Page 35 of Devoted to the Spanish Duke
He rose, picking up both the empty bottle and their cups. “Come on. I think you need a good night’s sleep. In the morning, things will look better.”
They headed down to the main deck.
At the door to her tiny cabin, Maria stopped. Her gaze dropped to the floor and she toyed nervously with her Santiago pendant. Lisandro itched to take hold of her hand.Please look at me.
“Buenas noches,Lisandro. I hope you sleep well,” she said, not meeting his gaze.
Maria turned and went into her cabin, leaving a frustrated Lisandro staring at the door long after it had closed.
He had been hoping to move their friendship forward this evening, to see if the seed of affection which had begun to grow in his heart was possibly shared by Maria. Instead, the night’s conversation had revolved around her father, her possible impending marriage, and the secret identity of those who had kidnapped her.
Of course, she is worried about her family. Don’t be selfish in thinking only of yourself.
Maria was also clearly concerned with what might lie ahead on the road from Bilbao to Tolosa.
Her mostly silent mood this past hour added to his growing doubt about his ability to win her heart. He had come to view Maria as more than just the woman he had helped rescue. She affected him on a deeper level than mere friendship. He wanted to take her to his home at Castle Tolosa—to make love to her, and for her to never want to leave.
Listen to your own advice and try and get some sleep. See what the morning brings.
After retrieving his blanket from the hammock, Lisandro sat and removed his boots. He hung them from a hook on a nearby upright post before swinging his legs over the side of the bed and lying down. The canvas sides gently wrapped around him, creating a makeshift cocoon. He was safe from tumbling out, but that was where his love affair with the hammock began and ended.
All that swinging did not make for a comfortable sleep. His head didn’t particularly enjoy the constant rocking and rolling motion of the boat, and the hammock did little to settle him.
He would much rather be back in his giant ancestral bed in Castle Tolosa. A bed which was ten feet across by nine feet deep. It was smaller than the famous Bed of Ware in England, but it was still magnificent. The only thing it currently lacked was a permanent female occupant, something he wished badly to address.
I want her sleeping safely in my arms every night.
During the nights on the sea thus far, Maria had displayed a habit for wandering out from her tiny space and pacing the floor for a time before going back to bed. She never spoke to him during those nocturnal journeys—she simply hummed softly to herself, muttered a few things under her breath and then retired to her cabin, not to be seen again until morning.
I wonder if she will sleepwalk again tonight.
Lisandro was on the verge of drifting off when the screaming began.
“Nooooooo! Let go of me. Let go. Please!”
He attempted to sit in a hurry, which only resulted in the hammock flipping and tossing him onto the floor. Lisandro landed with a heavy thud. “Oof.”
“No. No. I want to go home. Get off me!”
Lisandro scrambled to his feet. He yanked the cabin door open and dashed inside.
Maria was sitting upright, her arms wrapped tightly around her body, her head bowed. All the while she was pleading with an invisible enemy to let her go.
He raced over to the bed, and taking Maria by the shoulders, he tried to rouse her. “Maria. Wake up! Maria.”
She whimpered. Her eyes opened as she lifted her head and stared at him, her gaze unfocused.
“Maria,mi corazon, it’s me. Lisandro,” he said.
Her hand gripped the side of his sleeve and she pulled him toward her. “I knew you would come,mi amor,” she whispered.
He searched her eyes; a pang of disappointment speared his heart when it was clear she was not fully awake.
Of course, she is still asleep. She is dreaming of her imaginary lover. Not me.
For a second time, he gently shook Maria, trying to rouse her from her stupor.
“Maria, wake up.” To his surprise, her grasp on his jacket tightened.
