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Warmth spread to my face. “You’re impossible.”
“Impossible not to adore.” With a seemingly great amount of effort, he pushed himself up and assisted me to my feet. There was still a hunger in his eyes that matched my own, and I wondered which of us would go mad with want first. I dragged my gaze away from him and settled it back on the bed, devising a way to reverse a few moments in time. “Have I ever told you about our country estate?”
I blinked at the sudden change in topic. “I don’t believe so.”
Thomas moved his hands up my wrists to my arms, then glided them down to my waist. He brought my body to his, lips ghosting over mine, and I fought to remain in control. I had the impression that if I were to kiss him again, neither one of us would regain our composure. In that moment, I wasn’t sure I wanted to do the proper thing.
“Once we’re married, I’d like to take you there,” he whispered. “I’ll send most of the staff away. We’ll have all the privacy in the world—no more sneaking about. When you look at me the way you are now, my virtue is perilously close to corruption. And I’ve never been a very pious man, Wadsworth.”
Heat pooled in my core at such a shocking declaration. I found I couldn’t wait for the day we stopped holding ourselves back. “You truly are a scoundrel, Thomas Cresswell.”
He chuckled. “Ah yes, but that sparkle in your eye indicates you adore it. And I love nothing more than pleasing you, so I’ll do my best at being the worst.”
“How romantic of you.”
“I thought so, too.” He glanced at the clock on my nightstand. “I’m afraid your uncle might murder Mrs. Harvey if we don’t hurry back. He was eyeing up the knives when I left, and I don’t believe he was contemplating which was the correct one to use on his filet.”
I forced my gaze away from his mouth. Thoughts of actual murder shattered any remaining heat I’d felt between us. I sighed. “Let’s go save our chaperones, then.”
Thomas shrugged his jacket on, then exited through Mrs. Harvey’s room. I studied my reflection in the looking glass, adjusting dark curls that had slipped free. I touched my lips, hoping they didn’t appear swollen with kisses to anyone else’s eye. I couldn’t wait to write to Liza, she lived for this sort of romantic detail. She’d be shocked and delighted and—I gasped as if I’d been struck a hard blow. I’d momentarily forgotten she was missing.
I bent over, pressing my hands
to my center and dragged in a deep breath, trying to quell my nerves. I was a terrible wanton thing, getting so distracted by Thomas’s lips. I swore to do better the rest of the voyage.
A moment later, he knocked on my outer door like a proper gentleman escort. I pushed my worries aside, opened the door, and accepted his arm. He was right—there wasn’t anything we could do for Liza while trapped on this ship. Once we made land in America, I could orchestrate a better plan.
“Ready?” Thomas asked. I nodded. We moved as swiftly as my silken shoes permitted into the inner corridor that led to the saloon.
We checked our overcoats—and Thomas’s white silk muffler—with an attendant and hurried down the hall, Thomas striding confidently in his full-dress suit. I paused, gaping at a rose he wore, fastened through his dress coat’s buttonhole. I hadn’t noticed it before I’d taken his jacket off. Truthfully, I hadn’t been thinking of much outside of our embrace.
He caught my stare and winked. “They’ve got hothouse flowers on board for a shamefully indecent price. Clearly, I thought of you while dressing. Do feel free to return the favor anytime. Only, perhaps you ought to do it in reverse.”
My clever retort died on my lips when the doors were swept open for us by two liveried attendants. The color scheme was the same black-and-white floors and sparkling ink-blue curtains from yesterday, but tonight there were silver and gold accents. Flowers, candelabras, and strands of beads made up centerpieces, a waterfall of excess riches.
What caught my attention—and most everyone else’s, judging from their wide-eyed looks—were the masked performers filing into the room, twirling silver swords as if they were batons. Light bounced around off their blades, sending a flutter into my heart.
They were an army of performers, dressed for battle. Any one of them might turn their weapon on a dinner guest. Worse yet, all of them held the power to make this feast a bloodbath.
My steps faltered. I couldn’t imagine a spectacle that would please a hungry killer more and hoped I was wrong.
Circus tents
FIVE
KNIGHT OF SWORDS
DINING SALOON
RMS ETRURIA
2 JANUARY 1889
“It’s all right, breathe.” Thomas guided me to our table and pulled my chair out, though there were waiters at the ready. A few of them blanched, but they did not dare step forward and remove him from the task he’d assigned himself.
At Thomas’s show of chivalry, Uncle Jonathan lifted his attention from his fork and knife. He stared, expression inscrutable, and Lord only knew what he thought of Thomas’s careful attention to me. I doubted he could hear my heart thudding, but irrationally worried the words I KISSED THOMAS CRESSWELL MOST WANTONLY were suddenly painted above my brow.
A smile started at the edges of his lips as if he’d dissected the very thought from my head. “Audrey Rose.” He nodded as my escort took the seat beside him, across from me. “Thomas. You’re just in time.”
