"I, for one, have several wounds that could use your tender care, m'lady."

less sent Ramsey a look meant to grind him into hamburger.

"Careful, Ram," Gaelan said. "In the lady's present state, I daresay you may find your throat cut." The battered group laughed.

"You all really think this is funny, don't you?" She slapped the rag into the bowl, splashing water over the table. "Don't you?"

"Aye," Ram chuckled. "You're radiant when yer peeved, la.s.s."

"Peeved? Peeved is when you get the wrong dinner order! He had a brain concussion, for Chrissake!" She measured each man, her misty gaze ending on 291.

Dane. "And another blow to your head would have

killed you!" She spun away, lacy bedclothes fluttering

as she raced out of the room, slamming doors behind

her. t,

The hollow sound echoed throughout the floor.

Ramsey sighed, resting his elbows on the table, his aching head in his hands. The impact of her words had cut him in half. "G.o.d forgive me, Dane, I was unaware of the risk." The chair creaked as he sagged back. "Sweet Christ, but I do not envy you this time."

Dane left the chair and walked to the door. Soundlessly he opened it, sealing it behind him.

"She loves him, doesn't she?" Aaron said into the quiet.

Though he was answering the first mate, Duncan looked pointedly at Captain O'Keefe. "And when did you come to that brilliant conclusion, eh, sir?"

Ramsey felt a measure of guilt at the decadent meal he'd just consumed, the memory of his ride from the docks br.i.m.m.i.n.g in his head: hovels filled with bony dark-skinned children in ragged clothes, their hopeless expressions, and, worst, their parents' sneers of contempt when he'd alighted from the Englishman's carriage. His host was the ruling official on the island, by his own appointment, Ramsey gathered, not having a chance to verify the man's t.i.tle. But the Englishman had been waiting on the docks before the Triton weighed anchor.

His body aching, he shifted uncomfortably in the small velvet chair and sipped the aged brandy, his eyes on the Englishman's daughter. Monica fanned her- 292.

self, gold eyes peering at him from over the rim. Ram winked slowly, then winced when she giggled in a high-pitched shrill. 'Twas a duty, he thought, to have spent time with the woman, listening to her complaints about not being at court or the lack of acceptable suitors. Yet between her whining, she'd been a fountain of information during their turn around the elaborate gardens. Her father had been too cautious for Ramsey's allotment of time, though not with his daughter. Ram had already tasted those lips, felt the voluptuous curves, which were merely wads of molded cotton, he'd discovered with a bit of surprise. A spoiled selfish chit, he decided, having seen her order servants with a stinging hand and a superior air that rubbed the American in a most indecent manner. Suddenly his thoughts turned to Tess: her teasing, the truth she spoke so easily, and how the feisty la.s.s could dice this brat to ribbons with her sharp tongue. 'Twas something he would enjoy watching, he thought, then remembered how she hadn't shown herself to anyone since last evening. With a disheartened sigh, he ignored the pain in his bruised jaw and directed his attention to what English was saying.

"I'm certain we can find a suitable buyer for your goods, Captain O'Keefe," Whittingham said in his nasal accent. "I will be delighted to look into it if you'd be so kind as to turn over a list of your cargo."

Ramsey hid a smile. The man was practically sanding his hands together in antic.i.p.ation. "I'd rather initiate the bargain myself, if you don't mind. Tis a half-year's work that I've stored and have many wages to dole. Bothersome ch.o.r.e, that," Ram sighed dramatically, his gaze shifting briefly to the woman, and 293.

he flashed her a quick smile, "but then, 'tis why I've seen success of late."

The Englishman bristled. b.l.o.o.d.y arrogant Colonist. A rich one, if his attire was anything to measure, yet an ungrateful rebel just the same. Should have shot them all. G.o.d, he hated being banished to this island, longing for the dignity and coolness of London. Whittingham stood and adjusted his clothing, a signal the meeting was over, and the captain quickly came to his feet.

"As you wish, Captain. I will send a messenger to your ship on the morrow," the Englishman stated, willing to forgo the man's heritage to see his stores in his personal warehouse.

"Do not bother, sir; you have done enough in my behalf, and I am pressed to see the deed done. I will return with my quartermaster, say around noon?"

Whittingham stiffened. Someone should have finished bashing the Colonist's face! How dare this man question his stipulations? "I'm afraid that will be terribly inconvenient. I've business meetings-"

"Oh, Papa, I've the perfect solution!" Monica gushed. "You have your meetings, and I will entertain the captain until you can join us." She rose with a flourish, then sashayed over to stand between the men. "You will join us for luncheon, won't you, Captain O'Keefe?" She pouted prettily up at the American, allowing her skirts to brush his calves and giving him a splendid view of her bosom.

Lady, my a.r.s.e, Ram thought. What sot was she trying to make the fool?

"Again you offer your much-needed a.s.sistance, daughter," her father said and thought he saw the cap- 294.

tain smirk. The girl could finally be of more use than adding bills to his purse. If O'Keefe was occupied here, his men could investigate his ship and cargo, he silently chuckled.

