In silence and with measured steps, Rosalind allowed Shadow to lead her out of the cargo hold and past the galley. Gripping his hand, she pressed close to his back, carefully matching his every step as she strained to hear any sound of activity on the deck above. The stillness was reassuring, yet Rosalind could not ignore the hammering of her heart. Her only desire was to return to the safety of Adam’s house and warm herself before the fire. The damp chill of the ship felt as if it had penetrated her every pore.
When they reached the hatch, Shadow motioned Rosalind to remain below while he climbed out onto the deck and scanned the area. When he saw no sign of any of the crew members above, he helped Rosalind onto the deck and together, they crept toward the gangplank.
Shadow and Rosalind barely had set foot on it when three figures emerged from the darkness on the dock below.
“Well, well, what have we here?” a voice called out, its slurred pronunciation of the words attesting to the owner’s drunkenness.
Rosalind dug her fingers into Shadow’s arm and froze where she stood. In one fluid motion, he dropped the pack and pulled Rosalind behind him, blocking her from the strangers’ view.
The three sailors, one burly and the other two lanky, staggered up the moonlit gangplank and did not halt until the burly one was within an arm’s length of Shadow.
“I asked you a question,” the burly sailor snapped, craning his neck to look beyond Shadow and catch a glimpse of Rosalind. “What seems to be the problem, red man? Can you understand only the primitive grunting you and your kind call your language?”
Shadow stared unblinkingly at him, his chin rising.
“What have you done with our crew?” one of the other men questioned. “Why is there no one out here on watch?”
The burly sailor’s brows creased together. “Aye. Where are they?”
Shadow’s continued silence appeared to do little to ease the men’s growing anxiety. Boldly, the burly one stepped forward and poked his finger into Shadow’s chest. “Answer me, you ignorant savage!”
Moving only his right arm, Shadow reached up and grasped the sailor’s wrist, then twisted it and shoved him backward. The startled man stumbled, but his fall was halted by his two companions, who caught him and steadied him, then pushed him forward to once again confront Shadow.
“You are trespassing,” the burly sailor, struggling to regain his composure and his dignity, angrily informed Shadow. “I have every right to defend this ship.” He narrowed his eyes. “Even if it means killing you!”
Shadow shrugged. “Then by all means, do so.”
“He speaks English!” the burly sailor said. Shadow’s calm acceptance of his threat appeared to cause the sailor to carefully consider his next move. “If I were sober,” he finally stated, “I would easily bring you to your knees, savage, but at present, I fear you have the advantage.”
“But the rest of our mates are on their way back here,” the youngest sailor chimed in. “Soon you will find yourself sorely outnumbered!”
Shadow cast him an amused smile. “It appears to me that I already am outnumbered.” He directed a glare at each one of them. “You will forgive me if I choose not to remain here long enough to meet your friends.” He bent to lift his pack, then took Rosalind by the hand and moved forward, attempting to lead her down the gangplank. As he had anticipated, the sailors blocked his path.
“Allow us to pass,” Shadow stated coolly, “and no harm shall come to you.”
The burly sailor laughed mockingly. “Oh, how kind of you, sir!” His expression sobered as he added, “You are going nowhere until we find out what you were doing aboard our ship…and what is in that pack of yours. What did you steal?”
Glaring at the man, Shadow released Rosalind’s hand and took another step forward.
“Stay where you are!” the burly sailor warned, as he backed away from him. When Shadow did not comply, the sailor inhaled, straightened his shoulders and lunged at him. Shadow’s reflexes were sharp, and his movements as swift as a cat’s. With a well-timed step to the side, Shadow easily avoided his drunken assailant’s charge. The man landed hard on his stomach, a loud gush of air expelling from his lungs.
Once again grasping Rosalind’s hand, Shadow stepped over the moaning sailor, who seemed in no hurry to make any attempt to stand.
