Her hands still shook, but she was not in the mood to listen to his reprimands. She knew her presence bothered him, and he was clearly annoyed with her. This incident with the stove was a fluke accident, though; it could have happened to anyone. She’d been so mad at him the last few days, especially when she tended Addy and remembered their conversation. However, hehadjust saved her life, which poked a hole in her grievances against him.
“May I sit?”
She glanced up at him, surprised by his words. His eyes assessed the room and every bit of the situation, which included herself. Steeling herself, she nodded, and his back went ramrod straight as he took a seat next to her.
He took a deep breath. Here came the lecture, she was sure of it.
“As you well know by now, it is my duty to ensure the safety of the passengers.” His stiff tone relaxed. “And it seems some need more supervision than others.”
She continued to look straight ahead, though his voice was softer than she expected. When she didn’t respond, he spoke up again. “That stove should have been more secure, but it is old and the brackets on its legs were weakened by the salt. Of all people on this boat, I’m not surprised it chose you to chase around.” His voice broke into a soft laugh.
She hazarded another glance in his direction. It seemed, for once, that he wasn’t scolding her. His eyes were just as nice as ever, even if his temperamentwasas shifty as a weathercock. She swallowed and spoke low. “I could have been killed, and you saved me.”
“That is true.” He paused. “Now, just so that I know who the problem is before the next disaster, would you mind telling me your name?” By theuptick in his question, it was clear he was teasing her. He raised his brows. “I know you care a great deal about introductions.”
She clenched her teeth. From the corner of her eye, she could see a triumphant grin pulling at his mouth. Had she really forgotten to return the introduction all those days ago?
She could feel her cheeks redden a little. “I ... beg pardon that I did not say so earlier. I’m Ann Fowles, Jr.” She cleared her throat. “Not to be confused with my mother who is also Ann Fowles, of course.”
“I don’t think I’ll have trouble telling you apart.”
Ann felt herself blush even more as she inspected her hands, which were still red. This Mr. Boyd surprised her more and more with every sentence. “I suppose Iama bit younger.”
“Oh, that wasn’t what I meant—”
Then whathadhe meant?
Ann glanced toward his folded hands. His right one had a large scar with twisted, shiny flesh across it.
He furled his left hand in front of himself as he spoke. “I simply meant if I hear of Ann Fowles tangled up in mischief, I will know it’s you.”
At such a comment, Ann glared at him, feigning exasperation, but she bit her cheeks to prevent them from exposing a full smile. He was clever, she’d give him that.
“I suppose I can’t tell a man who just saved my life to stop teasing me.” If only she understood all his moods—though maybe it was plausible for a first mate to be angry and high strung during a storm.
Or maybe he was just that volatile.
“As I’ve said many times, it’s my duty to ensure the safety of everyone on this ship. SoIwill stop giving you a hard time whenyoustop getting in trouble.” One side of his mouth lifted. “However, based on the frequency, I don’t see that happening any time soon.”
Ann stared at him. “I’ll prove you wrong, Mr. Boyd.”
“I hope you do.” He extended his elbow toward her. “Might I escort you back to your cabin, Miss Fowles?”
She sat up taller, surprised by his offer, and then winced from the pain in her shoulder.
“So you are hurt.” He placed one hand on her waist and helped her stand, his touch stabilizing her.
“Only a little.” His touch calmed her nerves and helped with the ache. Once she stood, he extended his arm, and she took it with the hand on her good side. The shock of the whole ordeal, coupled with his kindness, rendered Ann silent as they moved slowly toward the middle hatchway.
When they got to the hatch Mr. Boyd turned toward her. “Perhaps I could go first and help pull you up the ladder.”
Ann stepped back, grateful for his help and thoughtfulness as he went forward. She wondered if he noticed the color on her cheeks. She’d never been in such close proximity with a gentleman for so long and especially hadn’t had one touch her waist and shoulder in the span of ten minutes.
It wasn’t until she had made it out of the hatch and reached the entrance to the cabins that she came out of her daze. “Thank you, Mr. Boyd,” she said. “But how did you know I was in a cabin and not the steerage? And especially one of the cabins on deck?”
In the broad sunlight, his Adam’s apple bobbed, and he sent his hand through his hair. “I, er, saw you leaving this area just the other day, so I figured your quarters were somewhere in here.”
That seemed simple enough, but it was interesting that out of 482 passengers he’d specifically noticed her comings and goings.
