Catalina's Caress (20 page)

❧

Marc remained thoughtful for several minutes. He could not quite believe that he had let her walk away from him like that. The kiss had very nearly brought him to his knees. It was still having an effect on him for that matter. Willfully bringing his body under control took some effort, for it urged him to complete what her touch had begun.

He changed his clothes and walked to the cabin China and Shawna were sharing. A sleepy-eyed Shawna answered the door, but her face brightened the moment she saw Marc.

Despite his ill-assorted feelings, Marc's eyes softened and his smile was warm and very gentle.

"Shawna, is China still awake?"

"Yes, Marc. We were only talking and getting ready for bed. Do you want to come in?"

She stood aside, her wide eyes looking at him worshipfully. She was always sensitive to Marc's moods and adapted herself to them. In Shawna's mind Marc was the parents she had never known, the brother she had never had, the friend who had taken her from hell and given her a life, a life she would gladly give for him if he should ask.

He nodded and entered, to find China curled in a chair with several cushions on the floor at her feet. Shawna had obviously been sitting on them. Next to Marc, China was all that Shawna had. To most eyes their relationship would have seemed strange.

"Marc," China said softly. If she was surprised, she did not show it. She rose from the chair and stood before him, and Shawna went to her side. Their attitudes summed up their experience with Marc. They reflected love and compassion offered and returned.

"China, I'm afraid I have to ask you to do me another little favor. This seems to be my night for that."

Her lips parted slightly in a half-smile. "Of course, Marc, what is it you desire?"

At first he hesitated, then he shrugged and explained the situation between Travis and Catalina. He left out his own confrontation with Catalina, and just requested that in the morning they go to Catalina's cabin, remove all her personal effects, and take them to his quarters.

China expressed no curiosity, but Marc could feel it and he was annoyed. He had no inclination to explain to China something that she might disapprove of.

Shawna's limited comprehension could only follow one path. The Marc she knew and loved had never, in the nearly five years she had known him, given any woman a permanent place in his cabin or his life. Obviously if this woman had been accepted in this way, she must hold a place in Marc's heart. If she did, then the doors to Shawna's heart were open to her as well. Marc should have thought of this, for in Shawna an open heart meant she could say anything she chose.

"Shawna and I will move her things first thing in the morning," China told Marc. "What happened between her and her friend? I thought they were"—she shrugged—"comfortable.''

Marc laughed softly and tried to explain the situation he had run into. "It seems the lady has a temper, and in this case something he said or did set her off. She was even mad enough to make it look as though he had tried to force himself on her. She said she didn't let him into her room, didn't unbolt the door."

"Marc—"

"Now come on, China. How else could he have gotten in there? I myself saw that the door had not been forced. She unbolted it, all right; and if the man hadn't been foolish enough to make her angry he might have shared quite a night. The lady is remarkably beautiful."

"It makes no sense that she would decide to unbolt the door, change her mind, then try to convince you she didn't unbolt it when the evidence is right before you. Don't you question this?"

"I'm not interested. Right now she's where I want her to be. Tomorrow I'll make plans to rid myself of her friend. Then"—his eyes went to Shawna—"we'll see what happens."

"Don't worry, we'll take care of her clothes," Shawna said. "I'll see they're well taken care of and nothing gets damaged."

"Somebody should have been caring for mine tonight," Marc muttered in an amused voice.

"What?" Shawna questioned.

"Nothing," Marc answered quickly. "I'm grateful Shawna, my sweet. Remind me to buy you a new gown in Natchez." His gaze returned to China whose eyes had never left him. "Thank you, China. I'm going to get some sleep. See you in the morning."

"Good night," they both said as Marc left

He returned to his cabin and to a bed that seemed cold and empty because Catalina was only a few steps away.

❧

China listened to Shawna's chatter, but her mind remained fixed on the puzzle of who could have unbolted that door besides the one and only occupant of the stateroom.

