Finally, her body moved. Her racking cough brought up a stream of liquid. Nash praised the Almighty. With a lump in his throat, he gathered her against his chest.
“You will be fine,” he whispered. “I will not leave you again.”
Captain Bushwell pushed through the men and knelt beside Nash. “We have apprehended the men, but a few escaped onto their ship. We couldn’t stop them because of trying to assist you and Miss Littleton.”
“What about Raúl?”
“He is tied up and being taken below as we speak.”
“That is music to my ears.”
The captain scratched his chin. “Will you please tell me what’s going on?”
Nash nodded. “Yes, but first, we need to get Maxey into some warm clothes and into her bed.”
“I’ll fetch the doctor.” Captain Bushwell rose.
Nash lifted Maxey and pushed his way through the concerned and curious people on his way to their room. Mrs. Summers waited there, ready to assist. She ushered Nash and the others out of the room to undress Maxey.
Nash paced in front of the door, praying Mrs. Summers would hurry. He didn’t like that the rose color had vanished from Maxey’s face, leaving dull, pale skin. He wanted her back in his arms so he could bring warmth to her body again. When he held her moments ago, she had shivered so hard that it wrenched his soul.
Finally, Mrs. Summers opened the door, and Nash rushed in. Maxey lay in bed with blankets piled on top of her. Her trembling had decreased ever so slightly, but the bluish color of her lips worried him.
“She will be all right,” Mrs. Summers said softly.
Without taking his eyes off Maxey, he replied, “How can you be so certain?”
“Because she has a strong will.”
“Indeed she does.”
“I think you need to change out of your wet clothes as well.”
“I will.” He finally looked at the other woman. “I don’t know how to thank you, Mrs. Summers. I am most grateful for your assistance.”
“Please send for me if you need more help.”
“I shall.”
Once she left and closed the door, Nash turned his focus back to Maxey, who lay shivering. She hadn’t opened her eyes, so he quickly stripped off his own wet clothes and replaced them with something dry. He sat on the bed and rubbed his hands over her arms, which were still under the blankets, but it wasn’t controlling her shivering. Not knowing what else to do to keep her warm, he climbed into bed beside her to share his body heat. Slowly, her shaking subsided, and unconsciously, she snuggled against him.
Once he relaxed, he gave a silent prayer of thanks. The strange pain in his heart meant he couldn’t contemplate what life would be like without her. She had become so important to him in such a short time. Never before had he felt this close to a woman.
He kissed her forehead, wishing her temperature would return to normal, and snuggled her closer against his chest.
Someone knocked on the door. “Mr. Black? I’m Doctor Lewis, and I’m here with Captain Bushwell.”
Grudgingly, Nash tore himself away from Maxey and climbed out of bed, keeping the blankets wrapped tightly around her. “Enter,” he called.
Nash stood back as the doctor checked Maxey’s breathing, and then did a series of tests to judge her reflexes and body’s temperature. Not for one second did Nash take his eyes off her.
“Do you know those men, Mr. Black?” the captain asked.
“No.”
“Can you tell me what exactly happened, then? How did they board my ship, and why would they do that?”
Nash shrugged. “I suppose they were in the ship Miss Littleton spotted earlier and used rowboats to get nearer so they could climb aboard, but I do not know why they are here.”
