Brianna tried to hide her astonishment at the wardrobe carried in for her. Paddy laid out a pile of fine muslins and silks, some trimmed with delicate laces, some with precious furs. Paddy, after spreading the rich clothing out, turned back to her, and noticed the surprise upon her features.
“Uh…an old friend of the captain’s used to keep quarters upon the ship, my lady. I doubt she’ll be needing these again.”
Color suffused Brianna’s face along with the rage that filled her. Treveryan! He was giving her the cast-off goods of another woman. Another woman who had apparently had the run of the ship—despite Sloan’s men! He had done nothing but he to her and give her ridiculous excuses about her situation!
Brianna said nothing and fought to hide her emotions from Paddy. Sloan was the one who had wronged her. Her dark lashes swept her cheeks and then she faced Paddy with a slight smile. “Thank you, Paddy.”
Paddy had spent his life serving the Treveryans and sailing the seas. He was an old sea salt—a far cry from a courtly gallant. But when she spoke, he felt a gentling toward her, despite the fact that she seemed like nothing but trouble. “’Twas nothing, girl,” he promised.
There was a slight sound at the door, and both Brianna and Paddy looked that way, startled.
Sloan stood within the doorway. Brianna stiffened, expecting some form of mockery at the interchange.
But his expression was unfathomable. “I see that Paddy has provided you with clean clothing to wear. I’ll give you leave to dress and return with a meal.”
He left the door open behind him. Paddy shuffled his feet awkwardly and then backed toward it, pausing only to grab up the wet pile of her soaked things. “Good day…Brianna.”
“Good day,” she murmured.
He left her with a bit of a grimace and Brianna followed to close the door behind him. When she was alone she again glanced at the pile of luxurious clothing strewn across the chair. The gowns were stunning—far grander than any she had ever owned.
But fury grew within her again at the sight of them and she stomped across the room and swept them onto the floor with a vengeance. They had belonged to another woman. A mistress. A woman he had discarded and passed on as easily as he did the gowns.
What would be her fate when he finished with her? Would she be cast aside as easily? Lord, how she wanted to thrash him at that moment! Treveryan! The arrogance of the man! He would never, never cast her aside, because she would never be his to cast. But something within her hurt again; an ache that attacked her stomach and caused her to grit her teeth tightly together.
She sighed—she had to school herself away from both anger and pain. Neither would serve her and the gowns would, since she preferred to be fully clad when she was near him!
She paused for a minute. Had last night meant that he intended to respect her wishes? A shiver first cold, and then warm, touched upon her spine. Or was he baiting her, taunting her, playing with her, as a cat did with a mouse?
How she wanted her freedom! Freedom, and safety, she reminded herself. But anywhere would be far from Glasgow—and Matthews. All she had to do was fight to maintain a remote distance from Sloan—until they docked somewhere. Then she could disappear.Dear God!she prayed silently. It wasn’t that she wasn’t grateful to be alive—she was, so very, very grateful. But it was becoming increasingly difficult to be grateful to a man like Treveryan. Without fail he had the ability to make her completely lose all control of her temper.
She chose the most modest of the gowns, a deep-blue muslin with a petticoat in a lighter shade of velvet, and dressed quickly. It was a bit loose, and a bit short (as she was tall for a woman), but the fit was far better than she might have expected. She determined to have the rest of the gowns picked up before Sloan returned, but it was when she started this task that she suddenly spun around with horror.
Brianna closed her eyes, remembering how Paddy had picked up the bundle of her own soaked clothing when he left the cabin.
Her clothing, the gold coins—her means for escape—were gone!
Brianna raced stupidly to the spot where her clothing had lain. How had she let it happen? “No!” she whispered. And then she screamed the word, stamping her foot down furiously. Panic and anger filled her with a driving bitterness. She had earned that money; earned it with the loss of all innocence and the one beauty that had been hers to give. She had to get the money back, because it was the one means she had to escape Sloan Treveryan.
“Damn!” Brianna emitted in a furious wail, and her temper took complete control of her for a moment of ridiculous vengeance. She swirled about and lifted the new gowns and kicked and tossed them furiously about.
So involved in the venting of rage and misery did she become that she did not hear the door when it opened. It was by pure chance that she raised her eyes to the doorway and saw Sloan standing there, holding a tray, and watching her with curious amusement.
“What is your problem now?”
Brianna stopped cold, staring at him warily while she warned herself to take as much care with the situation as she could.
“My—my own things are gone. I want them back,” she told him.
He shrugged. “When they are dried and clean, they will be returned to you.” He took a further step into the room, closing the door. “What did you want with them? They are little but rags now.”
“I’ve a great sentimental attachment to my own things,” she told him coolly.
“Have you, now?”
As he walked past her, Brianna inhaled a delicious aroma that reminded her she was starving.
Sloan paused for a moment, his eyes sweeping the scene before him—the disarray upon his floor, and the rebellious defiance in the stunning blue eyes that rose to his. He successfully hid a smile as he continued on to his desk and set the tray down.
