Call of the Sea (22 page)

She rubbed at the wrinkles grooved across her forehead.

The office door swung open.

Ellie lifted her gaze to find General McTavish standing at the office entrance, dressed in full uniform. She craned to see if his armed guards followed, but he appeared to be alone.

A tingle of apprehension shuddered down her spine. She plastered on what she hoped was a friendly smile. “General, so good to see you again. To what do I owe the honor?”

McTavish sauntered into the office at a leisurely pace, taking time to inspect the shelves along the wall to the right of the door. He cocked his head, squinted at the binding of one of the books, straightened and swiveled about to face Ellie. “I wanted to stop by and offer my sincerest condolences on the death of your father. He was a loyal patriot and staunch supporter of our efforts against the Dutch.”

Warning chimes sounded in her head. “Thank you, General. I am humbled you would make a special trip here just to say so.” She didn’t buy it for a minute. He wanted something.

“I understand your father left his holdings to you. If you’ll pardon my saying so, I find that quite curious.” He rubbed his dimpled chin with a gloved hand. “Not many men would leave such substantial holdings in the care of a woman.”

Ellie prickled. “Aye, he did. My father was anything but typical, General.” She ruffled some papers about, trying to look busy. “Was there some business you wished to discuss?”

McTavish didn’t indicate he’d even heard her. “Running the family shipping business is not the sort of thing daughters generally aspire to, either. Most are content to stay at home caring for family and hearth. Quite unusual.”

Her ears grew hot. “I’m not like most daughters, General McTavish.” She wrapped herself in a cocoon of calm, leaned back in her chair. She offered him an icy glare. “Now, if I have sufficiently assuaged your curiosity, I really am quite busy.”

His lips twisted up in a cruel smirk. “Tell me, Miss Winters, where is your husband-to-be? I would expect him to be here to help you with all this,” he waved a lazy hand in the air, “tediousness.”

“Daniel is testifying before the magistrate in Truro, as you requested he do. He hasn’t yet returned.” The oddness of the general’s question planted a small seed of doubt in her head. Had Daniel lied about that, too?

“I see. Yes, I’d have expected him back before now. I’m sure all is well.” McTavish swung about and paced back toward the door. “I’m sure he’ll be along soon. He’s probably anxious to get back to you. I, for one, would not leave a flower such as yourself alone for too long.” He awarded her with a lusty sneer.

Ellie’s skin crawled and her stomach flip-flopped. “I’ll be sure to let him know you stopped by.”
Now go away.
She sat upright in the chair, squaring her shoulders, and folded her hands neatly on the open ledger, hoping she gave off an air of cool confidence.

McTavish leaned, as if he meant to take a step in her direction. Instead, he cleared his throat and notched his chin up. “Yes, please do.” He cocked his head to the side, dark eyes boring into her.

She wanted to shrink beneath the desk until he left, but she held his gaze, heart hammering loudly.

“Good day, Miss Winters.” With that, the insufferable general was gone.

Ellie let out a pent-up breath. The muscles at the back of her neck ached from the tension they’d held so long. She rested her head in her hands, rubbed at her temples.

I sure hope Daniel and Nelson get home soon.

As if he’d heard her silent plea, Nelson came strolling through the shipping office door, a broad grin swallowing the bottom of his face. “Darling, I’m home,” he sang in a teasing voice as he flopped into a chair opposite Ellie. “Did you miss me, dear?”

She’d never let him know how much. “You know I did.” Ellie leaned her elbows on the desk. “Where did you leave Daniel?”

Nelson shifted, sitting up straighter. “Actually, he left me—in Truro. I lost him his second day there, spent the past week and a half hunting for him. He just disappeared, El.”

Ellie’s eyebrows knitted together. “What do you mean, he disappeared? You have no idea where he is?” Panic rippled through her. What if he didn’t come back?

“I trailed him to the inn where he took a room the day we arrived in Truro. He ate there and went to bed early. Nobody in or out. Easy night.”

“That obviously didn’t last.” She waved a hand to hurry the story along. “Get to the good part.”

“This story doesn’t have a good part. He went out early the next morning and lost me in the bustle of the crowded streets. I think he knew he had a tail. Anyway, I went back to the inn to wait him out. Figured he had to show up there at some point, but he never did. I waited for days, and when it was obvious he wasn’t coming back, I decided it would be best to tell you what was happening.”

