He'd dreamt of the day he’d be rescued, even cried, thinking about the moment he would be found. He’d even prepared a speech to thank whoever had spotted him in the sea. On those occasions, a storm of emotions had raged in his chest. Relief, gratitude, and happiness. But now? Nothing. Only mild curiosity at the ship and her destination.
He raised his calloused hands. His thick skin was dark against the white bedsheets. He didn’t even shiver. A void of sensations lay in his heart. He felt...nothing. And how disturbing was that? Had the sea robbed him of his humanity, too?
After the storm and the sinking, he’d awakened on a beach, surrounded by dead sailors, broken equipment, and flotsam. At that time, he hadn’t felt anything either. Just annoyance at his absurd situation. The nervous breakdown had come later when he'd fully realised he was alone on a deserted island and that no one was going to search for him.
A new breakdown would arrive soon, he guessed. It was a matter of time. Hopefully. What was a man without his emotions?
He jolted when the door swung inward and a short man entered. Hector bared his teeth, an instinctive reaction he didn’t want to control at the moment. The man stilled and raised a hand. The skin around his brown eyes wrinkled when he smiled.
“Good day, sir. I’m Dr. Landon. I’m the physician who has been attending to your health since you were rescued.”
Hector didn’t say anything, too stunned to talk. He hadn’t heard a human voice in years and wasn’t sure what to make of it now.
Dr. Landon fiddled with his small hands. “You’ve been asleep for three days.”
Hector said nothing. Oddly enough, his brain fixated on examining the doctor’s dark waistcoat. So different from the waistcoats Hector used to wear. The neckline was low, and there were only three buttons on the front. Why was he paying attention to fashion?
“May I check your pulse?” the doctor asked.
A dozen questions piled up in Hector’s mind, but still his tongue refused to move and let him speak.
The doctor came closer, seemingly unaffected by Hector’s silence. “You’re on board theSteamship Empress, sailing from Nassau to Southampton. We’re due to arrive in less than two weeks if the weather remains fair.”
His breath hitched. England. Home. His mother. His brother. The thought caused a painful tightness in his chest. His family had to be distraught over his supposed death. He’d missed them so much.
The doctor sat on a stool next to the bed. “May I?” He waited, but since Hector didn’t move or speak, he reached out for Hector’s wrist.
On pure instinct, Hector recoiled and moved to a corner of the bed. Why? He hadn’t the foggiest idea. The doctor wasn’t one of those dangerous primates that had attacked him on many an occasion.
“What is your name?” the doctor asked, withdrawing his probing hand, but still smiling.
Hector opened his mouth, but his throat was sore, and only a raspy noise came out.
“Oh, right. Wait.” The doctor poured him a glass of water and handed it to him. “Here. You were dehydrated when we found you, but not as much as I’d expected. My guess is you had some provisions with you on the raft.”
Hector gulped down the water, closing his eyes at its fresh passage in his throat. He nodded.
The doctor beamed. “Ah, so you understand English. Good. I was starting to think you didn’t speak my language. Are you an Englishman?”
Hector nodded again, drinking more.
“Your throat is fine, by the way. Just a bit dry. What is your name, lad?”
He swallowed a couple of times, feeling a burning scratch in the back of his mouth. “He-Hector,” he croaked out. “Hector Wen-Wentworth.”
Dr. Landon stilled, his cheeks paling. “Hector Wentworth? The Duke of Blackburn?”
Hector swallowed again. “My brother, Robert, is the duke.” His voice sounded all raspy and low.
“Good Lord.” The doctor removed his rounded glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “But Mr. Hector Wentworth...his ship sank eight years ago.”
“So she did. I sank with her.”
Dr. Landon’s mouth dropped open. “How did you survive?”
Hector brushed a lock of hair from his face. “Luck. I’m not sure.”
It was now the doctor’s turn to remain speechless.
