Calypso Magic (Magic Trilogy 2)

Rafael grinned. He made soothing noises and Lyonel quieted. "You have a perfectly normal marriage, I see," said Rafael, standing.

Diana couldn't bear another lie, at least the actual sound of it that could come out of her mouth. She simply nodded, utterly miserable with herself, her head down.

He misunderstood and quickly wiped away his grin. "I'm sorry. I know you're worried. When did Blick see him last?"

"An hour ago."

He nodded. "Blick tells me that your father is Lucien Savarol of Savarol Island. I have had the pleasure of meeting your father. A very gracious gentleman." And a man who wants the French and their damned little emperor six feet under, he added to himself.

"Yes, he is. Lyon has inherited a plantation on Tortola --- Mendenhall."

"Oliver Mendenhall?" At her nod, his lips thinned a bit. "That old man wasWell, I suppose it doesn't matter now. Now, Diana, it's time for you to have some breakfast. I'll have Neddie bring you something nourishing, and hopefully edible as well."

"Could I also have some water? I would like to bathe and change my clothes."

"Certainly. We must of course keep our water use low, at least until we have a good rain."

"Yes, I know. Thank you, Captain."

"Rafael, please."

"Rafael, Rollo, and Blick. You sound like two peas in a pod and one turnip."

"I'll have to think about that," he said. "The three of us have been together for years."

"You don't have all that many years."

"Behold a man of nearly thirty. Well, twenty-eight, if you wish to be precise. All right, we've known one another for eight years, then. A long time, particularly in our line of work. I see that you lost your wedding ring. Those damned bastards pulled it off your finger? I wish I had known. Did they take anything else?"

Diana was relieved that he'd continued talking, for her own tongue was stuck like glue in her mouth. Her lie had burgeoned into a mighty cloud that threatened to rain on her with typhoon magnitude. She managed to say finally, "No, they didn't."

Her ambiguous reply didn't seem to faze him. Rafael gave her another encouraging pat. He turned in the doorway and said, "Incidentally, most of my men are good fellows and trustworthy. However, some of them might look at you with a grand feast in their minds. If you wish to be on deck, do tell me, Rollo, or Blick so we may escort you."

"I also understand that, Rafael."

Diana found that as she bathed and changed to clean clothes, her eyes went every few seconds to Lyonel. It hadn't occurred to her until that moment when she was standing quite without covering, that there might be a privacy problem. She shook her head. No, Lyon would be reasonable about it. He had to be.

When has he ever been reasonable when she'd been involved? A worrying thought, that.

Lyon thought he heard his mother humming. That was odd because she had died when he was very young. He wondered lazily if he himself was dead and in the hereafter. Then he felt a throbbing pain in his head and opened his eyes.

He wasn't in heaven. He was in a small room. It was a blurred Diana who was humming. She slowly came into focus and he watched her silently as she lifted clothing out of a trunk and placed the things in the drawers of an armoire. What the devil was the little twit doing in his room?

He said, his voice sounding rusty to his own ears, "Diana, what are you doing here? In my room? You know it isn't proper. Kenworthy didn't let you up here, did he?"

She whirled about and hurried to the bunk. "You're awake and sensible! How do you feel, Lyon?"

He thought about that and memory flooded back. "My God, those bastards who attacked usAre you all right? What happened? They didn't harm you?"

"No, no, I am fine."

He frowned. "I guess I'm not. The room is rocking about."

"Well, actually, we're not in a room."

Had he lost his wits from that blow to the head? "Of course we're in a ---" He broke off abruptly. "Diana, where the devil are we?"

She swallowed. There was no hope for it. But then again, it was too late. She managed a smile. "Actually, we're aboard the Seawitch. This is Rollo's cabin, he's Rafael's first mate, you know."