Ellie blew a puff of air through her bangs. “Great. I had an unexpected visit from General McTavish before you arrived. He said he came to give his condolences for Papa, but he’s up to something. Despite what Daniel said, I get the feeling they know each other. I think McTavish came by looking for Daniel, though I don’t know why he would since he sent Daniel to Truro in the first place.”

“I’ll do some digging into the general now that I’m back, and see what I can fish up. Someone has to know why he’s here in Newquay. It isn’t exactly a hub of military operations.”

She gave a nod. “Agreed. Meet me on
The Siren’s Call
in the morning. With or without Daniel, we need to get that new mast installed. If he doesn’t return soon, we’ll have to consider the possibility of going after Jashir without him.”

“Wouldn’t you have to steal his ship to do that?”

Ellie drew her shoulders up in a shrug. “Once a pirate, always a pirate.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

Daniel lay on his back in the warm sand of Winters Cove, taking full advantage of the sun’s rays. He’d been at the inlet beneath the Winters cabin for three days and still Ellie hadn’t come down to the beach.

Granted, it had taken much longer than he’d expected to swim from Truro out to the Channel, around the southern tip of England, and back to Newquay. But they were four long weeks spent with a solitary purpose—getting back to Ellie. In just a few more hours, his debt would be paid for another year. He loved his seal form, the freedom and community with nature it afforded, but he loved Ellie more. The last few weeks had been the longest of his twenty-three years.

Daniel rolled onto his belly, lifted his head, and sniffed the breeze.
It will probably take that long to get her to talk to me again.
He let out a snort and ambled toward the surf.

A cold swim and some lunch would be welcome distractions. Reaching the water’s edge, he waddled out and dove into an oncoming wave. The heavy silence of the underwater welcomed him.

A hard flick of his tail sent Daniel shooting through the endless blue. He headed for the rocky depths, where the cliffs surrounding the inlet curved outward to meet the sea. The fishing was always good there.

It wasn’t long before he came across a small cluster of fish heading for the rich nutrients of the flowing vegetation growing on the coral rock found in the shallower waters.

After a quick trip to the surface for a chest full of air, Daniel dove after the meandering school of shimmering silver. His sleek body cut through the water toward the stragglers at the back of the pack. His skin tingled with the heady rush of the hunt.

When the school darted left, the slight tilt of his head brought him closer. Daniel gave a hard kick, surging forward. He snapped his jaws around the round, slow fish at the back of the fleeing school.

Teeth pierced scales, and the satisfying metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. He broke for the surface, the tasty prize still convulsing against his whiskers. Topside, Daniel chomped down the fat fish as he bobbed on the bouncing crests.

Three more trips below filled his stomach and sated his need for distraction. He returned to the shore with the intent of an afternoon nap on his favorite rock outcropping.

Daniel lumbered his way up the beach, freezing when he saw her. A shiver ran along his thick flesh as the desire to sweep her into his arms washed over him. He huffed a frustrated grunt.

If I had arms.

Ellie had shed the female trappings of skirt and petticoats for the more familiar breeches and boots. Still, the sight of her affected his ability to breathe. She sat at the base of the rocks, knees drawn to her chest, chin resting on them, her gaze directed at the distant horizon. The way she held herself, arms hugging her knees, the pensive wrinkle in her brow, told him she was worried about something.

The ever-present urge to protect welled within him. Daniel ambled a few steps toward the rocks. Would she turn away in disgust or would she welcome her old friend Skipper? Either way, he couldn’t return to human form until the night’s full moon. Daniel continued to waddle toward her. The damsel never chose the coward.

When he’d gotten to within twenty feet of her position, Ellie lifted her head and swung her gaze his way. The corners of her mouth quirked up in a grin, and her eyes lit. Shockwaves of pleasure spiked through him at her unexpected reaction.

Then, as if someone had doused her inner fire with a bucket of cold water, the sapphire light evaporated and her lips tightened to a thin line.

His awkward steps came to a halt. He lowered his head and turned his wide-eyed gaze up at her.

