“Finally, I do apologise for his, ahem, state of indecency. He refused to wear anything but a shirt and a pair of breeches. No waistcoat, shoes, or jacket.” Shaking his head as if the idea of not wearing those garments was beyond appalling, the doctor opened the door and peered inside. “Not to worry, lad. It’s me with the lady who found you.”
Maddie rose on her tiptoes to see past the doctor but couldn’t catch a glimpse of the cabin. No answer came, but the doctor entered all the same. She followed him, holding her breath.
The doctor stretched out an arm towards her. “Mr. Wentworth, this is Miss Madeline Debenham.”
A tall, strapping man stood in front of the porthole but spun around when the doctor introduced her. She remained still, studying the castaway. He towered a good foot and half over her. When the sailors had dragged him inside, she hadn’t appreciated how tall, broad, and brawny he was. His shirt was scandalously half-buttoned, leaving a portion of his muscled chest bare. The skin had a dark, golden-brown tint that enhanced the gold in his long, long hair falling well past his shoulders. She’d never seen a body so perfectly sculpted, as if Michelangelo had just finished adding the final touches.
Between his thick beard and his unruly hair, his face was hidden, but his eyes...Lord, his eyes were the most intense sapphire she’d ever seen, fringed by long gold eyelashes. She’d unsuccessfully tried to replicate the elusive shade of his irises for a long time. There was no doubt.
“Hector,” she whispered, forgetting to address him properly.
He drew in a breath that lifted his chest, but he didn’t say anything.
“Are you Mr. Hector Wentworth?” She found it hard to believe it. Aside from his startling eyes, he didn’t resemble the lanky, young man who’d brought her flowers and visited her every day. If anything, the blond giant looked like a pirate ready to slit her throat. She placed a trembling hand right there as she regarded him. “Do you remember me?”
“Maddie.” His voice didn’t sound like Hector’s but was all rough and deep. But then again, his voice must have changed in eight years, as the rest of his body. The fact he’d used her short name with a sweet tone hadn’t escaped her notice. “Of course I remember you.” His gaze dipped to her hand. “I hurt you. I broke your window and destroyed your painting. I could never forget that horrible night.”
“Heavens.” Maddie dropped her sketchbook. “You’re Mr. Wentworth.”
“Oh, Lord.” Dr. Landon propped his hand on the table as if he needed something to support him.
Maddie took her time, regarding Hector, trying to find more similarities with the man she remembered. The problem was that he regarded her as well. His intense stare burned with an emotion she couldn’t place, and it distracted her.
“We thought you died in the storm.” Relief and happiness choked her, and she couldn’t suppress a sob.
“For a while, so did I.” He didn’t say anything else. His right hand was bandaged, but the gauze couldn’t hide the swollen skin underneath.
“How did you survive?” she asked.
The doctor perked up.
Hector sat on the bed and stared at his big hands for a few moments before answering. “I don’t remember much about the sinking. There was a storm. Thunder. Waves taller than London’s buildings. Then a crack as if the ship split. I hit my head and lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was lying on a beach. I guessed a current had dragged me to an island. It was uninhabited. There were many species of birds, fish, and even edible plants. And primates. Aggressive primates.” He gritted his teeth when he said the last words.
“Primates?” she asked.
“Animals similar to monkeys. Similar to us.” He stared at his hands again.
Maddie copied the doctor and leant against the wall, needing support.
“You lived on the island for eight years?” the doctor asked, his glasses slipping down his nose.
Hector didn’t gaze up. “My knowledge of plants helped me survive. The majority of species were new to me, but I identified the Families and went from there.” He paused to drink a glass of water. “Flotsam from the ship proved to be precious too. I found knives, wood, and even blankets. With time, I learnt to hunt, fish, and which plants I could eat.”
“This is most extraordinary.” Maddie took the chair in front of him, since her legs weakened. “Like Robinson Crusoe.”
Hector raised his gaze to her, and the flicker of a smile graced his lips. She couldn’t be sure though with his wild beard.
“How did you leave the island?” she asked.
Hector lowered his gaze again. “I could see the ships from the island when the weather was good and the sea calm. They sailed in the distance. But they never saw me even though I lit a bonfire several feet tall. It took me a while to understand the ships had a strict schedule. I saw them only during a precise period of the year and always on the same spot. So I built a raft.” He breathed hard now, his muscles swelling under his shirt. “I was terrified to leave the island. The currents were too strong for me. They shoved me away from the ship I wanted to intercept. I was so scared. The ship seemed so far away. The sea started to become rough.” He shook, his broad shoulders quivering. Sobs tore out of him. “I can’t believe I survived. I thought I was going to die. The sea was terrifying.” His pupils dilated, and his cracked lips parted.
A lump swelled in her throat at his pain. “It’s all right.” Maddie took his hand, feeling his hard skin and strong fingers. “You don’t have to tell us everything now. We’re just glad you’re here safe.”
He stopped shaking. His eyes flared wide with a feral glint as he stared at her hand over his.
Good gracious. Had she stunned him with her boldness? Hurt him? She went to remove her hand, but he held it in an almost painful grip as if he were desperate for the contact. Lord, his fingers were strong indeed. He could break a person’s neck with them. A shiver slithered down her back, but she wasn’t sure it was only fear.
He released her abruptly, and she inched her hand back. He spied on her from underneath his fringe like a predator waiting to lunge at his prey.
