More Than You Know (35 page)

Rand grinned wryly. “I find it a little disconcerting myself."

Claire lifted her head just enough to lay her cheek on her hands. Her face was turned in Rand's direction now and she was frowning. “You really don't know?"

"There's no island with this shoreline on any of my charts. Arahiti doesn't exist as far as the mapmakers are concerned. Tiare's men have taken some of my instruments and I can't fix longitude or latitude with any great certainty. The path of Sirius in the night sky, the fact that I know the position of Pulotu and how long it took us to get here, will help me narrow our location, but pinpointing it? No, I can't do that. Arahiti is a Solonesian secret, I'm afraid."

Claire nodded slowly, taking it in. “I told Macauley this might be the case, but I didn't really believe it. I was rather patronizing to him. Now I don't think I like this news any better than he did."

"Tiare never spoke of this place?"

"Never.” She sighed. “I'm learning there's quite a bit I don't know about Tiare. I suppose she's only ever told me what she wanted me to know."

"Then she's not so different from any of us."

Claire considered that. “I've told you that my father was never particularly interested in the culture of the Solonesians, but I thought he loved Tiare. I realize now how much he tried to mold her into a proper European woman. He only ever accepted those Solonesian traits that served
him."

"It doesn't mean he didn't love her."

"I suppose not, but it seems peculiar."

"Now that you're so wise in the ways of love,” Rand chided her.

"Exactly,” she said a shade smugly. Without warning, Claire found herself being thoroughly kissed. She was not of a mind to draw back. Instead, she slipped her arms around Rand's neck and let him set her on the table top. “Not here again,” she murmured against his mouth.

"You had no complaints the last time."

"I wasn't married then.” His deep chuckle vibrated against Claire's lips.

"So you're respectable now."

"Yes, I am."

"More's the pity.” He straightened and allowed his hands to rest lightly on her thighs.

"It doesn't mean you can't take me to bed."

"Actually, it does. I have the watch. I only came down to check on you."

"May I go topside with you?"

"Of course.” He helped her down from the table and waited in their cabin while she pulled on a gown over her shift and found a shawl.

The sky was overcast. A sliver of moon could be seen when there was a break in the clouds. Claire stood at Rand's side at the forecastle. There were few men on deck. Some had retired to their hammocks; others had been sent to shore in the rowboats to make camp. Lantern light dotted the narrow beach. Claire was only aware of the gentleness of the evening. Waves licked at the ship's hull, a light breeze beat the furled canvas against the masts. Farther off there was the steady rush of water over the fall. She wondered what purpose was served by intruding on this peaceful night. “Why do you need a watch?” she asked.

"Habit.” Rand put his arm around her. “I volunteered because I didn't think I could sleep."

Claire recognized it was no small admission that he made. “Can you see Sirius?"

"Not tonight. The sky's thick with clouds."

"Do the men understand you don't know our location?"

"Yes. They've accepted we're not going anywhere just yet."

"But you haven't."

"I don't like being kept prisoner, Claire. The surroundings have nothing to do with it. Once was enough for anyone's lifetime. I don't know what Tiare has planned for us, but I'm not letting her plans be our only option. The men who left the ship are moving out tonight to explore the outer beaches. Cutch is leading one group. Dodd, the other. There are lanterns at the campsite, but they're for diversion."

"You think Tiare's followers are watching us?"

"Some of them, yes. Don't you?"

Claire hadn't thought about it. Now that she did, it made sense. “I suppose so."

"In spite of what she said about the shoals, she has to know there is always a possibility that I could navigate
Cerberus
out of here. Tiare does not strike me as leaving anything to chance. I imagine we would find ourselves under attack if we didn't founder first.” Rand let his arm drop away from Claire's shoulders. He leaned forward, bracing himself against the rail. “I keep thinking about her reply when I noted she seemed to be expecting us.
'For three hundred years, Captain.'
What in the hell did she mean?"

"Perhaps she meant no more than that, Rand. What if you accept the words as she said them? It's been three centuries since the treasure was hidden here. What if the Solonesians have always known of its existence? What if they've been guarding it?"

"Guarding it,” Rand said softly. “From whom?"

Claire considered that. “From anyone who wasn't a Hamilton or a Waterstone, I suspect."

"You mean they were
entrusted
with protecting the treasure? Who would have charged them with that responsibility?"

