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“Of course.” Lady Eleanor claps her hands. “To the English lady who had befriended her.”
Bentwood nods. “CeCe helped her run away, but in doing so looks just as guilty.”
“But where have they gone?” I ask. “Any evidence will surely be gone by the time we reach those shores.”
Again, Bentwood looks about before quietly admitting, “She is safe. We are not heading for her. We’re leading the others away.”
I pull away and face him directly, arms akimbo, mouth ready to utter all sorts of things if he hadn’t left me speechless. We aren’t going anywhere. Merely sailing away as a decoy.
“They followed more closely than expected,” Lady Eleanor realises. She is not lost for words. “Your foreigner is the concubine’s man?”
“I should have known you’d figure that out.” He shakes his head. “Zenji believes more than one group are after us.”
Neither notices me, absolutely flabbergasted.
“The other man, or group,” Lady E. guesses, “wants to steal the sapphire.”
“Exactly.” Bentwood’s lips press tight. He’s furious with the turn of events.
“We don’t have the sapphire.”
My wits are returning.
He shakes his head again.
“But it’s still missing, and they are willing to kill us in an attempt to find it.”
I’m finally comprehending.
“We are doing everything possible to keep you safe,” he promises, but this does nothing. He is the one I want safe.
“No,” Lady Eleanor argues, “we can’t lead them to your sister or the stone if we're dead. It’s in their best interest to keep us alive.”
Bentwood studies the planks beneath our feet. I know what he is thinking before he faces us again.
“Me, they want to kill me.”
“Whatever for?” Lady E. asks. “What purpose would that serve?”
“I’m not certain. Perhaps they mean to flush CeCe out or stop this journey. We aren’t certain.”
“Can you trust this man?” I press.
“I trust him with our lives,” Bentwood assures. “He will do anything to protect her, and us in turn.”
“Eunuch?” Lady E. blinks, looking as befuddled as I’ve been feeling.
“Eunuch, smunich,” I complain, “he hasn’t been there once when we’ve been in danger.”
“On the contrary.” Bentwood moves closer. “Zenji saw the knife you saw. He threw the man off balance but hadn’t accounted for your rescue. He was impressed.”
“He tossed the villain overboard?” Lady E. asks.
“Yes.”
“What about the sweets in your cabin? He should have been aware of that,” I accuse.
“Word reached him of a plan to kidnap you, hide you in the depths of the ship, and blackmail me. He was searching for those men. I should have known better than to allow anyone to consume food prepared for me alone.”
