“Have you seen, Captain? Mike and Harry are very good instructors, don’t you think?”
“They are and they have an excellent student,” he replied easily for Mike and Harry’s benefit. Alexis was the only one who noticed the slight wince of his mouth and eyes. It was always that way when he saw her learning skills that were for a plan in which he had no part.
He would remind her of it later, Alexis thought, when they were in bed together. He would not say anything; he rarely ever did now. But he would tell her just the same. He would tell her with his hands, his arms, his mouth. He would say it all in that brief moment when he completely possessed her. And afterward there would be a strained silence as each of them thought again of their individual goals. Alexis looked up into his face and saw her thoughts boldly displayed in his eyes, his slightly parted lips, and the arrogant tilt of his chin; and she knew she would not be strong enough to put off an encounter in her bed tonight.
“They’re ready, Alex,” Mike called to her, breaking the spell of Cloud’s gaze.
“Then step aside, Mike. I can’t believe you trust me enough to stand so close.” She ignored Cloud’s presence as she concentrated on the targets. She fired on the first bottle and sent glass flying into the water and onto the deck. Cloud no longer existed as she reloaded and successfully hit the second target. On the third she saw only her crow’s nest and she smashed it to nothingness.
Cloud remained silent while she thanked Harry and Mike for their time and promised to help them with some of their work the next day.
“How do you mean to do it, Danty?” he asked as soon as they left. He walked over to the targets and began pushing the broken glass off the deck and into the water.
“Do it?” she asked.
“Escape. How do you mean to do it?”
“Captain, I hardly think you can expect me to answer that question.”
“I am not asking you as the captain,” he said, his voice strained. His fingers gripped the railing tightly. “I am asking you as Cloud.”
Alexis shook her head sadly. “Who do you think I’m trying to escape?”
Cloud ran his fingers through his hair, brushing back the strands that were flying in the breeze. He turned away from her and looked out over the water. “I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No. You were right to ask.” She sat on the railing beside him, facing the ocean and letting her feet dangle out over the water. “I will tell you this much: I may not wait until we get to Washington.”
“Alex! It would be insane for you to try anything while we’re at sea.”
“If the risks are outweighed by the possible chance of freedom then I will take them. You really don’t expect me to do otherwise, do you?”
“No.”
“When the chance is there you will recognize it also. You may even be able to take it away from me. But, Cloud, you cannot hide the opportunity from me.”
He continued to stare out at the water, but his mind was wandering back several evenings ago. Caught up in his reverie he did not see Alex’s face, did not see she was remembering too….
“My shoulder is fine, Cloud,” she had said. “Now are you going to teach me or not?”
“Not so soon, Alex,” he had answered wearily. “I do not want to have a reoccurrence of what happened before.”
“And I’m telling you that will not happen. If it will make you feel better, we’ll practice here. That way no one will be watching.” Cloud said nothing in return and Alexis could feel her anger rising as he propped his long legs on the table and continued to stare at her arrogantly. Arrogance, she thought, brought on by the fact he was so sure he was right. Well, she was right this time. She was ready to start again. She picked up the rapier from the bed and started toward the door. “I’ll not beg you, Cloud. Tom or someone else will teach me what I have to know.”
Before her fingers were on the handle of the door she felt his strong grip on her elbow. “Let go of me,” she told him through clenched teeth. She twisted her face and looked up at his dark angry eyes. His fingers still bit into her skin cruelly. She forced herself not to show him that he was causing her real, physical hurt. “I don’t understand you,” she said finally when he offered nothing in defense of his actions.
He released her. “I didn’t like what you said,” he explained, returning to his seat. Alexis followed him and stood in front of him, leaning against the table. She frowned, still not understanding. “What you said about not begging me,” he answered her expression. “I don’t want to see you begging, especially not me. You acted as if that’s what I wanted.”
“Cloud, I only want you to teach me. If you don’t want to I can’t force you. It’s just that a moment ago you were so righteous thinking you knew what was best for me. We’ve been through it before. I didn’t see the necessity of going through it again. It’s terribly hard, isn’t it? Teaching me things you hope I will never have a chance to use.”
“You know it is.”
“And that’s the reason you don’t want to do it tonight, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
Alexis put her hands on his shoulders. She could feel the tension in his muscles through the smooth linen shirt. “Then tell me that. Don’t say it’s because you don’t think I’m ready. Tell me it’s hard. I can respect that, Cloud. I don’t have time for excuses any more than you do.” Alexis removed her hands from his shoulders and sat on the table, placing her feet on his chair, on either side of his legs. She leaned forward until they were almost at eye level. “You told me I was wrong for trying to cover up the marks on my back with my shirt. You were right about that. I accuse you now of doing the very same thing. You try to hide your hurt with excuses. It is not any more effective than the shirt was for me. I understand, Cloud, but I have to hear it from you.”
“We’re wasting time then, aren’t we?”
