With a remarkable shift in his attitude toward her, the young man said, “You’d better come with me, miss.”
Juliette squared her shoulders and followed the young sailor down the narrow passageway toward the captain’s cabin.
The door opened into a gorgeous anteroom with wood-paneled walls and gilt-framed maps. A round table with six leather-backed chairs dominated the room. Another door opened partially to reveal the captain’s private quarters. She could see a large bed within. Her eyes flashed back quickly to the oak desk, behind which sat Captain Harrison Fleming.
In an excited and incredulous tone, the young cabin boy explained Juliette’s presence. “Captain, I found a stowaway aboard, hiding in the storage room with the oilskins. A girl stowaway.”
“Yes, so I see.”
Ignoring her rapidly beating heart, she stared at the imposing figure who was in charge of the Sea Minx and now apparently Juliette’s fate as well.
“Thank you for bringing our unexpected visitor to my attention,” Captain Fleming said with an even-toned voice, although his intent silver colored eyes never left Juliette’s face. If he were surprised by Juliette’s presence on his ship, he hid it well. “You may leave us now, Robbie.”
As the young boy nodded his head and quit the room, Juliette was left alone with Captain Fleming. She had been in his company on many occasions during the past few weeks while he visited her home in London, but never had she been with him alone. Each time she had thought him quiet and somewhat disinterested in her, which had been surprising. Every man she had ever met could not seem to help but lavish her with attention, even the painfully shy ones. Now it seemed that the aloof Captain Fleming was finally giving her his undivided attention.
And that made her uncharacteristically nervous.
He continued to stare at her. His stormy silver gray eyes, with startlingly long lashes, bored into her. She waited in silence, a strange tingling sensation building within her.
Juliette suddenly came to the realization that he was made of sterner stuff than she was accustomed to seeing in most men. He had the bearing of a pirate and beneath his cool surface he seemed to possess a sense of tightly leashed desire as if he kept his emotions on a close rein. With a high forehead, aquiline nose and rakish mouth, he exuded a rugged, very masculine handsomeness. He was quite taller than average, with broad shoulders, sun-streaked blond hair and those amazing eyes. His bronzed skin declared boldly that he spent much of his days out of doors. Yet for all his commanding presence, there was nothing aristocratic about him.
“Well, Juliette, it seems you have put me in an awkward position.”
She raised one eyebrow at him for stating the obvious while noting he had dispensed with any formality by not addressing her as Miss Hamilton. Being that she had brazenly stowed away on his ship, she supposed the need for propriety had passed.
“I merely wish to go to New York to visit a friend.”
“Then why didn’t you simply ask me to take you?”
“My family would never allow me to go. In fact, my mother expressly forbade my going to New York under any circumstances.”
“Ahh, I see,” he nodded his head, crossing his arms across his broad chest.
His white shirt was partially unbuttoned and Juliette could not help but notice the bare expanse of tanned skin. She swallowed and forced herself to focus on his face. But that also was dangerous. He was a very handsome man. Yes, he was. Definitely.
“I should take you home directly.”
“I wish you wouldn’t,” she managed to respond. If he took her back now, she would die of disappointment. She could not go home.
“Your family must be sick with worry about you by now.”
Once again guilt surged within her at the thought of leaving her sisters in such a manner. But truly, she had no other recourse. “I wrote them a letter, explaining what I was doing and telling them not to worry. They won’t find it until the morning when I don’t appear at breakfast.”
“Well, it seems as though you have thought of almost everything.”
She challenged him. “Almost?”
“Everything except one.”
They waited in tense silence, regarding each other with undisguised wariness. Her heart hammered erratically in her chest. Oh, she had definitely underestimated Captain Fleming. Of course he would never harm her. He was a friend of her brother-in-law and had been a guest in their house. Still, a strange sense of nervousness engulfed her at his masculine presence and she trembled. Odd, she had never felt nervous with a man before.
Standing up and stepping from behind his desk, Captain Fleming moved closer to her and she sucked in her breath at his nearness. He loomed over her and the mysterious scent of him made her weak-kneed.
“It seems you overlooked something important in your little scheme to flee to New York,” he breathed. He leaned in closer to her face.
Unconsciously she inched away from him. He pressed closer, his intense gray eyes on her, his lips hovering near her cheek. The heat of his breath made her shiver and his whispered words left her speechless. She had backed up against the table and could retreat no farther. She had no choice but to face him.
“You did not factor me into your plan, Juliette.”
She stared helplessly at him, this handsome sea captain who held her fate in his hands. This man who embodied all the adventurousness she harbored in her soul. He was close enough to kiss her and for a wild, panicked moment Juliette hoped he would.
His whispered words brushed her lips, causing her to stop breathing altogether.
“Or what I plan to do with you.”
2
The Best Laid Plans
What the hell was he going to do with her?
Harrison Fleming could not believe the woman standing in front of him, close enough that he could kiss her. How had she managed to stow away on his ship? It was unthinkable! Unbelievable. And just what was he going to do with her now that Robbie had found her? Harrison had had grown men flogged for just such an offense. He couldn’t very well whip Juliette Hamilton, although the idea held a certain amount of temptation. She stood before him with her hands on her hips and a determined gleam in her heavenly blue eyes, her every movement challenging him to do something about her presence.
