Page 12 of The Lord's Compass
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“I’ve been thinking—”Faith began when Eric walked into the room, only she spoke at the same time as he did. “Pardon me?”
“You need to get off this ship.”
“Why?” she asked, affronted. Here she thought he enjoyed her company.
“Because there are many men on this ship and you are alone. Unchaperoned. It cannot be safe.”
“I believe I can be the judge of that myself, but thank you for your concern,” she said, her nostrils flaring, and he lifted his hands in exasperation.
“You do not understand the desperation of some men, Faith! And besides that, I am trying to evade notice. How can I do so if you are accompanying me about the ship?”
“I am not a woman many men notice. It is not as though Hope is here.”
“Inotice you. They will too.”
“What are you thinking?” she asked dully, ignoring him.
“We are travelling along the English coast,” Eric said. “When we reach Plymouth, you can disembark.”
“And go where?” she asked incredulously. “My home is across the country!”
“I do not know,” he said with a shrug. “You found your way here. You should be able to follow that path back home again.”
“You cannot be serious. I would be alone,” she said, aghast.
“You are alone here,” he countered.
“No, I am not,” she said. “I am with you.”
The words were off her tongue before she knew what she was saying, and her mouth snapped shut as she realized what she had said.
It took a moment for him to register them, and then his eyes brightened, widening as he stared down at her.
“I make you feel safe?” he asked with joy in his eyes.
“I never said safe,” she retorted, crossing her arms and looking around the room, stepping toward the shelf to look at the books that lined it. They were not, however, books, she realized as she peered at them. They were maps.
“You said you were not alone because you were with me.”
“Yes.” She looked back at him. “Which is the case. I am here, standing in this room with you. When I return to my cabin, you will still be aboard the ship.”
He nodded, although he didn’t appear to be giving up on his interpretation of her words, even though she had only meant it as she had said.
“Needless to say, you want to be with me, as you are here,” he said, and she could only roll her eyes. “But that cannot be.”
That had her snapping her head up to look at him. As far as she knew, ever since she had turned cold toward him, he had been in pursuit of her. What had changed? Had he thought that he had caught her – that he hadwon?
Not that this was a game.
“Tell me, Lord Ferrington, just why you would feel that way.”
“Because this is not a safe place for you. Ships sink, Faith. All the time. Especially during wartime.”
“England is not at war.”
He snorted. “We are only between wars. That is what peacetime is.”