"Shawna dear, I think it's best we both get some sleep. In the morning I want you to practice some of your songs. Marc intends to entertain some very wealthy and important people in Natchez, and he wants you to sing for them."

Shawna agreed, and it took very little time for the uncomplicated young woman to find sleep.

But China lay awake quite some time. Unanswerable puzzles bothered her. She finally came up with the conclusion that if Catalina hadn't wanted the door open, it was Travis who had. But how had he managed to accomplish it? I will look into it tomorrow, she decided.

❧

The next morning Catalina was awakened very early by a soft insistent wrapping on her door. She rose and put on the robe, the only piece of clothing she had, and walked to the door.

She was surprised and more than pleased to find a smiling Shawna standing in the passage and holding an armful of dresses she quickly recognized as her own.

"Shawna, how considerate of you. I was worried about how I was going to skip half-dressed from this cabin to get my clothes."

"Marc came last night and told us to bring all your things to you today," Shawna replied, as Catalina stepped aside and motioned her in. "China says she will come soon and help us move the rest. She has something to do right now."

Shawna placed the pile of dresses on the bed. "I thought I was going to trip in the hall and spill them all over the floor. You have some very pretty dresses."

"Thank you," Catalina said.

"Marc says he'll buy me a new dress in Natchez after I sing for some of his guests."

Catalina held back the sharp retort on her lips because she knew the words would be lost on Shawna. She wanted to tell this young woman that Marc was using her for his own ends, and deep inside she wondered what else was expected of Shawna. Did Marc use her as easily for his friends' pleasure as he did for his own?

Shawna turned to leave.

"Shawna, stay and talk to me for a while. You've been so kind I thought I might ask you to help me dress again. This dress," she said as she lifted one from her bed, "has at least a hundred buttons down the back."

Shawna's white smile appeared like a brilliant rising sun. "I'd love to."

Catalina engaged Shawna in random conversation while she washed her face and cleaned her teeth. Then she slipped into a dress with wide green and white stripes. Its sleeves were long and fitted, and the bodice molded itself snugly to her curves. It gave her a cool, tall, and very slender look. Shawna went behind her to fasten the buttons.

"Do you sing for all of Marc's friends?"

"Only very special ones."

"I see," Catalina said gently. "Do you go out with them?"

"No. Usually they stay on board the boat. If they're really important, Marc says we should be nice to them."

Catalina was outraged. Now, more than ever, she was determined to find the answers to her questions and to rescue this innocent from the clutches of a man as conscienceless as Marc Copeland. She would take Shawna with her when she left, give her a good life and put her beyond the reach of men like Marc and his friends who used Shawna for "entertainment." Her heart went out to Shawna and all her protective instincts surfaced.

Catalina sat on a small bench and began to brush her hair. Then she coiled it into a chignon at the nape of her neck. The wisp of curls that framed her face lent her an air of cool sophistication.

"I'd really like you to visit my home in Baton Rouge some day, Shawna. You'd like it and we could have fun together. We could shop, and I could introduce you to all my friends. I..." She stopped in midsentence as she saw Shawna's face blanch. When Shawna's eyes filled with the same terror she had seen before, it became obvious to Catalina that Marc had Shawna terrified of even thinking of leaving him.

"I... I don't want to go to Baton Rouge. I want to stay here with Marc." Shawna began to regain control. "I guess if Marc would come to visit I would come, but I want to stay with Marc and China."

Having finished with her hair, Catalina walked to Shawna. She smiled as comfortingly as possible, and her eyes were gentle. Td like to be your friend while I'm aboard the
Belle
anyway. Sort of like a sister."

"Oh, that would be fun."

The door swung open silently, but the two young women did not notice China for some time.

❧

China had gone to Catalina's old stateroom with Shawna and had helped her gather Catalina's things together. Then she had given Shawna some of Catalina's dresses and had told her to take them to Catalina.