He had met Juliette at Lucien Sinclair’s home and he knew the moment he first laid eyes on his newly married friend’s sister-in-law that she was trouble. Trouble in an enticing package, but aggravation none-the-less. Miss Juliette Hamilton was the very essence of trouble all right. With her audacious manner, flashing eyes, and impudent wit, she was no timid English miss. And he had wisely kept his distance from her while staying at Devon House, not because he was afraid of her, but because Juliette was exactly the kind of trouble a man didn’t need in his life.
“And just what do you plan to do with me?” she asked, her voice rising slightly.
He inched closer, sensing her fear increase as she held her breath. She should very well be scared. Needed to be scared. Did she have no concept of what could have happened to her? Of just how dangerous her actions were? Was she completely unbalanced? How dare this slip of a girl sneak aboard his ship? Which brought him back to his initial problem.
What the hell was he going to do with her now?
Logic and good sense dictated that he turn the ship around and haul her back to Lucien Sinclair and let him deal with her. He had heard Jeffrey Eddington make a not very veiled reference to the fact that Juliette was hell-bent on getting everything she wanted. Well, Harrison would be damned if he would be the one to help her get to New York. He should drag her right back home.
Juliette Hamilton was not his problem.
Unfortunately, this little not-his-problem being on his boat was very much his problem at the moment.
Taking Juliette home would seriously delay his journey to New York. He had already postponed his return by a week to wait for a shipment of wine from France to arrive in London and be loaded onto his sh
ip. He had to be back in New York by the end of the month. He had been gone too long as it was. Melissa would be frantic if he were delayed any longer. The last letter he received from home conveyed a sense of urgency at his return. Melissa needed him desperately and he could not disappoint her. Not again.
Now he had Juliette Hamilton on his ship! How dare this little upstart inconvenience him and his plans with her reckless behavior. He ought to teach her a lesson.
Yes, that was it!
She needed to be taught a lesson. And he would be the teacher. The twit obviously had no idea how dangerous it had been for her to run away. She could have been hurt or lost or accosted by strangers a dozen times over just getting to his ship. Yes, the high-handed miss deserved to be given a lesson she would never forget. And no doubt her brother-in-law would thank him for helping out.
Harrison stared at her, his eyes locked with hers. Good God, but she had the bluest eyes he had ever seen. Eyes filled with intelligence, humor, and something else he could not yet define…restlessness…impatience…resilience…defiance? He could not be sure. In any case they were not traits he generally cared for in women.
“You have trespassed on my property and should be punished.”
Those blue eyes widened slightly at his words but she did not so much as flinch. He had to give her credit for her bravado if nothing else.
“And just how do you propose to punish me?” One delicate eyebrow arched as she questioned him.
Harrison grinned wickedly.
Juliette rolled her eyes in exasperation and pushed her way past him, startling him. He had meant to intimidate her, but apparently that did not work. He turned around to face her. She had crossed her arms across her chest. He could not help but notice that she looked extremely enticing, even dressed in men’s trousers and a shirt that was entirely too large for her small frame.
“Surely you can come up with something more original than ravishing me!”
He laughed at her. “Don’t flatter yourself, Juliette.”
“Isn’t that what men do when they want to intimidate a woman?”
He shook his head at her sarcasm. She was not an easy woman to rattle. “Not always.”
“Well then? What shall it be, Captain Fleming? Am I to walk the plank? Shall I be tossed overboard? Will you tie me to a mast and flog me?” She glared at him, her eyes flashing with something between anger and amusement.
He fought the urge to wipe the condescending look off her beautiful face. “Any one of those punishments would suffice.”
“You wouldn’t dare,” she held his gaze. “Lucien would kill you.”
She had him there. Harrison would never do any of those things to any woman, let alone the sister-in-law of his good friend and business associate. He could not harm a hair on Juliette’s reckless head. But lord knew she needed to be taught a lesson.
“I should turn the ship around and let your family deal with you.”
She did not utter a word or move a muscle, but her quickly downcast eyes told him more than enough. What? No challenging remark? No sarcastic retort? Harrison had finally hit his mark with her. She truly did not wish to go home. Her desire to go to New York was strong enough to curb her tongue. Who or what awaited her in New York that was compelling enough to lure her away from her family and risk her pretty neck and more simply getting there?
“Yes, that would be best,” he said nonchalantly, nodding his head. “I should inform my crew that we will be delayed because we need to return an errant young lady back to her home.”
“Please don’t do that, Captain Fleming.”
He barely heard her whispered plea. Ah, he was finally getting through to her. He walked closer.
She glanced up. “Please don’t take me home. I’ve come so far. I can’t go back now. I would rather you flogged me. Or even ravished me instead.”
Stunned by her words, he stood speechless for a moment. “It is quite gratifying to know that you would prefer my charms over a flogging, Miss Hamilton.” He considered her carefully. “However, before I make any decision, I must ask. What on earth is so important to you in New York?”
