I let him stew in the discomfort for another moment before I flashed him a grin.
“Oh, please.You were wrapped around my finger from the start.”
Our coming together had been a mutual enterprise.Nevertheless, I wanted him to know that I’d been fully on board.
“You rascal.You had me worried there.And I did treat you with rather a high hand at first.I do apologize.”
I raised my eyebrows.“That was what I liked about you.Please do continue with the method.”
He smiled and blushed.“As I recall, you weren’t reticent in standing up for yourself.And had plenty of opportunity to tell me to bugger off.You must have known I wasn’t about to throw you off the ship for rejecting my advances.”
“Aye.I’m only teasing.But you are a prodigious force, Dinesh, and possess an astonishing ability to persuade.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”He seemed contemplative and gazed into the crackling flames for a long moment.“I told Rooster about that incident on the HMS Rose.”
“Hmm?Oh, yes.Bad business, that.”
“You mean that fellow that was almost hanged?”I asked.
“Yes.After that, I stopped that sort of activity and made plans to desert.I couldn’t live like that anymore, surrounded by such efficient and irrational cruelty.And if I were the cause of another man’s death or the loss of his mind, I couldn’t have borne the responsibility.”
His frank words were a sober reminder of exactly how most of the world we knew viewed the sort of companionship that Dinesh and I enjoyed.
“Well,” Francis said, gazing back and forth between us.“You seem well-matched.”
He threw the stick into the fire and stood.
“Why don’t I show where you can sleep?And the others.And you can let them know because I’m turning in.”
Chapter Four
A Walk on the Sand
Francisbroughtalantern,showed us the huts the men could use, and took us to the one he had designated for us.
“This one’s slightly bigger and away from the rest.Meant for a family, like mine.I thought you and Rooster would be more comfortable here.”
“Thank you, Francis.I appreciate your thoughtfulness,” Dinesh said.
He passed the lantern to Dinesh.
“We keep them stocked with sleeping mats and blankets.There are some small pieces of furniture as well.You should be comfortable.”
“Again, thank you.”
“See you in the morning, then.”Francis bade us good night and walked away.
We walked back to the others and pointed in the direction of the huts that Francis had offered, then bade them a good night.We were tired, too.
When we entered our hut, I was surprised by how clean and tidy the space was on the inside.A wooden table and two low chairs sat by the window, several wide cushions were scattered on the floor, and two rolled-up sleeping mats sat against one wall.There was also an empty chest, for clothing I presumed, and curtains for the small windows.From one of the branches of greenery that made up our roof draped a gauzy cloud of mosquito netting.
I’d removed my shoes, which I carried now, at the earliest opportunity, and since all the locals were bare of foot, Dinesh couldn’t complain about me being so.In fact, he’d seen fit to remove his boots and roll up his trousers as well.
We put our footwear by the door.
“It even has a latch, Rooster.Look,” Dinesh said, showing me.
“Oh good.Now we don’t have to worry about visitors in the night.”