Reminding himself to post extra guards on the Triton, Ramsey nodded agreement, catching Monica's pleased smile. He wouldn't dream of denying himself a tumble with a wench that was so willing to give it.

Ramsey bid them good afternoon and departed quickly. When a servant appeared to inform the master that the guest had indeed left, Whittingham turned to his daughter.

"Get you to bed, child, and think naught of the sea captain. The insolent braggart will likely be dead before a sennight."

Monica gasped in horror, and when she started to speak, he bellowed, "To bed, girl!" She fled the room with great haste.

A figure slipped from the alcove near the stairs, startling the elderly man.

"Good G.o.d, man!" he choked, a hand covering his heart. "Be chousin' b.l.o.o.d.y ten years off me friggin* a.r.s.e!"

Phillip strolled across the room to the bar. "Careful, Nigel, your background is showing." He poured himself a drink, tossed back the expensive liquor, then moved toward the door. "His stores, get them. And the jewels, well, you know, don't you, Nigh?"

"Wait! Was it him?"

"You do go on, Nigel, and - " Phillip looked back over his shoulder, his hand on the latch. "When I decide your pea brain can absorb that much, you'll be a corpse."

295.

Ramsey leapt from the moving carriage, then slipped into the darkened alley way. He waited for the conveyance to round the corner before his gaze returned to the Englishman's house. The door abruptly opened, and he plastered his tall form back against the cracked wall as a figure stepped out. His eyes narrowed, and his body tensed when the man drew a horse from beneath the shade of a tree and made to mount. Ram moved soundlessly behind crates and rubbish piles to get a better look before the fellow departed. The figure reined around, and Ram caught a glimpse of his profile before he viciously clapped his bleeders to the beast's sides. The sea captain cursed softly, taking off in a run, vowing to discover where the b.a.s.t.a.r.d slept.

296.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR.

A golden ball of fire hovered above the horizon, its reflecting rays splashing pink, magenta, and cool lavender across the cloudless sky. Out of the open window, Tess watched the tranquil sight for a few moments longer, then let her gaze drift to the streets below. She waved to the guards beneath her window, and they bowed shortly in response. Burros pulled carts filled with goods, their owners prodding them with crooked sticks. Children raced through the alleys, teasing each other. Goats and chickens skittered around the yards, no one paying them any mind. The smell made Tess ill. Women dressed in brightly colored skirts and gauzy blouses converged around the well in the center of the square, filling huge jars, gossiping, then staring occasionally up at her. Tess smiled, waved, and they responded with a look of shock, then bobbed a curtsy. She wondered what they thought of her. The captain's lady or the ship's wh.o.r.e?

She glanced around the room. It was spa.r.s.ely furnished, yet neat and clean. What she wouldn't give for air conditioning or just an ice-cold Diet c.o.ke or a 297.

chance to take a swim in her bikini! Or watch one of Penny's movies, or-what would you give, a little voice asked, to let it all go? She stiffened. That little voice was d.a.m.ned annoying. "And Tess wasn't certain she liked the realization that Dane Alexander Blackwell, sea captain, Continental Marine, confidante to the President, had become her entire world. Jeez, he could have easily been killed in that fight! h.e.l.l, people in this time died of such minor things she could hardly begin to think of them all. And if she lost Dane?

A sharp pain lanced her chest, threatening her breathing, and she returned her gaze to the street, trying to separate her emotions. What would happen if she got the chance to return to the future? When will it come? Next week? Next year? Never? And what would she go back to? They were the same questions she'd asked since she'd discovered herself in this century. She didn't want to depend on anyone, never had before. She'd managed alone since she was a kid, but in 1789, Tess realized, the opportunities for a woman were slim to none. Men were teachers, politicians, land owners; women were governesses, glorified baby-sitters, maids, and dependent on what men gave them, whether it was their fathers or their husbands. Men ran the show; women paid for it. And the fact that she needed protection from men, by men, rankled the h.e.l.l out of her. But she could adapt if she wanted. She watched the people below. Living, surviving, loving. What are you going to do, Renfrew, hide for the next hundred years?

"Speak with me, Tess," Dane said from the other side of the oaken door. "This silence will accomplish naught." He received no response to his plea. He'd no 298.

doubt she was in there; a maid had deposited two meals and removed her bathwater already this day. He glanced briefly at Duncan, who was setting the table for the evening meal, then shrugged and walked to a chair, dropping into it with a heavy sigh.

Her behavior unnerved Mm. 'Twas not like Tess to allow things to brew inside her. 'Twas one of the things he enjoyed most about her, that she hid naught of her feelings, said what she wanted, when she desired. Suddenly he sat upright, a horrifying thought occurring to him. Had she received some signal or vision that would send her to her time? He left the chair and strode across the sitting room, pounding hard on the wood.

"She's gone, sir."

Dane spun about to see only Potts's head poking into the room. "Tell me I've heard wrong, mister."

"Nay, sir." Potts stepped inside, scrunching his cap. "The lady said she was needin' some fresh air, sir."