She shook her head, causing her long dark hair to swing seductively around her shoulders. “You’re a man. You wouldn’t understand.”
Harrison eyed her with keen skepticism. Her transparency was obvious to him. “You must be madly in love with him.”
Again she shook her head, her eyes rolling in derision at his question. But Harrison was not so sure. What else could drive a woman to take such a reckless chance with her life and endanger herself but love for a man? He would lay odds there was a handsome young man, probably deemed unfit by her family for whatever reason, waiting for her somewhere in New York City.
“You men all truly believe the world only revolves around you, don’t you?”
The bitterness in her tone surprised him. Dumbfounded by her comment, he stared at her. “What are you babbling about?”
“Not a thing.” Again she shook her head as if she thought he wasn’t worth the effort of explaining her opinion to.
Harrison clenched his teeth, fighting the urge to wipe the smug expression off her face. That little act of derision and her air of complete condescension infuriated him. Harrison felt outraged at this untamed girl who just upset his ship, his plans, and his schedule by saddling him with the responsibility of dealing with her well being, and who then had the audacity to challenge him while looking down her nose at him at the same time.
“I have plenty of money with me,” she declared. “I can pay for my passage.”
“That might work if this were a passenger ship and not a private vessel.”
Juliette folded her arms across her chest again, distracting him. The loose men’s shirt she wore hid what he knew to be a very womanly figure. He’d seen her in lavish and stylish gowns at Devon House which had showed off her ample charms and feminine curves quite well, but for some reason she appeared even more beautiful and appealing in her plain men’s attire than when he first met her. Lord, but she was trouble. He held his breath and counted to ten. Then he counted to twenty.
“So just what is it, Captain Fleming, that you intend to do with me?” she glanced up at him, a curiously challenging look on her pretty face. “Are you going to take me home?”
Harrison smiled at her exultantly, as an idea occurred to him. He shook his head. “No, I won’t take you home, Juliette. Not yet anyway.” He gazed at her pointedly. “I’m already late returning home as it is, myself. And I refuse to be inconvenienced by your little whims any more than necessary. So, yes, for now you get your trip to New York. But rest assured, my dear, as soon as we dock I’m sending you on the first ship back to London.” As he stalked toward her, he took pleasure in watching her look discomfited. He leaned over and whispered in her ear most threateningly, “In the meantime, you will be treated just like any other stowaway would be treated.”
“Fine.” She shrugged and stepped away from him. “I wouldn’t expect anything less from you, just as long as you take me to New York.”
He had to hand it to her. She had courage.
“You may sleep in my bed tonight.” He stifled a laugh as a hint of fear flickered in her eyes. Good. The little vixen deserved to be scared. “I shall bunk elsewhere until we can make other arrangements. Sleep well, Juliette. You’ll need plenty of rest for tomorrow.”
He taunted her with that thought as he left her alone in his cabin.
3
Finally
Sitting in the beautiful Devon House library, Colette Sinclair heard an anguished cry and glanced up from her book, her hand instinctively covering her rounded stomach. Yvette’s dramatic ways would wear her down one of these days. Wondering what had upset her youngest sister now, she debated whether it was worth hoisting herself from her comfortable seat to find out. Colette shook her head and remained where she was. Yvette would come to her eventually if it were anything of importance. And even if it were not, more was the pity.
Returning to the pages of Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women, Colette found the American author’s tale of the lives of four sisters to be quite amusing. She well knew that life with five sisters was never dull either. She continued reading for a minute before she heard footsteps outside the library. She waited for the rush of words that she knew would come. What terrible calamity had befallen Yvette this morning? Did she tear her best gown or lose her favorite gloves? Could she not get her hair styled just the way she wanted it? Was Juliette tormenting her yet again?
Colette’s look of surprise changed to concern when her sister Paulette entered the room, not Yvette. The ashen expression on her face caused Colette to place her hand over her heart. Of all her sisters, Paulette was the least prone to dramatics. Something was terribly amiss.
“What is it?” she asked, placing the book on the end table beside her chair.
“Juliette is gone.” Paulette’s voice quivered as she waved a sheet of paper. “She left a note for us.”
Colette felt the room spin a little and grasped the edge of the table. Surely she had misheard. “What did you say?”
Paulette took a shaky breath. “I said Juliette has run away. To New York. Oh, Colette, what should we do?”
Colette’s heart pounded and again she placed her hand protectively over the baby growing within her. Oh God. She did it. Juliette had finally done what she had always vowed she would do. She finally ran off and did something wild and reckless…and typically Juliette.
“Give the note to me.” She snatched the letter from her sister’s hand, while her own hand trembled as she read the words written in Juliette’s bold and careless style.
If you are reading this note, then you have discovered by now that I have gone. I have finally decided to go to New York. I am truly sorry to cause any of you pain at my leaving, but please do not worry about me. I have everything well planned. I will write as soon as I arrive at Christina Dunbar’s house. I am sure you think that I have completely lost all good sense, but please try to understand that this is something I need to do. I will be quite safe, I assure you, so do not worry. I love you—
Desire In His Eyes Page 2