After Shawna had gone, China studied the door between the two rooms. It was evident that no one on the other side could have slid the bolt. It had to be opened from this side.

This was the obvious thing Marc had seen and had taken at face value, but China had long since gained the knowledge that what seemed obvious was not always the truth. She studied the hall door for a while, then walked to it, opened it, and knelt on the floor to examine the lock.

The scratches in the outline of the keyhole confirmed her suspicions. Someone had tampered with the lock to gain entry.

She rose and went out into the passageway, pulling the door shut. She went first to the captain, then began to question the crew one by one. She did not speak of the deed. She only asked if one of the customers on the boat had been circulating through the crew asking questions. It did not take her long to come up with two names, those of Travis Sherman and the man he had questioned the longest, Willie Best.

She returned to Shawna's cabin after sending for Willie Best and telling him to come to it, that she had a little job for him to do. Then she locked Shawna's door, slid the key into the pocket of her dress, and waited in the passageway for Willie.

In a short while he scuttled toward her. There was no doubt in Willie's mind as to the kind of power China wielded on this boat. One word from her and the arm of Marc Copeland would descend on whoever was foolhardy enough to have caused her a problem.

"You sent for me, Miss China?"

"Yes, Willie. I have a little problem."

"Ya needs my help, Miss China, I kin do just 'bout anything"

China was reasonably sure that the "anything" included mayhem and murder, but she smiled.

"I'm afraid I've locked Shawna's door and have lost the key. Do you suppose there is any way you can get it open for me? I'd be very grateful and I'm sure Marc would reward you. .. with just what you deserve," she added with tongue-in-cheek humor.

"Do ya want me ta break it down? he asked warily.

"Well, I'd hate to damage the door if I don't have to. If there's any other way ..."

Seeing a reward before his eyes, Willie nodded. He swelled at the idea of displaying his prowess to this woman.

"I kin git it open for ya."

"I'd be grateful, Willie." China smiled.

Willie knelt before the door and took a strange hooklike instrument from his pocket. China watched while he fumbled with the gadget, making the same small scratches around the keyhole. She was more than sure now that this explained what had happened to Catalina's door.

Willie grunted in satisfaction, stood at the sound of the final click, and swung the door open.

"There ya be, Miss China. There ain't no door what can hold Willie Best."

"Come in for a moment will you, Willie? I'd like to discuss another little job with you."

Willie was puffed up with blustering satisfaction. He would prove valuable to this beautiful woman, and when she finally realized the number of things he could do, she might become more to him ... maybe even ...

He walked past China without noticing her look of aversion. Inside, he turned to look at her as she shut the door and faced him.

"You are quite good with locks, Willie,'' she said softly.

"Yep, the best," he gloated.

"You've done this before?"

"Sure have."

"And," China added quietly, her smile fading and her eyes narrowing, "you've done a little job on this boat within the past twenty-four hours, for a passenger. Have you not, Willie?"

His gloating face hardened and his smile faded as he realized the trap he had walked into. His mind spun, looking for a way out, wondering just how much she knew ... and how she had found out.

"I don't know what yer talkin' about," he protested.

"Please, Willie, don't waste my time by lying to me. I would be forced to let Marc find out the truth—the hard way."

He gulped and his face whitened. He knew Marc could get him to talk. With his cowardly nature, he made the decision quickly.

"It was Travis Sherman. He had me open a door for him, but honest to God, Miss China, I thought it was his door. I wouldn't have opened anybody else's for him." He continued to babble on as the look in China's eyes grew colder and colder. "Honest to God, Miss China, I thought it was his room."

He was sweating now, and his hands shook as China smiled.

"Why, Willie," she said gently, "when did I say it wasn't Mr. Sherman's door?"

Trapped again, Willie sagged into morose silence.

"Now, Willie, I think it's time you tell me what you really did ... and just how much Mr. Sherman paid you to do it."