Page 4 of My Gentleman Spy
“No,” was all the reply she couldmuster.
With his arm still wrapped tightly around her waist, he guided her up a nearby short set of stone steps. The curious dock workers followed. Reaching the top, he sat her down upon an upturned wooden crate. He dropped down beside her. After reassuring the dock hands that the two of them were safe, he waved themaway.
While she did not understand anything of the words the men were muttering as they headed back down the steps, Hattie suspected they were not kind. No one in their right frame of mind would willingly leap over the side of aship.
From years spent listening to the firebrand preachers who visited her local church she knew the look and tone of disapprovalwell.
Women should be obedient, and know their place in theworld.
She lifted her head and looked out to sea, just in time to see theBlade of Orionround the nearby head of the south mole of the harbor and disappear. Her head and shouldersslumped.
She wasfree.
“It's gone,” the strangerremarked.
He reached out and placed a comforting hand on her upperarm.
She flinched involuntarily, before remembering where shewas.
“Thank you. That was an incredibly brave thing you did. I owe you the deepest debt ofgratitude.”
“London?” came thereply.
Hattie turned to look at the stranger properly for the first time. Her heart which was only beginning to calm down from the strenuous swim, began to thump once more in herchest.
Dark hair. His sodden black trousers clung tight to his strong muscular body. No boots. Noshirt.
She had never seen the fully naked upper torso of a man before, it left herbreathless.
His gaze followed hers and a sheepish look of embarrassment appeared on hisface.
“My apologies. I forgot about my attire. Now where did I leave my clothes?” hesaid.
He leaned over and picked up a bundle of cloth which lay nearby and after a brief struggle with it, managed to pull it over his head. The sleeves of what she now knew to be a shirt proved to be a more difficult proposition. After several unsuccessful attempts to put his arms into the damp twisted sleeves, Hattie was forced to renderassistance.
“Here let me help you,” shesaid.
If the stranger had thought that by donning his shirt he would add a little modesty to the situation, he had not counted on what the linen would do once it touched his wet body. The shirt quickly stuck to him, affording Hattie a second look at his hard, masculinebody.
Her quiet appreciation of his body was interrupted when the remains of the seawater which had lodged in the back of her throat shifted and quickly brought on a violent bout ofcoughing.
Finally, she heaved and the rest of the vile seawater came up from her stomach and was deposited on the flat stone ground. She got to her feet. The stranger followed suit. Her patient rescuer gently rubbed herback.
“Come on cough it all up. If you don’t you will be laid up in a sick bed by the end of the day,” hesaid.
Finally, she held up a hand. The spasms were gone and she could breathe deeply oncemore.
“Thank you,” shesaid.
He stepped away and stood silently looking at her, eventually drawing her gaze to hisface.
The words handsome devil immediately sprang to Hattie's mind. A devil with grey eyes of a shade she had never seen before. In the bright light of the sun, she thought them almost silver. Then he blinked and when she looked once more she saw there was a warmth and softness aboutthem.
“What did you say?” shestammered.
“I said to get all that sea water out of your stomach,” hereplied.
“No beforethat.”
