length is ninety feet, so we are not all stumbling over one another. Before Rafael, er, acquired this ship, we were cramped in a much smaller vessel."

What did he mean by that slip? She wondered, but she said nothing.

She saw little of Lyon for the next several hours. Blick introduced her to a good dozen of the sailors. The day was bright and warm, sea birds still following them. "Would you like some bread to toss to them?"

"I should enjoy that, yes," she said. "It is one of my favorite pastimes at home. The pelicans, however, become very testy when I exhaust my supply."

Blick chuckled and walked away to ask for the bread.

"Do you sail, Diana?"

She turned at the sound of Lyon's voice. "Of course. Living on an island doesn't give one much opportunity to ride for miles in carriages, you know. In fact, I have my own sailboat. Her name is Bilbo."

"Wherever did you get that appellation?"

She smiled, her eyes sparkling. "I haven't thought of that in years. My father told me that when I was three years old, I was fascinated at his talk of bilges and boats. I put the two words together, so he and Dido told me."

"Dido?"

"My nurse, nanny, and a fiery old woman who tells me what to think and what to do, if I let her. She took over running the plantation house after my mother died. Now she does allow me to assist, if I am polite about it and properly serious."

"A slave?"