“I don’t think…”
“Gwendolyn.” It was the captain’s voice, and the cold chill that had covered Maddy’s body was immediately replaced with a rush of heat. “What are you doing up here?”
She hadn’t heard him approach, of course. How long had he been in the hallway, listening to Polly’s tales of unusually sized rodents? Next she’d be saying the bats were the size of ravens, a horrifying thought.
“Since my servants are taking over the care of your house, and it will soon be my house as well, I thought it was only natural that I inspect the premises, only to be told that you have an infestation of rats.”
Maddy held her breath. It was all going to come out now, and she didn’t even dare tiptoe across the room and turn the key in the lock. No matter how big the rats were purported to be it was unlikely they could accomplish that little trick.
“So I’ve been told,” he said mildly, to Maddy’s surprise. “You don’t particularly mind them, do you?”
“Everybody minds rats, Thomas,” she snapped. “I still wish to see…”
She heard a shuffle, and she sank back farther against the wall, prepared for the worst.
The worst was what she got. “I’ll just check first to make certain you’re safe,” the captain said, and a moment later the door opened.
She was out of the direct line of sight, but she should have known he wouldn’t have any trouble finding her. She stood frozen, her wet hair falling to her hips, the towel covering her from the tops of her breasts to the tops of her thighs and not much more, when even the sight of an ankle was considered indecent. He let his eyes drift down her body, slowly, reflectively, and then move back up, meeting hers. For a long moment she was caught, breathless, her heart pounding with something other than fear as she stared back into the dark, dangerous promise of his eyes.
“I’m afraid the rats have made quite a mess, my dear,” he said in a perfectly calm tone, never moving his intense gaze away from hers. “I have workmen coming to deal with it. By the end of the day it should be ready for inspection.”
“I still don’t…”
“Rats have the unfortunate ability to climb up the inside of a lady’s petticoats,” he observed mildly.
“Thomas!” Miss Haviland’s tones were shrill. “How many times have I told you that you must not refer to anything so personal in regards to a lady!”
“They could run up the petticoats of a maid, then,” he said with just the faintest hint of a smile. The damned man was still looking at her, tilting his head to one side as if she were a tasty confection and he was considering where he was going to start nibbling. She half expected him to walk into the bathing room, lock the door behind him, and begin to pull away her bit of toweling. And she half wanted him to. “You never know when they might have to tear them off and deposit them in strange places.”
Oh, God, her petticoats! She’d been using them to mop up the rainwater, and he must have found them.
“Don’t be ridiculous, Thomas. Maids don’t remove their… their undergarments. At least, not for any acceptable reason.” She was sounding suspicious again.
Luca gave Maddy an annoyingly sweet smile and withdrew, closing the door carefully behind him, and she silently released her pent-up breath. “Gwendolyn, I expect we’re going to need to have a conversation about our nuptials.”
“Are we?” Maddy could practically hear the simper in her voice. Their voices trailed off, as he led her away, and Maddy immediately began to towel-dry her hair, then yanked on the rough, scratchy underclothing that appeared to be a part of the uniform of the Haviland staff. By the time the door opened again she was fully dressed in a dowdy gown the color of rotten apples, her hair braided and tucked under an even uglier cap.
She stiffened, but it was only Polly. “That was a close thing,” she said breathlessly. “Lucky the master seems to want to protect you. Want to tell me why?”
“Maybe he’s just afraid of his fiancée. Thank you for lying for me.”
Polly shrugged off her thanks. “With a witch like Miss Haviland we all have to look out for each other. She’s enough to put the fear of God into anyone. It’s a rare treat to be here, out from under her watchful eye. But the captain doesn’t strike me as a man who’s afraid of anyone. I’ve seen the way he looks at you when he thinks no one will notice.”
“I’ve barely exchanged two words with the man,” Maddy lied, shivering slightly. The storm had brought in a stream of cold weather, and the wind came directly off the water, rattling the windows in their frames and reaching into her bones.
“Sometimes talking’s not what gets you into trouble,” Polly observed wisely. “Go on, then. I’ve gotten word that you’re to be staying in the housekeeper’s quarters below stairs, while the footmen and the maids will be in the attics.”
Maddy opened her mouth to protest until Polly added, “with the bats,” and she shut her mouth. Why were they putting her downstairs? She could see absolutely no good reason for it. “Perhaps I should speak to the captain…” she said reluctantly, the last thing she wanted to do, but Polly shook her head.
“He’s headed off to London to pick up his new boat. Ship, I guess I should call it. Miss Haviland wanted to go along with him but he told her she couldn’t, so she’s in a rare taking. She’ll still be working her wiles on him, and you mark my words, she’ll end up on the boat or drown trying. She doesn’t take no for an answer.”
“New ship?” The man was buying up her father’s ships—she’d seen proof of it in his rain-soaked library. Which one was he bringing back this time? It couldn’t be the Maddy Rose—she hadn’t signed the papers that Fulton had wanted her to.
Polly shrugged. “None of my business. None of yours either, if you got any sense. You may be beautiful, and clearly you’re no maidservant, but even so, the likes of us don’t end up with sea captains and we both know it. Come on with you. I’ll help you take your things down to the h
ousekeeper’s rooms. They were in a fair mess when the Croziers left, but Lucy and me have been working on them, given them a good scrub and an airing out, and you should be just fine.”
“Thank you,” Maddy said, hiding her mixed feelings about her unexpected move. At least there were no bats.