Page 85 of Stilettos & Secrets on the 7 Seas

There was a knock at my door, and Rowan entered without permission.

“Uhm, hi.” I wrapped my arms around my waist, which only shelved my bulging breasts upward.

His blue eyes grew wide as he stared at my dress. Well, the parts of me tumbling out of my dress. My face flushed at his curious gaze, and then he looked away. The man could certainly fill up a room.

“I brought ye this.” He dropped a leather pouch on the table.

“What is it?”

He flipped open the flap, and glass bottles clinked together as he rummaged through it. He finally produced a small tin. “’Tis the doctor’s bag from theLark. Yer manservant said ye might need it.”

“Where’s the doctor?”

“Dead.” Rowan moved toward the washbasin. He sat the tin down and dipped his hands inside the soapy water. “Captain’s mother insisted we wash before applying medicine.” He sighed as if the request was done to satisfy instead of for hygiene. “And eatin’.”

He dried his hands and opened the tin, dipping his finger in the salve. He motioned for me to turn my head and applied it to the cut on my neck with a gentle touch. The sting disappeared immediately.

“That feels better.”

His finger trailed down my neck and stopped on my key. I hadn’t had time to cover it up.

I stepped away quickly, trying not to seem jarred by the oversight. “Thank you.”

“’Tis no good to leave a scar on sech smooth skin.”

Was he flirting with me? No, I didn’t think so. Compared to other women in this time, my skin was scar-free, pox-free, and rode hard–free. Every man had to notice.

He replaced the lid on the tin and wiped his fingers on his pants.

“Max didn’t seem pleased I returned,” I said, mentally adding,with an awesome plan to save his butt.

“Yer no safe here.”

“I can take care of myself.”

“Vane will no care where ye come from. If ye get in his way, I can no help ye.”

Did he know about time travel? I brushed the thought aside. He probably meant since I came from the colonies.

“Like I said, I can take care of myself.”

Rowan’s gaze fell to my key. “Aye, I believe ye can.”

* * *

I woundaround the upper deck, passing men who swiped sweat from their brows. The ship was crowded now, after half of theLark’screw climbed aboard. Everyone hustled, preparing to sail while trying to seem casual in case Woodes Rogers peeked at them through his spyglass.

I was certain Sasha had returned to theRanger. Her quest to find the piece of map Vane held along with information about her mother was surely stronger than boarding theSea Storm, but I’d have a look at the crew anyway. If nothing else, it would pass the time until Vane made his move.

I couldn’t do anything to help Marco, or Ace, or Caiyan. Once we were safely out of the harbor, away from the guns of the English, I’d figure out a new plan. I adjusted the scarf around my neck to make sure it hid my key.

Making my way to the ladder down to the gun deck, I took one last deep breath. Leaving the smell of salty sea air behind me, I climbed below deck.

Lanterns hung on pegs to light the way below decks. I passed a boy sweeping up charcoal dust from gunpowder in the nearby powder magazine. I couldn’t see his face because there weren’t any lanterns in that room of the ship.

A sharp pain stabbed me in the ribs. I checked myself and saw nothing. Glancing over my shoulder at the boy, I stopped dead. It was Sasha. It had to be.

“Sasha?” I held my hands up in an unarmed move, hoping she’d accept my sign of truce.

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