“Aye.I heard the wee dog barking and there he was, standing at the rail, peering over the side.As if he wanted to…”
“Dear God,” Dinesh muttered, dragging me along.
Pearl continued to fuss and yap at my ankles.
I leaned into Dinesh’s solid warmth.
“I’m sorry.I don’t know…”
“Never mind.Come on.”
“Pearl?”
“She’s coming.She won’t leave you, and neither will I.”
Dizzy and confused, I wasn’t certain of what had compelled me to leave the warm bed I shared with Captain Martin.I’d never had issues with sleepwalking before.
Hillier came with us and got Dinesh some towels with which to dry me, then left.We were soaked to the skin.Dinesh peeled the wet clothes off me as Pearl returned to her bed, licking her damp fur.
“She followed me.”
“She did.Thank goodness.”He turned to the pup.“Good lass, Pearl.”
She wagged her tail but otherwise kept her attention on her own comfort.
Dinesh used a linen towel to dry me with rough movements and a scowl that showed quite how frightened this escapade had made him.
“What do you think—?”I began, wanting to know what he made of the circumstances.
“I don’t know.I don’t fucking know, Rooster.This is…beyond my realm of expertise.”
He looked so helpless and confused, and I felt awful.
“This isn’t what you signed up for.”
“What?”he stared at me, genuinely puzzled.
“When you married me.I’m not the man you thought I was…”
“Rooster.Stop.”
“This can’t be much fun, me waking in the night, screaming.Seeing things that aren’t there.And now, wandering around on deck in the middle of the night.”
“You’re right, this isn’t enjoyable in the least.But I’m not the one being affected directly, which must be much, much worse.”
“Perhaps.”I shrugged.
He passed me one of his shirts that I pulled over my head.He put on a dry garment as well.
“Here, get under the covers, and we’ll have a little chat.I need you safe in bed now.”
“Am I safe there?”
“You are as long as I’m awake.”
“You can’t watch me at all hours.You need to sleep as much as I.”
“We’ll figure something out.”