“Step aside,” Shadow ordered the two remaining sailors, who stubbornly continued to block his way. Although their attempts to maintain their stances were greatly hampered by their drunkenness, they appeared determined to stand their ground.
Sighing, Shadow eyed the two lanky, swaying men who had become more of a nuisance to him than a threat. He was tired, and his patience was wearing thin. Once again dropping his pack and Rosalind’s hand, Shadow reached out and grasped the front of the younger sailor’s shirt, the action so swift, the man had no time to react. Effortlessly, Shadow lifted the slim form and tossed it over the side of the gangplank. A shocked gasp was the only sound the sailor made before he hit the water with a loud splash. Shadow spun around to face the other sailor who, with his hands and teeth clenched, threw a punch at Shadow’s face. Shadow ducked, causing the intoxicated man to lose his balance and stumble forward. Shadow lifted his foot and rammed it into the sailor’s chest, sending him, his arms flailing in the air, over the edge of the gangplank to join his companion in the frigid water.
Shadow reached for Rosalind and his pack. “Hurry!” he shouted, pulling her behind him down the gangplank.
When they at last set foot on land, Shadow tightened his grasp on Rosalind’s wrist and broke into a run. Twice, Rosalind lost her footing and stumbled, but Shadow yanked her back to her feet before she was able to fall. The pair reached the protective shelter of some trees just as they heard the off-key singing and drunken revelry of a group of sailors returning to the ship.
“That was too close,” Rosalind breathlessly whispered, sagging against a tree.
“We are not safe yet,” Shadow said. “We must hasten back to Adam’s house ere anyone else spies us.”
Before Rosalind could take another breath, he reclaimed her hand and pulled her to her feet, leaving her no choice but to follow him.
* * * * *
“Latch the door!” Adam called out when Shadow and Rosalind entered his house. “Good Lord, I am relieved to see the two of you! I could not sleep, my worry was so great.”
“And with good cause!” Shadow snapped. He tossed his pack onto the floor and cast a scowl of disapproval at his friend. “What thought you, allowing Rosalind to take part in such a dangerous scheme? Did you not give me your word you would keep her safe? I trusted you, Adam. Do you realize how very near we came to not making it back here at all?”
With each question, Adam opened his mouth to respond, then closed it abruptly, allowing the Indian to continue his rant.
“Do not place the blame on Adam,” Rosalind cut in, seating herself before the hearth and extending her hands to capture the warmth of the blaze. “It was all my idea, my plan. I gave Adam little choice other than to help me, for I still would have carried it out on my own. My desire to prevent you from sailing out of my life was so strong, it blotted out all rational thought.”
“May I assume then, that your plan worked?” Adam’s eyebrows rose.
“Perfectly!” Rosalind could not suppress a giggle. “I wish you could have witnessed it!” She removed her cloak and revealed a dress that obviously had hastily been altered to make her performance more convincing. The bodice was cut low, revealing an ample swell of pale bosom, and so snug, her breasts looked as if they were about to burst from the dress with her next breath.
Shadow’s eyes widened as they scanned Rosalind’s immodest attire. “How can you sit there and make light of this?” he exploded. “Tell me, would you still be so pleased if the sailors had refused the drink and instead had violated you, Rosalind?”
Her victorious smile instantly faded. “But my plan did not fail,” she emphasized. “Everything went exactly ac
cording to plan, and you are back here where you belong. So there is no point in discussing what might or might not have occurred. ‘Tis over!”
Shaking his head and frowning, Shadow took a seat on one of the benches.
Adam turned to face him. “So, pray tell, what do the two of you intend to do now? You do realize that Nathaniel will arrive at daybreak to fetch Rosalind?”
Rosalind visibly cringed at the mention of Nathaniel. “We have discussed no plans yet,” she said. “We were too busy making our escape from the ship.”