Dane took a couple steps, and Potts flinched. "And you simply allowed her to go!" His voice boomed. "Lady Renfrew can be very convincin', sir." Dane bolted out of the room and down the hall, taking the stairs three at a time. "Mr. Sikes has his eye on the la.s.s," he heard Potts holler down the staircase. He met Ramsey at the landing, and the Triton captain followed him out of the inn, crew men taking up the rear. Men spread out like a human net, and Dane didn't get but a few yards beyond the street when he saw her.

He sighed with relief, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to calm his racing pulse. Through the palm trees he could see Tess walking on the beach, her slippers dangling from her fingertips, toes kicking at the sand.

299.

Ramsey nearly slammed into him from behind.

"G.o.d, what a vision." Her black hair was unbound, wild with the breeze.

"Isn't she, though," bane replied wistfully, and Ram witnessed the raw emotion his friend kept hidden.

"She is in love with you, you realize that." Regret heavily laced his voice.

"Nay, I do not," he returned softly.

"Then yer an a.s.s, man," Ram scoffed. "And I can admit 'tis a grand bit of jealousy I feel for you."

Dane arched a raven brow, glancing to his side. "You would fight me for her?"

Ram's smile was bittersweet. " "I was never a battle, my friend. The woman sees me for what I am. And has made her feelings rather clear that she cares naught for any of it."

Dane returned his gaze to Tess. Dark green became her, he decided. " Tis a wish to capture her like that, for I doubt we will see her so serene and quiet again."

Ramsey chuckled softly. "She is a spirited female."

"Aye, and too bold for her own good, sharp-tongued and willful and b.l.o.o.d.y independent and-" Dane let his breath out in a quick burst and could feel Ramsey's mocking grin. "You were correct, you know. She will not accept a proposal."

Ram frowned, confused. "She cares naught if she is branded?"

Dane shrugged, his expression pure misery. "Tess is most comfortable with the situation as it is."

Ramsey wondered exactly what that meant.

"But you are not content?"

Dane's features hardened. "Never."

"Perhaps 'tis the man and not the offer?" Ramsey 300.

taunted with the last of his hopes. "What if I should ask?"

Dane looked to his side, his eyes sharp as bottle gla.s.s. "Only if you desire a leisurely and rather painful death."

Ram chuckled, patting his friend on the back, somewhat relieved 'twas not he that was experiencing that magnitude of torment. "Try again, Dane, and again and yet again. Then if you must, drag the woman bound and gagged to the nearest clergy."

A wry smile twisted at Dane's lips and he knew that would likely be the only way he would make her his wife.

Ramsey took one last look at her, then abruptly turned his back from the sight. "Love her, Dane," he murmured softly, and Dane felt the man's secret heartache. "Love her so fully that I will never live to regret not dueling with you for the lady's hand." He quietly walked away.

Dane's heart pounded heavy and hard in his chest as she strolled the sh.o.r.e. Her expression was forlorn, if not a touch regretful, and Dane wondered what was running through that quick mind. Were her thoughts the same as his? Every moment he was denied the sight of her was slow moving agony. He could not eat, sleep, or concentrate on a b.l.o.o.d.y thing knowing she was upset, disturbed enough to remain sequestered in her rooms for nearly an entire day.

Was she waiting for the wall to appear, the rip in time, she called it? The thought made his chest tighten till he could scarcely inhale a breath, and he knew he would not survive if she were taken from him now. Because I love her, his mind screamed, and he nearly 301.

choked on the realization, sagging back against a palm tree and whispering the words aloud. A warm comfort filled him at finally putting a name to the gloriously confusing sensation. She'd traveled over two hundred years for him to love, and he would never let her go. Even if it meant he would have to follow her into the future to be with her.

He motioned to Sikes, and the burly sailor and several of his comrades strode to their captain.

"Let no one disturb her, and keep out of sight," Dane ordered, giving Tess the privacy she desired, yet with ample protection. He saw her brush at her cheek and could only imagine what caused the tears. With a monumental effort, Dane turned away and headed toward the inn without a backward glance.

"How can you consume yet another meal?'* Gaelan asked as Ramsey sawed into his meat.

Ramsey shrugged, his expression not the least bit offended as he savored the roasted pork.

Dane looked at his untouched plate, then pushed it away and lifted the snifter to his lips. Dining around him were his officers and four from the Triton, and all Dane desired was to speak with Tess. She'd returned moments after he had, yet she'd gone straight to her rooms without a word to anyone. His gaze strayed to the door yet again, and with a m.u.f.fled curse, he shifted his chair so his back was to the closed portal.

"How will you get to him?" Ramsey asked, then shoved a knife full of peas into his mouth.

" Tis you that has seen the b.l.o.o.d.y house! Is that not why we are here!" Dane snapped, coming to his feet 302.

and storming to the window.

Ramsey swallowed, frowning at the outburst. 'Twas not like Dane to let his emotions rule when a situation demanded his attention. Women-destroyed a man's thinking process, Ram thought with a twisted smile as each mate offered his own plan. The conversation grew animated and loud as Duncan cleared plates and the men positioned themselves around the table. Ramsey swiped at his lips with a napkin, tossed it on his plate, then handed it to Duncan. He drew out a map he'd made earlier, then fished in his coat pocket for a stick of graphite.