Ellie stared at him. Each second ticked off an eternity. He didn’t dare move, just watched the emotions play across her expressive features. Her chin notched up, a sure sign of a flare in her temper. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not the one who kept a secret from you for ten years, finally told you about it, and then disappeared for a month.”

She had a point. He inched closer, barked at her.

Ellie released her grip on her knees and let her legs stretch to the sand. She tilted her head. “I find it hard to believe my own eyes. Is that really you, Daniel?”

Daniel bobbed his head up and down, cocked his body to one side, and waved a front flipper at her.

She tried to catch her laughter behind a cupped hand, but it burst free and filled the air, warming him to the tip of his tail flipper. She coughed the mirth away. “If I didn’t need your help with Jashir, I think I may prefer you this way. You can’t say anything that might annoy me.” She pushed to her feet and brushed the sand from her bottom. “Unfortunately, I require you in a human body to captain us to Gibraltar, and as much as I like you silent, we have things to settle between us before that happens. You’ll need to be able to speak to participate.” Her hands found her hips. “So why don’t you change yourself back to normal and stop playing on my sympathies, even if you do have cute seal eyes.”

Daniel shook his head and looked toward the sky. The bright sunlight made him squint. With no moon, she’d never understand his pathetic attempts at pantomime. Not yet, but soon. He stretched out, laying prone on the sand, and emitted a grunt to portray his own frustration.

Ellie seemed wholeheartedly unimpressed with his emotional display. “Well, while you play on the beach, I’ll be finishing up the preparations on
The Siren’s Call
, and when she’s ready, we’re sailing—with or without you.”

His head came up.
You wouldn’t dare.

A dark smile stretched her lips. “Just you watch me.” Ellie spun on her heel and stalked away.

Daniel didn’t have the right body for trying to mount any sort of land pursuit, so he just admired the way the breeches molded to the firm curve of her bottom as she stomped away.

***

Did he really think he could use her feelings for a childhood playmate against her? Ellie clenched her fists at her sides. The nerve! She rounded the bend and trekked up the sandy trail to the cottage.

Her mother sat in the old rocker on the front porch with what appeared to be one of Papa’s torn shirts draped across her lap.

Ellie crossed the yard and settled in the chair beside her mother. “You know you don’t need to sew those anymore, right, Mama?” She’d still not seen her mother mourn Papa’s death, and wondered if it was because she still hadn’t accepted that he wouldn’t be returning from the sea.

Mama continued sewing the hole in the shirt’s shoulder. “Of course I know that. Don’t be silly, Ellie. I’m mending them so I can donate them to the church. They won’t fit Daniel. He’s much bulkier than your father was.”

Ellie snorted. “Daniel has been handed down enough of Papa’s things.”

The sewing lowered and Mama swung a concerned look at Ellie. “You don’t care a whit about some old shirts, so why don’t you tell me what’s really bothering you? You’ve been moping around here ever since Daniel left for Truro.” She lifted an eyebrow. “What happened between you two before he left?”

Ellie dropped her gaze to the floorboards, cheeks burning hot. “Nothing happened. There’s just too much to do before we sail for him to be spending a month away. He has bad timing is all.”

“Oh bosh, Elysandra! I’m not daft.”Her eyes narrowed. “You’re lying to me, and to yourself.”

“What do you mean?” Her stomach twisted into a knot. “Daniel is the liar, not me. He’s the one that’s been pretending to be something he isn’t.”

Mama sighed. “That’s what this is about. He told you, didn’t he?”

Ellie blinked. “You knew?” She threw up her hands. “Is there anyone in Newquay who didn’t know Daniel was a selkie besides the idiot child?”

Mama leaned over and laid a calming hand over Ellie’s. “You’re not an idiot and I told you before, sweetheart. Your father and I had no secrets between us. Are you upset because of what Daniel is, or that he didn’t tell you?”

Ellie took a moment to consider her answer. She tried to organize the emotions raging within her. “I’ll admit, I find the concept itself strange, and I’m not sure I really believe it, but it doesn’t disgust me.” She stiffened in her seat. “But I can’t abide being lied to, especially knowing how long the ruse has gone on. He should’ve trusted me with the truth ten years ago.” She drew a ragged breath. “Skipper should have trusted me.”