She wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly. “What do you mean?”
“There were so many stars shining over the island. Often, I slept outside of the shelter I’d built just to stare at the stars. The island was so dark that, when I lay down and watched the stars, it was like being there among them. I was surrounded by starlight. Peace. All my worries disappeared. It was my moment of freedom in the prison that was the island.” He lowered his gaze. “I wished to die so many times that the thought became a constant presence. I wanted to dissolve myself in the starlight.”
“Hector.” She took his hands as a knot tied in her throat for all the pain he’d endured. “You’re safe now.”
“The stars saved me. Literally. By watching them, I understood where I was. They showed me the way.” He held her hands, turning towards her. “The way to you. And you found me.” He brought her hand up and kissed it. His soft lips brushed against her knuckles before placing a gentle kiss on the scar.
Oh, dear. Her knees weakened. A moment ago, she’d been sad. Now she was a quivering mess. Too many emotions. The sweetness of the kiss sent a delicious shiver down her back. Perhaps she was a wanton woman or Verity’s secret letters had affected her, but her body tingled with sensation, even though he kissed her hand reverently rather than decadently. The kiss was one made of gratitude, not lust.
Still, she couldn’t deny the sliver of pleasure going through her or the sudden throb between her thighs. For some reason, her mind conjured up the memory of his marriage proposal. Should she bring it up? No, it would be rude, and why did she think about it to start with? Because the other option was to think about his half-naked body. Or about his courage, honesty, and kind heart. He was too many good things all together.
“What are you doing?” Mother’s voice rent the calm night with its sharpness like a strident note in a beautiful song.
Maddie snatched her hand out of Hector’s grip. He didn’t flinch but scowled at her mother and shifted in front of Maddie as if to protect her.
“Madeline, are you behaving wantonly with this individual?” Mother’s cheeks, pale from her sickness, gave her a spectral look that only added a layer of menace to her tense figure.
“Of course not, Mother.” Maddie brushed a lock of her hair from her heated face. “Mr. Wentworth is a perfect gentleman.”
“Kissing your hand in such fashion while alone with you?” She fired a glance at Hector.
He hunched his broad shoulders. “I’ll leave you then, Miss Madeline, Mrs. Debenham. Good night.”
“Hector, wait!” Maddie took his hand.
He flashed a shy smile. “Your mother is right. It’s late. You shouldn’t be with me. I’ll see you tomorrow. Perhaps we can have tea in the dining hall.”
“If you want to.”
“Thank you for your time. It means a lot to me.” He slid his hand out of hers, a lingering sadness in his manners.
She watched him heading below deck, an ache spreading through her chest. “Why are you so cruel to him?” she asked once alone with the termagant.
“Why are you so kind to him? He made you a cripple, destroyed your room, disappeared, and then had the brilliant idea to return and behave like a beast. He’s nothing but a savage.” Mother added three ‘s’ to the last word.
“Mother!” Maddie balled her fists, tired of her mother’s rudeness. And her mother claimed to be a decent lady?
“I’m concerned about you.” Mother grabbed the railing. “I gave you plenty of freedom, and you repay me by behaving recklessly. He’s dangerous.”
“Not as dangerous as you are,” Maddie said.
Mother shook her head. “How can you not see he’s a beast?”
“Honestly. There’s a beast on this ship. But it’s not him.” She started to walk away, but her mother grabbed her arm.
“I don’t want you to spend time with him.” Mother bared her teeth.
She shrugged her arm free. “He needs compassion, and I was the one who spotted his raft. I’m also the only person he knows and trusts on this ship. I will not leave him alone in a moment like this.”
“He isn’t your responsibility.”
Maddie resumed walking. “As I’m not yours, and thank goodness for that.”
* * *
Maddie regretted having agreedto take Hector for a tea the next day. But Hector had insisted, saying he needed to become accustomed to people again, and she couldn’t disagree on that point.
She wished he had returned to his cabin though. Not because he didn’t wear any shoes again, nor a waistcoat. She didn’t mind it, although she hated the odd and curious glances the passengers threw at him and the constant whispers echoing around them. What bothered her was the fact he was easily startled, jolting on his chair every time someone laughed too loudly or dropped a cup on the saucer. His chest heaved. His gaze kept sweeping through the hall and the pristine round tables as if he searched for an escape.
