Touch Me

"Yes, but she lost my brother, and she never got over that."

"I often wondered if we'd gone back to England, if your father would have relented. His anger had to spend itself eventually."

Thea looked askance at Melly. "You were there the day he took Jared away. You must know he would never have relented. He is much too hard a man, vicious in his proud certainty that he could never be wrong." Not to mention that, eventually, there had been no choice.

Anna Langley could not have returned to England had she wanted to, not and take up her rightful place as Countess of Langley.

Melly took another nibble of the biscuit and chewed in silence. When she spoke again, Thea was surprised.

"I was there the day your mother told him she never wanted to see him again, too. The look on his face when he left… If you ask me, he finally realized he'd lost her."

"He didn't want her. He was, and no doubt still is, a monster."

Melly shook her head. "You never saw him with her in the beginning. He treated her like she was glass. It was only after that blackguard told Lord Langley that his wife had been unfaithful that he changed."

Frowning, Thea unwrapped the salt beef and sliced a piece off with the knife provided. "I never saw him at all. He should have believed Mama, not some rake with a terrible reputation with women."

"Aye, but jealousy does funny things to a gentleman. Anyway, you'll be seeing him now, won't you?"

Not if she could help it. Thea had no desire to meet the man who had treated her mother so cruelly.

Thea moaned and turned in the small bunk, trying to find a comfortable position. After drinking the ginger tea, Melly had lain down and gone to sleep. Thea wished she could find the oblivion of slumber. Her stomach felt as if someone had tied it in loop knots and was drawing the string tight.

The steward had come to escort her to dinner, and she'd sent him away with a message for Drake that she was indisposed. He would probably believe she was defying him on purpose. She didn't care. She just wanted to be left alone. Her stomach hurt, her head felt as if fish were swimming in it, and her mouth tasted like sea brine.

She moaned again, trying to do it quietly so as not to wake her maid. She needn't have worried. Melly snored and flung one arm over her face. Thea wondered if there wasn't something besides ginger in the tea. The maid's sleep was terribly deep. Lucky woman.

A peremptory knock sounded at the door. She ignored it. Probably that blasted steward again, come to insist she join Drake for dinner.

The knock sounded again and Melly stirred in her sleep. Thea gritted her teeth, but knew she had to get up. It wouldn't be fair to wake the maid to experience more of this misery. She cautiously slid her legs over the side of the bed as the pounding resumed on the door. Someone was shouting something on the other side, but she couldn't understand him. The roaring in her ears blocked out the noise.

She hobbled to the door, furious with whoever was on the other side. If she didn't feel so bloody awful, she would give him a speaking-to he wouldn't soon forget. She pulled on the latch of the door, opening it a crack, and shivered at the gust of air that pressed into the airless cabin. Surely they were not so far from her island that the weather had turned cold?

"What?" She meant to snap out the question to whomever dared to force her from the relative comfort of her berth, but her voice came out raspy.

"Miss Selwyn? Are you all right?"

Her gaze traveled up the perfectly tailored breeches to Drake's well-fitting coat. It finally made it to his face. He was frowning.

"I will not be able to join you for dinner this evening." She never wanted to eat again.

Drake pushed the door to her cabin completely open. She would have protested, but couldn't summon the energy for the effort. He took hold of her arms as if he thought she might fall. His skin was so much warmer than hers. It would no doubt shock him beyond measure if she pressed her body against his to soak up some of his warmth.

"Why didn't you tell the steward you were sick? Where are the things I sent earlier?"

"Melly ate them. She's feeling much better. Thank you."

There. She'd done her polite duty. Now if he would just let her lie back in her bed to die in peace.

"You aren't going to die."

Mortified, Thea realized she'd spoken aloud. "How do you know? You've probably never had a day of seasickness in your life." She sounded pitiful and she didn't care.

He grinned. "I've seen enough of it to know it isn't lethal."

She frowned at his apparent good humor. "So you say."

"So I know." He moved a hand around her shoulder.