Oh, yes. This was even more promising.
He moved his hand along the top of her buttock, finding the divot that marked the beginning of her crease, placing his fingertips there lightly. “What would that be?”
She met his eyes and took in a stuttering breath. “I know what I am. What I look like. But if ye would be willing to train me, I might be able to enrapture the duke. Get him to compromise me. Then he’d have to marry me.”
Jack wouldn’t have to steer anything at all. She was bearing right at him, under full sail. He bit back his gleeful grin.
“Train you?”
“Aye. Train me in the carnal arts.”
“The what?”
She shook her head. “Ye know.”
“No, I don’t.” This might be the most fun he had had in months. No, years. He moved his hand around the side of her hip and stroked the top of her thigh with his thumb. As her leg tightened under this small caress, he asked, “What do the carnal arts consist of?”
Her voice had an edge to it. “What ye do with yer women, Jack Pike.”
He sat up and leaned forward, his chest against her upper arm, and spoke in her ear. “Surely it’s the same thing you do with your men.”
“My men!” She stood suddenly, almost clipping his chin with her shoulder. He caught her hand, the one which was not holding the candle.
“Shhh, my lady. Sit back down. Give me that candle.”
He took the candlestick and put it on the small shelf next to the bed. He looked up at her face, her brows drawn together, her eyes squinting.
“My men,” she muttered.
“Sit, Helen.” He yanked her down so she was sitting on the edge of the bed again. She tried to pull her hand out of his grip, but he held her fast.
“I’ve changed my mind,” she snapped. “Forget I said anything. Forget I was ever here. In fact, forget my name. I intend to forget yers as soon as I leave this room.”
“Am I to understand you don’t need my help, my lady?”
She stopped tugging.
“I wonder how far you’d get without me. You’ll need some money to get to London. To buy some fine dresses. To get rooms. You’ll need an introduction.” He released her hand.
“Give me the money. I’ll pay ye back,” she hissed.
“How? How will you pay me back? You don’t have a sixpence to rub together.”
“I told ye my plan. I’m going to get the Duke of Dunmore to marry me.”
“Oh, so now you think you can do that?” Jack laughed. “Without my help? Just a few minutes ago, it seemed to me, you were in a bit of despair that you wouldn’t be able to—what was the word?—enrapturethe duke?”
She trembled. Then she put her shoulders back, tossed her plait, and turned to confront him. This was the brave Helen he admired so much.
“Ye will train me, I will succeed, and I will be able to pay ye back.”
“I am mystified as to why you think you need me.” He shrugged. “I’m sure English love-making is not much different from Scottish love-making.”
She scowled. Her large jaw jutted even more than it usually did and he knew she was gritting her teeth.
“I. Have. Never. Been. Touched. By. A. Man.”
The statement hung in the air.