Claire rubbed Rand's shoulder. “It's your legend. Who do you think is the most likely candidate? James Hamilton or Henry Waterstone?"

"I'd like to believe it was my great-times-seven grandfather, but the truth is, it doesn't sound like something he or Henry would have done. They didn't trust each other. Can you imagine either one of them giving the Solonesians the keys to their kingdom?"

"When you put it that way..."

Rand breathed deeply of the redolent island air, then exhaled slowly. He realized he was no longer capable of thinking clearly. Rather than try, he simply pulled Claire into the shelter of his arms and held her there. “What about Tipu?” he asked quietly.

"Tiare said she would take me to see him. I have to trust that she will."

"Claire, what did you imagine you would do with your brother when you set out?"

"At first I thought I only wanted to find him again, to be certain he was safe."

"And later?"

"Later I suppose I had some vague idea that I would take him back to London with me and ... and raise him...” Her voice trailed off.

"And raise him as if he were your own son?"

Claire's throat had closed and there was an ache behind her eyes. She could only nod.

"And what of his mother?"

"I wasn't considering Tiare's wishes,” Claire said, her voice small and tight. “Only those of my father. He wanted Tipu to be educated in England and know English customs.” Claire felt Rand's arms tighten fractionally. Her smile was apologetic, watery. “Sir Griffin was not an easy man to understand."

Rand let his silence on the subject serve as his agreement. “Does Tiare know your father's wishes?"

"He never made any secret of them."

"Then she must suspect you've returned to take Tipu away. No wonder she became anxious the moment she realized you were on Pulotu. She's afraid of you, Claire."

"Afraid? Of me? I think you're mistaken."

"I'm not."

A throat clearing behind them interrupted Claire's response. “What is it?” she asked.

"Apparently our watch is over.” Still sheltering Claire, Rand turned around. “Mr. Brown."

"Aye, Cap'n. You can rest easy. I have the next watch."

Rand nodded. He took Claire's elbow and waited for her to bid Brown good night; then he escorted her back to their cabin. She was in bed several minutes before she realized he was making no move to join her.

Turning on her side and propping herself on one arm, Claire cocked her head to listen to Rand's slight movements. When she quieted she heard the familiar sound of him smoothing one of his heavy charts across the desk. “You can't rest until you know where we are, can you?” She did not wait for an answer. Sliding her legs over the side of the bed, Claire joined Rand at the desk. “Is it because you want to go back to Pulotu?"

"Pulotu? No, I'm not interested in going back."

"You're not? But what about the treasure?"

"Wherever it is, it's not on Mauna Puka. I don't think it's anywhere on Pulotu."

"But—"

"The tikis are a diversion. You made me realize that."

"I did?"

Rand took Claire by the wrist and drew her onto his lap. The chart was laid out before both of them. It covered the entire surface of the writing desk and was draped several inches over either side. “What you said about the Solonesians being charged with guarding the treasure..."

"But I don't know that. I only suggested it to explain away what Tiare said to you."

"And it's a very good suggestion. The placement of the tikis on Mauna Puka never made sense to me. It wasn't the work of the Solonesians. They might have supplied the labor, but not the plan."

"Because it's like the Big Dipper."

"Yes."

"If the tikis keep others out, doesn't it follow that's where the treasure is?"

"Not necessarily. What if the plan was to keep attention on the island so the treasure could be kept more safely somewhere else? It's like a magician encouraging you to watch his hat while the rabbit is up his sleeve."

"But the tikis only serve to keep Solonesians away."

"Not the priests,” he reminded her. “Doesn't it make sense that the secret of the treasure would be entrusted to a few, not the population at large? Every culture has small societies founded and maintained in secrecy. The priests of Solonesia may not be so different from the Masons. They have a tradition to uphold, a responsibility that's been passed along for three centuries: protect the treasure."

"And now that you're here, they have to decide what to do."

"Now that I'm here,” he repeated softly. “If I only knew where that was."

"Let me look at the chart,” Claire said. “Where is Pulotu?"

Rand guided Claire's index finger to the island. “Here. Almost 14 degrees south of the equator and 160 degrees longitude.” To help her visualize their position, he drew her finger across the equator and used her thumb like the point on a compass. “Here are the four smaller islands closest to Pulotu. Haipai. Arotu. Hanna and Amo. Amo, to the south, is really an atoll."

