Iron Seas 03 - Riveted

seemed to stumble, at a loss for words.“Ah, well. Perhaps she will be desperate enough to seduce you after we are under way.” When David began to laugh, she raised her hands to suddenly pink cheeks. “Oh. No, dear. That is not what I mean. Only that her fate will seem more inescapable at that point.”
    He’d known what she meant. That didn’t make the other any less true. “Is it inescapable?”
    If so, he would offer to help her escape it.
    “No. The Vashons receive a fee from the family, and so the captain will fly the girl to Heimaey. But on Phatéon ’s next docking at the island, she’ll receive free passage away if she doesn’t want to stay.”
    “Do the families know this?”
    “Of course not. But here is something you won’t expect to hear, David: Of the fifteen girls we’ve taken, only two have left.” With a sly grin, she patted his hand. “Perhaps this one will have reason to leave, too?”
    He’d dug this hole, hadn’t he? “That’s not what I—”
    “Hush, now. And make certain to comb your hair.” She turned away from him, unpinning her own hair. “If you can tear yourself away from Miss Neves after dinner, I would like to introduce you to the crew in the wardroom. We’re rather starved for new company, and so passengers are always welcome—and there is one person in particular who I think would interest you.”
    Only Maria Madalena Neves interested him, and if what he suspected of her origin was true, Lucia would certainly understand why. “I will see you again shortly, then.”
    “Comb your hair,” was her only reply as he left.
    David’s cabin was on the second deck—and, he realized after asking for directions—only a few steps from the stateroom. His heart pounded when he stopped at his door, and he stood looking down the passageway toward hers. She might emerge at any moment.
    What would she think of seeing him there, after she’d run fromhim on the docks? What would she think of suddenly facing him across a table? Perhaps he ought to prepare her. He could look in on her, inquire that she was all right after her ordeal at the port gates.
    Everything would be proper. Her nurse would be in the stateroom. He wouldn’t even enter the cabin, but simply make his inquiry from the passageway.
    Oh, he was a fool. Knowing that, he still combedhis fingers through his hair and approached her door. And if by some terrible chance, she was alone and desperate enough to invite him into her bed…
    He wouldn’t say no. Hell, he’d like to spend the entire journey there, even if only to watch her face as she talked. Even if she insisted on the dark, even if she insisted that he didn’t kiss her or touch her skin more than necessary, he could still watch her face through his light-enhancing lens.
    God. He shook his head. Who was desperate, here?
    Maria Madalena Neves wasn’t.
    A few seconds after his soft knock, the door whipped open—and yes, she was absolutely beautiful in a blue silk gown that would have been more suitable in a ballroom than at a captain’s table. Her hair was long, dark, and curling. Plump lips pressed into a tight line. Two spots of red appeared high on her pale cheeks.
    “What do you want, senhor?”
    Nothing, now. But he had to make certain. “Excuse my intrusion. You are Senhorita Neves?”
    “Yes.” She tossed her head, blue eyes flashing. “I know you as well, Senhor Porco. I know what you’ve heard about me, and why you have come crawling to my door. Do you truly think I could ever be so wretched that I would lower myself enough to let you touch me, pig?”
    She stepped back. The door slammed, shuddering against the jamb. David stared at the wood for a long moment, then pushed his fingers through his hair again, mildly surprised that her ire hadn’t burned it away.
    So that hadn’t been her. Damn.
    He knocked at Lucia’s door. Powder puff in hand, she opened it, looking up at him curiously. “David?”
    “Don’t sit me next to Miss Neves,” he said. “The woman I met had short black hair and an enormous red skirt over yellow trousers. Do you know her?”
    “Yes.” Lucia gave a merry laugh, nodding. “Yes, I know her. That is Annika Fridasdottor. I meant to introduce you to her tonight.”
    Annika. Perfect. “Who is she?”
    “Oh, David. I have been trying to discover the answer to that mystery for almost four years.” She batted his nose with the puff. “We’ll see if you do any better than I have.”

Chapter Three
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