I smiled when I opened the door and found Rennie waiting for me in the corridor. “How are you? You should be resting.”
“Don’t worry.” He shrugged. “I’ve been better, but I’ve seen worse. Your bruise?”
“Painful, but better than last night.” I tilted my head, noticing he kept his posture straight. “How’s your wound?”
“It wasn’t as deep as you thought. Barely a scratch.”
“It bled a lot.” I wasn’t an expert in wounds, but his stab had been serious.
“I’m starving. Shall we go to the dining hall?”
“Of course.” Odd.
He walked next to me, shooting glares at anyone who brushed past us. His shoulders were stiff and tense.
I put a hand on his arm. “Don’t be so tense. He won’t attack us in broad daylight.”
His gaze dipped to my hand before returning to my face. But he didn’t say anything.
Having skipped supper last night, my stomach rumbled in appreciation as I scooped up spoons full of porridge.
Rennie sat next to me, barely touching his scrambled eggs, his gaze lost on the sea.
“I thought you were hungry. Are you thinking about the man from last night?” I asked, polishing my bowl.
He leant back, drumming his fingers on the table. “I don’t understand how he entered my cabin. I opened the door with my key. The door was locked and wasn’t broken, so he didn’t force it. He either picked the lock or had a master key. Odd.”
“Both explanations are reasonable. A professional thief should know how to pick the lock of a cabin, and he could have stolen a master key from a member of the crew. Why don’t you find those two explanations valid?” I poured myself another cup of tea, studying Rennie’s profile.
His rough charm started a flutter in my chest. Sandro was handsome with his fine features, but I could see the appeal of a wilder, rougher appearance. No bruise marred Rennie’s skin. I thought the man had punched him. He had to be a fast healer. Very fast.
“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling I have.” The sunlight lit his eyes, turning them into two emeralds. His cheeks were pale though. “Listen.” He lifted his gaze to me. “Why don’t we go back to England? Now. Leave this bloody ship and return home.”
“What?” I lowered my cup, nearly spilling the tea. “What are you talking about? I’ve just started to enjoy myself now that I don’t feel sick every two minutes, and you want to leave? Besides, the trip would be a rather uncomfortable one. We’d either travel by train, stopping countless times across countries with names I can’t even pronounce and spending weeks in a carriage, or take another ship, and what would the difference be then? Not to mention that we need to stop in Tunis anyway.”
He chewed his bottom lip, and for some stupid reason, my eyes focused on the way the tip of his tongue appeared from between his white teeth. He had nice white teeth, I guessed.
“You’re right. Forget it.” Rennie waved a dismissive hand. But I wasn’t fooled.
“Why are you so worried?” I asked. His hand lay a few inches from mine, and I stifled the odd urge to brush it. The truth was he radiated sadness and fear, and my chest tightened for him. “I understand the whole ordeal must have traumatised you, but we can’t let that thug scare us, can we?”
“I’m nottraumatised.” His usual scowl was back, erasing his moment of weakness. “I’m worried about your safety. Obviously, this ship has her share of criminals. You aren’t safe. I don’t like it.”
I took another sip of tea, spying on him from over the rim of my cup. “Are you worried about me, or are you overzealous about doing your duty?”
His emerald eyes, which I’d admired so much, turned into two stormy pits. “Now you’re being unfair. Of course, I’m worried about you. Sod the work. This is about your safety.” His voice cracked when he said the last words.
I blew out a breath. “I think you’re overreacting. At the end of the day, nothing really happened, and Detective Norton?—”
“Help!” A woman barged into the dining hall, her grey-striped hair bouncing over her reddened cheeks.
I was on my feet before I knew it. Rennie was faster than me, though. Attendants and other passengers rushed to her aid.
“What is it, madam?” I took her trembling shoulders. “Are you hurt?”
“A man attacked me.” Her voice was so high-pitched it could cut glass. Gasps echoed in the room. “I was coming here to have breakfast when he emerged from a dark corner and jumped on me.” She clamped her hands over her rising bosom.
“Here, sit down.” I gently led her to my chair and helped her sit, ignoring the whispers and mutters from the crowd. “What is your name, madam?”
