Page 10 of A Siren for the Duke

Lionel Hunt stared at her with those beautiful sea-blue eyes, open wide with surprise. He, too, was frozen in shock. Several moments passed before either of them spoke as they sized each other up. Jemima could see his eyes flickering up and down her scantily clad figure. Determined not to show weakness, she jutted out her chin as she inspected him – tall as ever, broad as ever, cutting quite the figure in his Royal Navy coat and cocked hat.

“What are you doing in my cabin?” she blurted out.

Lionel raised an eyebrow in amusement.

“I think you’ll find that this is the ship’s cabin. I am Captain of this ship; therefore, it is my cabin.”

Jemima could not think of a clever response, so in her frustration, she picked up her fine silk slipper and threw it at him with as much force as she could muster. It only clipped his shoulder.

“Ow,” he said flatly. “Why are you on my ship, in my quarters? And in a state of undress, no less?”

“I owe you nothing, least of all an explanation,” she retorted with a sniff. “But if you are here, I cannot be here. I must leave the ship at once.”

Lionel tsked and ambled closer to her, his hands clasped behind his back.

“I’m afraid we’re well underway, Lady Jemima,” he said in a mocking tone that she did not care much for. “Unless you’d like to jump ship and swim across the Irish Sea, there is no way for you to return to Portsmouth.”

“You… why you horrible, horrible man!” she cried, her arms flailing.

Lionel was utterly unfazed by her outburst.

“Such a fine outburst.” he said, holding her wrists in an attempt to stop her from hitting him.

“I order you to turn this ship about at once!” she cried, wriggling in his grasp. The concern for her own modesty had flown out the porthole with her anger.

“Woman, are you mad? You cannot sneak onto my ship and take my quarters and expect to bark orders at me. This is not the ton. Unlike your household and everything else in your life, my crew and I are not at your beck and call.”

The words stung worse than a slap to the face. Jemima had never considered herself particularly demanding or entitled… but to hear Lionel lay down the law of the ship like this made her feel uncomfortable. She was a stowaway, after all. And the only woman aboard a ship full of strong, battle-hardened men.

“Then what do I do?” she asked wearily, snatching her wrists out of Lionel’s grasp as soon as his grip loosened.

He shrugged. “You’re the one who snuck onto my ship. I believe the decision and course of action are yours.”

There was really nothing to say to that. Suddenly Jemima realized the gravity of her situation, and regret began to gnaw at her heart and mind.

“Until we decide how to proceed, you will stay here.”

Jemima’s head snapped up, hazel eyes wide with alarm.

“Here? In this small room?” her voice was unnaturally high-pitched, and she squeaked her response.

“Indeed. It is bad luck to have a woman aboard. If the crew discovers your presence, it will disrupt the entire voyage. I shan’t be long. Stay quiet, please,” he instructed in a cool, matter-of-fact tone. It made her blood boil. Quick as a whip, he crossed the small room and shut the door behind him. When she heard the lock click, she let out a frustrated yell into the pillow and punched the thin mattress repeatedly.

It was nothing like the glorious reunion she’d imagined in her head. And she’d been half-dressed for it! It was equal parts embarrassing and pathetic. Not knowing what else to do, she slumped into the bed again, losing all desire and motivation. Freedom now seemed less and less attainable. If they docked, he had the power to turn her over to her family, who would then likely procure a special license and force her to marry the Marquess as quickly as possible.

She groaned and punched the pillow until her arm was too tired to continue.

Somehow, she would make him pay.

CHAPTER FIVE

Lionel quickly locked the door behind him, his hands trembling with irritation. How on God’s green earth did that infernal woman manage to sneak her way onto his ship, into his cabin no less? It was maddening, and not just because he had hated her ever since he’d left on his first voyage two years ago. Sailors saw a woman aboard ship as a bad omen. It was a tale as old as time. The other much larger concern was that if anyone discovered her presence here, rumors would spin. It could become a governmental incident. If Jemima so chose, she could claim the Royal Navy had kidnapped her, which was not good for their image. There was already outcry and pressure about young men being pressganged into service.

He needed to think. Their ship was headed to the Caribbean, far away from the comforts of England. There was no way for her to leave, and he certainly couldn’t maroon her in Jamaica.

So lost in his thought was Lionel that he did not notice Ellis right behind him.

“Christ, man!” He exclaimed with a startled jump.