“If you need a place to stay for a spell while you form your plans,” Adam said, “my brother, Joseph, has a place about two kilometers from here on the river. He’s a trapper who recently has been made a widower and at present, is staying with his daughter and her family until his grief eases. I have been keeping an eye on his house for him during his absence. So if you stay there and disturb anything, he simply will think naught of it because he will believe I did it.” He directed his next statement to Rosalind. “I think you would be wise to hasten there posthaste, while you still have the cover of night to conceal you, and be well away from here ere Nathaniel’s arrival.”
Rosalind stifled a groan at the thought of having to move from her cozy spot near the hearth to venture back out into the night and hike the two kilometers to Adam’s brother’s house. The day’s events already had exhausted her to the point of near collapse.
“How will you calm the captain when he does not find Rosalind here?” Shadow asked Adam. “No doubt the man will be furious.”
“I shall tell him that his bold display of ungentlemanly behavior this eve caused Rosalind to have serious misgivings about journeying home alone with him…so she decided to enlist the aid of a guide and start back home without any further delay.”
Rosalind stared bewilderedly at him. “I thought you were going to tell him that Shadow snatched me away?”
“I was,” Adam said, but the more I considered it, during my seemingly endless hours of waiting for your return this eve, the more I thought the story would not entirely convince Nathaniel. He would wonder how Shadow knew to find you here, and why I did not use my knife on him, the way I so nearly used it on him when I saw the two of you together.”
“You threatened Nathaniel with a knife?” Shadow asked.
“Aye, and I would gladly have used it!” Adam collected his thoughts before he turned to look at Rosalind and said, “If Nathaniel believes that you and a guide are journeying back to Eastwell, he will hasten off in that direction, attempting to catch up with you. When he arrives home and discovers that you and your guide never made it back, he will likely think that Shadow, or even another savage or savages ambushed you during your journey. ‘Tis much more likely for you to encounter danger out in the woods than here, in the shelter of my home.”
Rosalind carefully considered his words. “You do make sense,” she said. “And Nathaniel unwittingly gave me the perfect reason to go off without him after the way he tried to force himself upon me this eve.”
Shadow scowled at the mention of Nathaniel’s behavior. He did not even wish to speculate what had – or very nearly had – occurred between the captain and Rosalind, for the mere thought enraged him. “Do not be so certain Nathaniel will think his actions improper,” Shadow said. “The man holds no respect for women. I have witnessed it myself…at the Corwins’ pond.”
Rosalind stared at him. “What do you mean?”
Shadow ignored her question, not wishing to discuss Nathaniel and the buxom red-haired woman he had seem him naked with. “Let us not delay any longer,” he said, rising from his seat. “I think we should heed Adam’s advice and stay at his brother’s house until we decide upon a definite plan.” He frowned at Rosalind’s dress. “Go change into something proper and we shall be on our way. We already have delayed far too long.”
* * * * *
The night air was cool and the forest quiet as Shadow and Rosalind walked side by side, their path illuminated only by the moon. The day’s events had unfolded so rapidly, Rosalind had been afforded too little time to consider her actions. Now, in the calm of the night, the impact of what she had done – and was about to do – fully struck her. With heavy disappointment she recalled how unemotional her shipboard reunion with Shadow had been – a far cry from the passionate welcome she so eagerly had anticipated. He had not even kissed her! In truth¸ Rosalind thought Shadow had seemed more irritated than pleased by her arrival. Even when she had confessed how much she longed to be with him, he had not reciprocated in any way. A pang of doubt stabbed at Rosalind as she considered all she had sacrificed to be with Shadow. Had she made a grave mistake? Even now, he was acting as if she were invisible. He had not spoken a word since they left Adam’s house, nor favored her with more than a slight glance. It was becoming frighteningly apparent to Rosalind that Adam’s observations may have been wrong. Shadow did not really love her at all.
With a deepening sense of apprehension, Rosalind reminded herself that it was not too late to turn back, to keep her appointment with Nathaniel at daybreak, if she so desired. Adam had warned her that the decision she made on this night would forever alter her future.
