She promised herself that as soon as this bout with sickness passed, she would be the headstrong woman she knew she could be. Hopefully, that time would arrive shortly. Even she couldn’t stand her own sour mood.
Although anger burned in her chest over Nash’s refusal to understand, foolishness rooted her to the spot. She stood alone and was somewhat shocked at his threat of seeking other companionship. Loneliness crept over her, and she didn’t like it one bit. Perhaps she was too hasty in asking Nash to leave.
Would he find another woman and spend time with her? The thought twisted her stomach. If he did, she didn’t know how she could handle seeing him charm another woman.
Putting aside her raging emotions, she strolled across the deck to the other side of the ship. The Lake District was no longer visible, and she remained trapped in a world of churning water. A horrific thought of falling into the sea passed through her mind, making her stomach clench again. She had never learned to swim, and drowning wasn’t her idea of the perfect way to die.
When her mother was in Maxey’s life, the family went on a boat ride, and Maxey fell overboard. Although her mother bravely jumped into the cold water to save her, the nightmare of being unable to breathe stayed with Maxey for quite some time. Never again did she want to feel so helpless.
A gust of wind ruffled her hair and chilled her face. Pulling her shawl tighter around her shoulders, she wondered which was icier—the breeze coming off the ocean or the look in Nash’s eyes when he walked away.
Several couples strolled across the deck. A few stood out among the others, with the same tanned skin that made Nash so beautiful. A couple of the men looked her way. Suddenly, doubt filled her. What if these strangers worked for his uncle? Her gaze shifted to another man. Could he be employed by Matthew Burke, too?
She chastised herself for letting Nash’s paranoia consume her. He thought every well-dressed man was after him. She straightened her stance and snickered at Nash’s wild imagination. Why, then, did she keep checking over her shoulder? Clearly, the distress of the situation had made her lose her mind.
If Nash were guilty, as she had first suspected, would he sail to Devonshire just to prove his innocence? Nothing made sense anymore, and she hated doubting herself.
She needed Lady Wentworth’s advice now more than ever. Then again, Carolyn would have never approved of what Maxey was doing right now.
From the corner of her eye, a hooded, cloaked figure caught her attention. A middle-aged older woman stood across the deck, her stare fixed directly on Maxey. Most of the woman’s face remained shadowed because of her hood. Chills of the unknown rushed through Maxey, and they had nothing to do with the weather. A few awkward minutes passed as they stared at each other. Maxey didn’t think she knew the woman, yet she was too far away to tell for certain. However, the chills running up and down her spine made her uneasy.
Finally, the woman tightened her cloak under her chin, spun around, and hurried away.
How very strange. That was definitely something Maxey should check into, but not now. It was too chilly up on deck today. Besides, she doubted the woman worked for Matthew Burke, so perhaps Maxey shouldn’t be concerned about her.
Another gust of cool air whipped off the sea, blowing her skirt around her ankles, freezing her legs. She turned to flee and head back to her cabin, but bumped into another passenger. When the man’s hands steadied her shoulders, she glanced into his face. The stranger stood very tall and was very handsome, like Nash. The man’s maturity showed in the streaks of silver that lightly tinted his black hair. Wrinkles decorated the olive skin around his eyes and mouth, and unlike Nash’s whiskered face, this man was clean-shaven.
“Pardon me,señorita,” he said in a thick Spanish accent. “Did I harm you?”
She gave a nervous laugh before stepping back. “No. Forgive me for not seeing you, but the sudden nippy air turned my thoughts to getting back to my cabin for warmth.”
Despite his good looks, he still didn’t hold a candle to Nash’s perfection when he smiled. Why did these thoughts about her suspect continually forsake her vow to remain uninterested?
“Is this your first trip?” he asked.
“This is my first trip sailing this far from home. I have been on a smaller boat, but only for an hour, and not far from shore.”
“Then you had better get used to these gusts of wind. Out here on the sea, one minute the sun will shine like a midsummer’s day, and the next moment, clouds will fill the sky as if it is the middle of winter.”
“Your warning is very much appreciated, sir. I certainly feel better now.”
He chuckled. “You packed warmly, did you not?”
“I certainly hope so. I would hate to think I made this voyage only to be in my cabin, bundled in blankets. My stuffy room makes me more nauseated than out in the open.”
He glanced around the deck. When he snapped his attention back to her, he smiled. “Are you here with your husband?”
Without meaning to, she snorted a laugh. The idea of her and Nash posing as a married couple was still very humorous. “Oh no. I’m not married.”
“But you do have an escort, I presume?”
She shrugged. “Yes. He is my uncle and will escort me until we reach Devonshire.” She glanced across the deck, but she couldn’t see Nash. Strange, because he had talked so much of protecting her, so where was he now? “I suppose my uncle decided to go below.”
Like a true gentleman, the stranger stepped back, straightened, and offered his elbow. “Then permit me to guide you back to your room,señorita.”
She wanted to distrust him. Obviously, this was something Nash would do. Gut feelings didn’t lie, and hers told her to beware. Then again, if this man knew anything about Nash’s uncle and the story Nash continued to tell her, perhaps he was worth getting to know—for the sole purpose of finding more information on Matthew Burke.
Not only that, but this was the perfect way to pass the time.
