“So humor me, dear girl. I rather like you as a George. And you have sailed—”
“Certainly,” she cut in, then turned over to face the wall, hoping he’d take the hint. But she couldn’t resist adding, “I own my own ship, after all.”
“Of course you do, dear girl,” he humored her.
“I really do, Captain.”
“Oh, I believe you, indeed I do. So what took you to England, hating it as you do?”
She was still gritting her teeth over being humored. “Thatis none of your business.”
“I’ll get it out of you eventually, George, so you might as well tell me now.”
“Goodnight, Captain. On second thought, I hope your headache returns…if you even had one, which I’m beginning to doubt.”
She heard his laughter this time. He simply couldn’t prevent it when it occurred to him that her display of temper tonight would be as nothing in comparison to how she would feel if she ever learned that he’d known she was a female from the start. The next time he got bored, he might just tell her, merely to see what would happen.
Chapter Twenty-three
James stood next to the hammock a long while the next morning, watching the girl sleep. The moment he had awakened, he had regretted not bringing her back to his bed last night. A man of strong drives, he very frequently woke in an amorous mood, and any female found snuggling at his side was treated to more of what she experienced in the night.
It was for that reason, several days ago, that he’d been so sharp with Georgina for being up and about before him, for he then had no excuse not to have her dress him, as was her supposed duty. He’d had one hell of a difficult time getting his body under control at first, but somehow he’d managed.
He smiled at the thought that that problem would no longer be a problem. He no longer had to hide the fact that he found the wench extremely desirable. Yes, he most definitely regretted his decision last night to give up sleeping beside that soft little body, to allow her her one night of pique. There’d be no more of that. Tonight she’d share his bed again, and stay there.
“Show a leg, George.” He kneed her hammock, setting it aswing. “I’ve decided not to announce to our little world at sea that you’re other than you’ve been appearing to be. So get those lovely breasts tucked away again, and go fetch my breakfast.”
She merely stared at him, eyes only partly open. She yawned, blinked up at him, then came fully awake with a widening of those velvety-brown eyes.
“I’m still to act as your cabin boy?” she asked him incredulously.
“Excellent conclusion, George,” James replied in his most obnoxious dry voice.
“But…”
She paused as the idea of going on as she had been really set in. She wouldn’t have to tell Mac, then, that she’d been discovered. She wouldn’t have to explain what had happened—as if she could. Even she wasn’t sure what had happened, but she was positively sure she didn’t want anyone else to know about it.
“Very well, Captain, but I want my own quarters.”
“Out of the question.” He held up his hand when she started to argue. “You’ve been sleeping in here for a week, dear girl. To move now will give rise to entirely too much speculation. Besides, there are no other quarters, as you well know. And don’t think to mention the fo’c’sle, because I’d put you under lock and key before I’d allow you to return there.”
She frowned at him. “But what difference can it make, if I’m still thought to be a boy?”
“I deduced the truth easily enough.”
“Because of that silly confession of mine that was so embarrassingly naive,” she said with half-disgust.
The smile he gave her then was one of the tenderest she’d ever seen. It made her catch her breath, it was so heartwarming.
“I thought that confession of yours was rather sweet, my darling girl.” The back of his fingers brushed her cheek. “You wouldn’t happen to be feeling, ah…nauseous now, would you?”
His touch had a powerful effect on her. Well, that smile had really done it. But she wasn’t going to make another mistake like the one she’d made last night, to leave herself wide open for his derision again. Besides, what had happened last night couldn’t happen again. This man was not for her, even if he did make her pulses race and her insides quiver. He was an Englishman, for God’s sake, and worse, a despised aristocrat. Hadn’t his country just put hers through four years of hell? And even before the war, her brothers had been railing against England’s highhandedness. That couldn’t be ignored, no matter how much she might wish it could be. Why, her brothers wouldn’t even let the man in the house! No, James Malory, lord of the realm, was definitely not for her. She had to keep that in mind at all times from now on, and make sure he knew it, even if she had to lie through her teeth.
“No, Captain, I’m not feeling a bitnauseous. You promised a cure and it apparently worked, for which I thank you. I won’t need any more doses.”
That he was still smiling told her he wasn’t buying her attempt to put him off even a little. “A pity,” was all he said, but that was enough to make her blush.
“About those quarters…?” she prompted as she crawled out of the hammock and put a little distance between them.
