Cloud was amused now. It was a small request and infinitely preferable to her suggestion of being locked up. He would give her some work and wear her down quickly. It would not be long before she gave up the idea that life on a ship was a romantic adventure. She would realize soon enough that going after Travers was only a temporary goal. Even as he thought it he wanted her to prove him wrong.
“I think I can find something for you to do. Mr. Landis has been seeing to my personal needs for entirely too long. It is hardly befitting for my second in command. You may have the vacated position. My cabin boy. Do you know what your duties will be?”
“I believe so,” she answered, barely suppressing her smile. “Where will I stay? I have used your quarters too long already. ”
“I won’t give in on that, Alex. This is to be your room until we reach port. I have some of my things in the cabin forward of here. No, don’t argue. You will have earned the right to stay here. I’ll see to it.”
“Good, Captain. Now if you will find me some proper clothes.”
“But I brought your dresses and things from your home.”
“Dresses are hardly appropriate attire for a cabin boy. No, I’ll need some trousers and a smaller shirt. You’ll get those things for me, won’t you?”
“Certainly not. Don’t press the issue either or I may change my mind and take the job away.”
Alexis smiled. “I won’t mention it again, but I think you’ll see the necessity of my request soon enough. I hope you will not be too stubborn to admit you were wrong.”
“If you have nothing else to ask me, I suggest you get dressed and meet me on the forecastle. I will show you around the ship so you’ll know where everything is.” He stood and started toward the door. “I forgot to ask you,” he said, facing her. “Are you well enough to start immediately? I don’t want to be accused of putting an invalid to work.”
“I can manage, Captain,” she replied. “And thank you.”
That made Cloud laugh. “Save your thanks, Alex Danty. You may change your mind tomorrow.” He left her then.
Alexis stared at the closed door. “We’ll see,” she murmured in her best imitation of Pauley. “We’ll see.”
Chapter 5
As the captain walked down the companionway, Alexis swung her legs over the arm of her chair and leaned back, thinking. He was so damned stubborn. Why couldn’t he admit he had been wrong for taking her away? Didn’t he realize that yet? She was no better than a prisoner, whether he thought so or not. And worse, she did not know her crime. He had said he wanted her. Was that why he insisted she go with him to Washington? Was she his prisoner because he found her desirable?
She could imagine it would be very pleasant to have him touch her. She could almost feel his fingers, lean and strong, in her hair, at the nape of her neck, at her throat, her breasts, sliding down her arms…she stopped. She wanted him as much as he wanted her, but they would deny themselves until one admitted error. If only he would say he knew she would go through with her vow to find Travers in spite of every obstacle he set in her path, it would be enough for her. When he realized the only way to have her was to acknowledge her right to decide her own course, even if he was not ready to let her go, then she knew she would seek him out. She would join him in his bed when he understood he could not hold her prisoner there either.
Alexis rose and washed her face in the basin on the commode then she braided her hair in one plait behind her head. After removing Cloud’s shirt and laying it aside, she found her lightest, most comfortable gown among those he had brought for her. It rubbed against her back but it was bearable. She found a pair of shoes with low heels suitable for wearing on a slippery deck, and when she had put them on she went to find the captain.
Cloud had already told his men of the arrangement with Alexis and had insisted they treat her as one of them. He thought if they made no concessions for her she would stop insisting that she work off her passage. Beside him, as if reading his thoughts, Landis was muttering under his breath. Obviously, Cloud realized, John was not convinced she would give up.
When he saw Alexis walk across the deck toward him, he wondered if anyone, including himself, would be able to treat her as they would any cabin boy. She was lovely in her pale green dress and she moved forward in a manner that declared her a woman even while the single yellow braid and eager anticipation on her face named her a child. He watched her respond to the men who eyed her suspiciously with an icy glance that sent them back to work in short notice. Those who smiled and wished her good day received a ravishing smile in return. He wondered what kind of reception he was going to get from her.
“Well, Captain Cloud,” she said when she stood in front of him. “I am ready for duty. What do you want me to do?”
Cloud smiled at her seriousness, secretly applauding her determination. It seemed to surprise her. “I think I will take you on the tour I promised first. Then you can help Jack Forrest, our cook, with the meal. I’ll want to eat shortly after noon. You can bring it to my new cabin. Afterward you can move my things from your room to mine.”
“Anything else? That will hardly keep me occupied for more than a few hours.”
“Oh, there will be lots for you to do. The crew will see to it.” He held out his elbow. “Shall we?”
“I wasn’t aware that captains offered their arms to cabin boys, sir.”
Cloud dropped his arm to his side. “As you wish, Alex.” It was not going to be difficult to think of her as one of the crew. She was going to remind them of it every chance she had. He considered the fact that he may have been wrong about different clothes. The tour lasted more than an hour. He was surprised and pleased by the questions she asked. They told him she did know something about ships. When she appeared satisfied with everything he took her back to the galley and introduced her to Forrest. He left her alone to get acquainted with the surly cook by herself.
Alexis and Forrest got along well from the beginning. He did not disguise his reluctance to have her around and she informed him by way of greeting that he maintained the worst galley she had ever seen. But they became friends quickly, and by afternoon the tall, lanky cook admitted he did not know how he’d gotten along without her.
“Don’t you dare say it’s a woman’s touch, Forrest, or I will take a meat cleaver to that skinny neck of yours and show you exactly what a woman’s touch really is.”
He laughed so heartily his meager frame trembled and his mouth formed the first smile she had seen him make. He had nothing but short grunts and tight grins even for the captain.
“I wouldn’t dream of it, Alex!” he said, wiping grease from his hands on his trousers. “Where did you learn so much anyway? You’ve been on board a ship before, haven’t you? And I’m thinking it was not as a passenger either.”
“Oi ’ave an’ it weren’t,” she said in a brash tone reminiscent of young Alex Danty.
