“Not yet.” Lady Adriana took a deep breath. “She gave me leave to do as I please for the next hour. I’ll go back soon enough.” She donned his cloak once more, and the wind buffeted the sails, the sky turning ominous. Within minutes, the rain began to fall. The change in the weather was enough to send the count away from his pursuit. She lifted her face to the droplets, smiling wryly. “Isn’t it my ill luck to have rain during the only moments of freedom I’ve had?”
Liam ignored the rain and studied the waves. The sea water reflected the gray skies, and as they continued eastward, the waves were rising. “You should go below,a chara.The storm is going to get worse.“ Already the oarsmen were fighting the winds, their arms straining to keep control of the ship.
As if in response to his warning, the vessel lurched, and Adriana went flying. Liam caught her before her head could hit the deck, and he steadied her on her feet. “Are you all right?” She nodded, but he kept her hands at her waist for balance. “You need to go back to the princess. I wouldn’t want you to be swept overboard.”
Her face had gone pale, and she glanced out at the waves. “How far are we from land?”
“Don’t think about that now.” Aye, it was likely that if the ship capsized, they might drown. Liam was a fair enough swimmer, but it was spring, and the water would be uncomfortably cold.
Adriana removed his cloak and handed it to him. “Take me back to the princess.” Liam donned the garment and walked behind her as she returned to the princess’s tiny chamber.
“Stay with Her Royal Highness,” Liam said. “And tell her not to be afraid.” Even as he spoke the words, he knew they were unconvincing. He was struggling to remain on his feet, and when the ship tossed again, Adriana struck the wall hard.
She rubbed her shoulders, wincing at the pain. “I’ll be all right,” she said, before he could ask. “But promise me something.”
Liam rested his hand against the wall for balance. Adriana stood only inches away, her dark hair resting over the shoulder of her crimson gown. He waited for her to speak, though his gaze was caught by her lips and soft skin. “If the ship is going to sink, I want to know. Don’t let us drown.”
“If the storm seizes the ship, I’ll do everything I can to save you and the princess,” he said.
Adriana lowered her head in a silent nod. “What is your name?”
“Liam MacEgan.”
She studied him, and her expression held doubt. “You’re not like the other men I’ve seen aboard this ship.”
“Why?”
“You don’t behave as though you serve the king. You carry yourself like an equal.”
“Perhaps I am his equal,” he said in a low voice.
Though her gaze said she didn’t quite believe him, there was enough hesitancy in her expression to suggest that she knew he was not as he seemed to be.
“I’ll come for you if the storm worsens,” he promised. Lifting her gloved hand, he pressed his mouth upon it. “Guard your princess. And I’ll guard you.”
But the worry didn’t dim in her eyes. If the storm worsened, as he suspected it would, there was a very real chance that all of them would die.
Adriana paced across the small chamber while Princess Berengaria held on to a golden necklace, lost in thought. The ship heaved in the water, and the necklace went flying across the room. Both women grasped the edge of the bed, struggling to keep their balance.
“Are we going to die?” Berengaria whispered.
Adriana didn’t want to think of that, especially when she didn’t know how far they were from shore. She gripped the princess’s hand. “The king’s man said he would let us know if we were in danger. It’s just a bad storm.”
Though Adriana wanted to believe it, instinct told her otherwise. The violent sway of the vessel seemed far more than an ordinary storm.
A loud knocking resounded at the door, and her gaze snapped toward the sound. Adriana hurried to answer it, and Liam MacEgan stood at the entrance. For a moment, she faltered at his presence, for she couldn’t deny her secret attraction. Liamhad dark blond hair and gray eyes, and he wore a black cloak fastened with a brooch the size of her palm. But more than that, he carried himself like a king.
“My lord MacEgan?” Adriana addressed him. Though she didn’t voice her fears, she already knew what he had come to warn her about. He wouldn’t be here otherwise. He met her gaze with his own, and the look in his eyes terrified her.
Princess Berengaria interrupted and asked, “Are we going to sink?” The young woman’s terror echoed her own.
“We’re near the coast of Cyprus,” Liam said. “The captain is going to divert the ship towards the coast, so that if the worst happens—“
”—we can swim to the shore,“ Berengaria finished.
Adriana took a deep breath, trying to steel herself for the worst. She met Liam’s gaze and gave a single nod. “Thank you.”
After he left, she turned back to the princess. Berengaria’s eyes were filled with tears. “Adriana, I can’t swim. If the ship goes down, I’m going to die.”