If only she could be certain she had made the right one…
CHAPTER TWELVE
“What do you mean she is not here!” Nathaniel angrily demanded as he stood in Adam’s house the next morning. “For what purpose would she leave in the dead of night? It makes no sense!”
“Aye, it does make sense,” Adam, unfazed by the younger man’s outburst, responded. “After your behavior last night, Rosalind thought it best not to make the journey alone with you.” He had to confess, as he eyed the captain, that he was quite handsome when cleaned up and groomed – a vast difference from his unkempt appearance the night before.
“If she was so opposed to being alone with me, why did she not wait here and confess her feelings to me instead of running off in the night? I would have understood and arranged for a third party to accompany us back. ‘Twas extremely inconsiderate of her to desert me without even the courtesy of an explanation!”
“She saw no reason to delay her departure,” Adam said, “especially since the man I engaged to escort her was willing to leave within the hour.”
“What kind of man did you send her off with? Only a fool would depart on a journey in the dead of night, especially with a young woman!”
“Perhaps.” Adam’s eyes narrowed. “But obviously Rosalind thought him to be a safer traveling companion than you!”
Nathaniel opened his mouth, as if to deliver an angry response, then appeared to think against it. Sighing, he shook his head. “Granted, I was a bit too forward with Rosalind last eve,” he said tightly. “But surely you, a man, can understand the reasons why. I had been away at sea for a fortnight and then returned to be told Rosalind had been dragged away by a savage! When I finally found her, my emotions…my passion…overtook me. Any man would have reacted in the same manner.”
“And do you suppose ‘any man’ also would have selfishly ignored the woman’s protests and still attempted to force his affections upon her?” he asked him. “And now you stand here wondering why your betrothed was so eager to be gone ere your arrival?”
Nathaniel’s lips formed a taut line. “I shall apologize to Rosalind when we are once again reunited,” he said. “But all that matters now is that I keep my promise to her that we shall never be separated again. How long ago did she depart from here?”
“Three, perhaps four hours.”
“If I leave posthaste, I should have no problem catching up with her and her escort.” He turned toward the door, then paused to crisply add, “Thank you for your time, Mr. Stoddard.”
“Godspeed,” Adam said in a voice that lacked sincerity. A satisfied smile curved his lips as he watched Nathaniel rush off down the path, eager to begin his futile journey. Rosalind had indeed made a wise choice, he thought. He held no doubt that her place was with Shadow.
* * * * *
After spending the night on a quilt in front of the hearth, Shadow left at daybreak to hunt for game. Rosalind had slept so soundly, she had not heard him leave, and was disappointed when she awakened to find herself alone. She knew, however, he must be out hunting for food because the bow and quiver of arrows that had been hanging on a peg in the corner were gone.
For lack of anything more inspiring to do, Rosalind busied herself with tidying Adam’s brother’s house. It was apparent the dwelling had not been cleaned in some days. A thick layer of dust covered everything, and the floor was littered with dead leaves and mouse droppings. A kettle hung from the lug pole, its contents dried and moldy. The first thing Rosalind did was open the shutters to allow fresh air to enter the house.
It was late afternoon by the time Rosalind finished cleaning. She stood, her hands planted on her hips and admired her efforts. The house was small, containing but one room, which was stacked with everything from kettles to animal traps and fishing nets. But on the whole, the house possessed a warm, lived-in coziness that Rosalind found appealing. For a brief moment, she allowed herself the luxury of imagining what it would be like to settle here with Shadow and never have to run or hide again.
Sighing, Rosalind moved to the window and peered out, hoping to spy some sign of Shadow. The day was gray and humid and the leaves on the trees were turned upward, a sure sign of impending rain.
Rosalind stepped away from the window and attempted to dismiss the growing fear that Shadow had decided to leave her and not return. He had seemed so distant and withdrawn since leaving the ship, speaking only when spoken to and even then, mostly in one-word responses. Rosalind attributed his behavior to exhaustion and prayed his mood would be greatly improved upon his return from his hunt…if he returned.
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