"What about the rest of the Sun Islands?"

Rand looked at the map. There were so many tiny islands that made up the larger group known as Solonesia, he hardly knew where to begin. He started with the most populated one. “Here is Gaiati."

Claire nodded. “Yes. I know that one. Tiare was born there."

Still keeping her thumb on Pulotu, he showed her Rapa Tiri and Mauna Ti. “It's likely most of the men in the outriggers today were from one of those three islands. The call to arms probably began at Gaiati and continued southwest. Men joined in waves until Tiare's armada was built, and then they came on a fairly straight course for Pulotu."

"Show me."

He took her finger to each of the islands. “Here and here and here ... and here."

"Gaiati to Rapa Tiri to Mauna Ti to Pulotu? Is that right?"

"Well, they would have passed Hanna before they reached Pulotu."

Claire asked him to show her islands around Pulotu again. “Not the atoll,” she said. “It confuses me."

"You're confusing
me,"
he said. “What are you looking for?"

"The forest,” she said simply.

When she offered no further explanation, Rand went through the motions again. He studied the latitude and longitude of each of the islands, their shorelines, and the distance separating them as he took Claire from one to the other. Belatedly he noticed that her hand was trembling in his. He squeezed it. “What is it, Claire? Are you all—"

She found his mouth with hers and kissed him hard. “Don't you see?” she demanded.

"What?” he asked, glancing at the chart again.

"The forest!"

"Claire, it's the Pacific. There's no—"

"The forest,” she said again. Almost breathless now, Claire pushed herself off Rand's lap and hurried to her armoire. She didn't mind that she stumbled into things in her haste or that she almost collided with the door of the wardrobe as she flung it open.

"Careful,” Rand called to her. He watched her pull open drawers and begin to ransack them. She pitched ribbons and scarves and combs over her shoulder and onto the floor. The colorful litter spread out at her feet was testimony to her excitement. Gone was the Claire who insisted that everything be in its place.

"Here it is!” she announced.

Rand could not properly see what she had in her hand until she returned to the table. She sat down on his lap again and showed him the object of her frantic search. “A brooch?” he asked. “What has that to do with—"

He stopped because she was more intent on opening the brooch than on listening to him. When the pin was free, Claire found his hand and began to lift it toward her. Rand resisted, uncertain what she was going to do.

Claire felt him pulling against her. “Do you think I mean to stick you?” she asked, amused.

"I have no idea."

"Put your hand over mine and take me to Pulotu."

"Very well.” He drew her hand with the brooch in it to the island, then watched in some horror as Claire poked a hole in his valuable navigation chart. His fingers closed tightly over her hand to keep her from doing more damage. “What do you think you're—?"

"Showing you the forest,” she said patiently, as though speaking to a child. “By connecting the trees."

It was then that Rand understood. “My God,” he said under his breath, studying the map again. This time he did not allow his vision to be distracted by the lines that indicated sea depths, coastlines, and shore elevations. His eyes were no longer focused on meridians, parallels, and rhumb lines. Now he saw what Claire was looking at. “Here,” he said, taking the brooch from her hand. “I have something that will work better than this.” He reached in the drawer under the desk and found his dividers. He let Claire hold them and feel the shape of the plotting instrument.

"Like two question marks facing one another,” she said.

Rand chuckled. “I suppose it is. Careful, the ends of those question marks are pointed."

Her fingers fiddled with the adjustable screw that joined the hooks. She could make the distance between the two pointed ends wider or narrower by turning the screw. “I suppose we know now what Captain Waterstone's cartographer used to make the holes in the riddles.” She gave it back to him. “You do it."

"Dividers are usually used to help measure the distance between two charted points. However...” He poked through the hole Claire had made at Pulotu, widening it slightly. “It will...” He punctured Rapa Tiri and Mauna Ti. “Do nicely...” The dividers were stabbed into Haipai and Arotu and Hanna in quick succession. “For this purpose.” Rand made the last hole in Gaiati.

He dropped the dividers on the floor and held up the chart to the lantern. Pinpoints of light came through like stars in the night sky. It was unmistakably the Big Dipper that appeared. Rand threw back his head and laughed. “You are the
most
amazing woman I have—"

Claire turned in his arms so that he was forced to drop the chart. She circled his neck. “I am the most amazing woman
ever,"
she whispered.

