He began to protest, but she was right. Warstein wasn’t coming. No one was. And if they did, they’d suffer the same fate as he did. A worse fate.
Hopeless.
His jaw clenched. No. He’d reached her in time. She was still alive. A tightness formed in his throat. Somehow, he would get her out of here.
One thing was certain. He would die before letting her suffer the same fate as his mother.
She pressed the cloth to him again, this time without the careful gentleness she’d used before. When she finished, she tore another strip of fabric and bunched it up. She pressed it over the cut and his breath hissed out. “Hold this here until the bleeding stops.”
Grabbing the bars, she pulled herself to her feet and fluffed out her rumpled skirts. Christian leaned back against the wall and watched her pace. The hairs on the back of his neck lifted as he watched her. For a split second, when he had first opened his eyes, he’d seen Red. Thought his suspicions had been confirmed.
Until his vision had cleared and he’d found the frightened Miss Warstein staring at him instead.
Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling Red had a part in all this.
“What happened?”
She stopped. “Excuse me?”
“I saw your room. There was no struggle. How were you abducted?”
Her eyes widened and a blush darkened her cheeks. “You were in my room?”
“Briefly. But that doesn’t matter. Start from the beginning. Warstein told me you quarreled. What happened from there?”
“You needn’t have searched my room, Lieutenant. I was outside when it happened.”
“Your maid said you didn’t leave your room after you declined her help.”
She met his gaze and flashed him a small smile. “I climbed down the big oak tree.”
He raised a brow. “In that dress?”
“I have excellent balance, Lieutenant. I was in the gardens when a man came at me from behind. He held a knife to my back.”
“A man? Was there anyone else?”
She cocked her head to the side. “No. Just the man.” Her hands tightened into fists and she dropped her eyes to the floor. Lying. His pulse quickened.
“Miss Warstein, I need to know.” How could he get the truth from her? “Was there a woman?”
Her head jerked up and she took a step back. “A woman?”
“That night, or here on the ship, have you seen or heard a woman?”
She faced him, blue eyes blazing. “Other than myself, no.”
Truth.
His lips pressed together. Perhaps he was wrong about Red after all. Still, he couldn’t shake the nagging feeling he was right.
“What was your argument with your uncle about?”
With a shrug, she resumed her pacing. “My family affairs are none of your business.”
“Seeing as how we are both locked in Thorne’s brig because ofyour family’s affairs, I would beg to differ. Where is the map?”
“It’s on—” She snapped her mouth shut and frowned. “It’s safe.”
