Rachel’s only answer was a grunt of exasperation.
“Let me help?”
When the young student moved close to her side, the strands of hair she’d been trying to thread came loose and escaped the needle hole at the last moment. “Nooo,” Rachel cried, and threw the needle and length of strands of hair back onto the linen square on her lap.
Tenneh deftly retrieved both the hair and needle and sat next to Rachel on the settee. She rolled and twisted the strands between her fingers before trying to thread them through the hole. The hair passed through the eye of the needle like the finest of embroidery threads, and she snatched the end, looping and tying it into a tiny knot.
“How did you do that?”
“We use that knot to finish the baskets we make back where I was born.”
“Do you miss your life and your family?” Rachel looked into Tenneh’s eyes.
Tenneh laughed. “No,” she said simply. “My family sold me to the trader.”
Rachel’s eyes widened. “How can you be certain?”
“He came and took me from the river bank where we were washing our clothes.” She was silent for a moment. “When he dragged me off into the bush, my sisters looked the other way.”
“I’m so sorry, Tenneh.” Rachel put her arm around her and squeezed. “You’re safe here with us.” Even as she assured the young woman, doubt niggled down her back and tingled down into the tips of her fingers.
“Why don’t you come along with us tonight for supper on Captain Halloren’s ship?” The invitation slipped from her lips before she had a chance to change her mind. She did not want to leave Tenneh alone in the house with their few other servants while she and her father were gone for the evening. She was sure Christopher would not mind.
Tenneh lowered her eyes. “I shouldn’t. I have nothing to wear.”
“You can wear one of my dresses. If we take it in here,” she pointed to Tenneh’s still tiny waist, “and shorten the hem a bit, we’ll have something suitable in no time at all.”
When Tenneh raised her head, there was hope in her eyes. “You’re sure Captain Halloren won’t mind?”
“Of course not. He’s still trying to please my father.” She gave the other young woman a conspiratorial grin. “We can’t make this too easy on him.”
Chris was worriedabout his navigator, Nebe. He’d never seen him so distracted. They’d been deep in conversation about their next patrol down to Sherbro Island after a day spent poring over charts. Nebe had marked the spots where the silt tended to collect into sandbars. Those were the areas where they’d shorten sail and use a sounding line to avoid running aground.
He’d nearly forgotten the time when Drake had given him an evil stare and they’d quickly rolled the charts back up and slid them into their storage tubes for safekeeping. He’d just cleared the rest of the instruments they used for plotting courses from the long table in his cabin when Drake rudely snapped a pristine white tablecloth in the air and pushed him and Nebe out onto the top deck.
They’d barely finished their conversation when Rachel, the Vicar Berry, and Rachel’s student, Tenneh, arrived in the shore boat. He’d sent two of his marines to collect his guests and escort them to the ship. Thank God Rachel had alerted him by message earlier that there would be an extra guest. He did not want to face Drake with a last minute addition at the table.
After his bo’sun piped his supper guests aboard, he’d introduced Nebe to his guests, and his navigator had congratulated Rachel on their engagement. When Chris had introduced Tenneh, Nebe had seemed to lose his gift of speech. He’d never seen the man so tongue-tied. Although, he could understand his dilemma.
Chris had to admit he’d barely recognized Rachel’s mission student when she’d stepped aboard the ship with Rachel. The usual tight bun she wore at the vicarage had been transformed into long, thick curls down the back of a simple white muslin dress. Her hair was held back with combs with white flowers attached. He could see how she might unsettle a man like Nebe. Poor bastard.
Since he assumed Tenneh would also accompany Rachel on their eventual voyage back to England, he’d have to have a talk with his apparently besotted navigator.
Rachel wore the blue dress, the sight of which Chris would never tire. He steeled himself against the day when the engagement charade would end and he’d have to say good-bye to the woman who invaded his dreams on a regular basis. He’d been to the orchard one too many times and tasted the sweetness of her lips. No more trips to the orchard. He wasn’t that strong.
A rogue swell in the harbor caused theThistleto lurch at anchor, and he had to steady Rachel with his hand over hers against the sharp roll of the deck. He remembered too late touching Rachel was always a bad idea for a man who was going to walk away from her one day. The Vicar Berry had leaned into the side of the compass binnacle and Tenneh had grabbed onto Nebe’s arm.
13
Rachel had difficulty finding her bearings when she first entered Christopher’s cabin. The scene in front of her was nothing like she’d expected.
A long table was covered with a white linen cloth, and fine crystal, china, and silver gleamed at the places set for guests. Someone had taken the trouble to hand-print all the guests’ names in dark ink calligraphy on small cards lying in the center of each plate atop a neatly folded linen napkin.
Lacy pink flowers and tiny yellow blooms filled a glass pot in the middle of the table. Soft light shone from two candelabra at either end of the table, and from an oil lantern hanging from a beam overhead. She’d never been aboard a Royal Navy ship and had no idea how well the captains’ quarters were appointed. The man who showed her to her seat was not dressed like the other officers.
At her look of puzzlement, Christopher explained when the man left the room. “Drake has been my valet and man of all tasks for many years. He’s the son of one of my father’s friends who owns a fleet of merchant ships. Drake wanted to travel before settling into the family business, and he’s been with me ever since.
“I never knew that captains lived so well aboard their ships.” Rachel gazed around the cabin, her eyes wide.