Rand's laughter deepened. “Yes,” he said. “You are.” He kissed her full on the mouth. Her lips parted under his and her fingers tightened on his neck. Rand slid one arm under her legs and the other behind her back. He stood, lifting her with him, and kicked things out of his way on his way to the bed.

"What are you doing?” Claire asked as he lowered her.

"Wrong question. You should be interested in what I'm
going
to do."

"But you don't know anything—"

Rand's brows kicked up. “I know this,” he said, kissing Claire just below her ear. “And this.” The damp edge of his tongue flicked the hollow of her throat. “And how to do this.” He unfastened the first three buttons of her nightshift and parted the material to reveal her breasts.

Claire blocked him by putting up her hands and pressing against his shoulders. “I'm talking about the treasure,” she said. “You don't know where it is"

"Oh, I think I can find it from here.” Because his tone left no doubt about what he was referring to, Rand wasn't surprised to see Claire's skin pinken from her cheeks to her beautifully full breasts. He took her by the wrists and held them lightly at her sides while he lowered his head. His mouth closed over her nipple and sucked gently. He heard her quick intake of air. She held it like that, the breath caught in the back of her throat, until he levered himself up to her mouth. He kissed her and took the breath she was holding.

Claire's tongue swept across Rand's upper lip. She traced the shape of his smile and delighted in the slightly wicked curve of his mouth. Slipping her wrists free of his loose hold, Claire began to undress her husband. She helped him shrug out of his jacket and unfastened the buttons of his shirt. They both sat up while she drew the shirt off his shoulders. It joined the debris from her armoire on the floor. The pile grew to include Rand's boots, stockings, trousers, and drawers, and finally Claire's shift.

Claire stretched her body along the length of Rand's. Her bare toes wriggled against his ankle. His hands were at the small of her back. They moved lower, cupping her bottom. “Coming aboard?” he asked huskily.

Laughing, Claire raised herself with Rand's help until she was lying full across his body. Her breasts were flattened by his chest, the hard points of her nipples exquisitely tender. She slid one hand between their bodies and lifted her hips. She guided him into her. The small, involuntary movements made Rand groan softly. Claire hummed her pleasure.

She pushed herself up while Rand's fingers traced the curve at the small of her back. She rocked slowly, rising and falling with the same gentle rhythm of the ship under her. Rand stroked her thighs. His thumbs went across the plane of her belly, then drifted higher until they found the underside of her breasts. His thumbnail lightly scraped her nipple. Claire's shiver vibrated through him.

He pulled her down and kissed her deeply. Her mouth was warm and sweet. He turned so that she was under him. He thrust into her hard enough to force a whimper. She jerked under him and clutched at his shoulders. “I'm sorry,” he whispered. “I don't know what—"

Claire held him tightly, shaking her head. “No, it's all right.” She nudged his mouth with lips that were almost bruised by the intensity of his kisses. “I won't break."

Rand's touch gentled anyway. He did not temper his passion so much as tame it. She did not make it easy for him. Claire clutched his hips with her thighs. She arched under him, digging her heels into the mattress. Her breasts lifted, teasing him. Lantern light bathed her, and where his mouth had been her skin glistened. He took one damp nipple between his lips again. His teeth closed carefully over it. Claire's fingers twisted in his hair and she held him there. The hot suck of his mouth made her cry out his name.

She held him when he came. Her arms and legs tightened. Her mouth closed over the skin of his shoulder. Where she held him most intimately contracted as well. Then it was her turn, and his fingers caressed her. She was damp and her skin had a heady, musky fragrance. He stroked her, finding the rhythm that had been his body's moments earlier. She never said once that it was too much. True to her word, she didn't break.

She shattered.

He watched as pleasure changed the shape of her lush mouth, curving it into a perfect O. Her lashes fluttered once, then closed. Her throat arched and the line of her jaw tightened. The wave of tension that was passion's release passed. Light color blossomed in under her skin.

For Claire the sensation of weightlessness slipped away gradually. She was grounded again. She became aware of Rand's arm lying across her abdomen, his breath near her ear. Her arms and legs felt pleasantly tired, and her heart hammered out a slow, heavy beat.

"Go to sleep,” he whispered.

Claire nodded. He did not have to tell her twice.