Restless Hearts (24 page)

Lily’s aunt started in on her as soon as the housekeeper was out of earshot.

“Foolish girl! What makes you think the
lo fan
will want to see you when they come back? You are nothing to them.”

Lily considered answering back, but the housekeeper was right... she was lucky to have somewhere to stay. She took the surprisingly small package of personal goods from her aunt and lowered her eyes. It wouldn’t do to let this unpleasant woman know how she felt... at least not yet.

* * *

Lily unpacked her meagre belongings the next morning and let out a cry of despair. Her jade bracelet, passed down to her from her mother, and her gold necklace were missing, as were all of her good clothes. All that remained were cheap cotton tunics and slacks... the attire of the lowliest servants.

“Where are my things?” she inquired, trying to keep her voice even. “My jewellery and my good clothes?”

Her aunt’s eyes narrowed. “Those trinkets?” she hissed. “I sold them. Did you think I was going to feed you and house you for nothing?”

Tears sprang to Lily’s eyes. “But those were given to me by my parents. You had no right to take them.” She stood her ground, her body trembling with anger.

Her aunt glared at her and for the first time in her life, Lily saw pure evil. “I have every right,” she hissed. “You are nothing more to me than another mouth to feed... an inconvenience.”

Lily considered running away, but her aunt lived in a part of Shanghai she didn’t know. It had never occurred to her that by living with her father on the estate, she was effectively shut off from the rest of the world. Her forays outside the compound had been to nearby markets to purchase food and other necessities; beyond that, she was a stranger in her own town.

Lily’s aunt ran a small noodle shop near her home. Lily didn’t mind the hard work, but no matter how hard she tried, her aunt found fault. Business was improving daily, with more and more laborers frequenting their stand and trying to engage Lily in conversation. Lily was polite, but she didn’t encourage them, aware of her aunt’s gaze constantly on her. There was something sinister in the way her aunt watched the men fawning over her. More than once she had noticed the woman whispering with strange men and looking in her direction.

“Come,” her aunt said one afternoon, closing the shop early. Lily followed, curious as to what tragedy had befallen her aunt that she needed to close early... an unheard of occurrence.

Her aunt wound her way through a warren of narrow streets, coming out at a section of docks along the Whampoa River. It was an area Lily recognized, having travelled there with Julia to see one of her father’s new ships.

“Where are we going?” she asked at last.

Her aunt ignored her, eventually stopping at an ocean-going ship. The gangplank tilted at a steep angle, and she pushed Lily ahead, puffing breathlessly as she followed.

Once on deck, they were greeted by a rough-looking seaman who stared at Lily as though he had never seen a woman before.

“Captain Jeremiah Briggs,” Lily’s aunt demanded, mangling the pronunciation of the last name.

The man continued to ogle at Lily. “I’ll take you to him,” he said, leading them down the companionway and aft to the captain’s cabin. He rapped sharply. “Come,” a voice answered, and he opened the door.

Lily’s heart started to pound as she looked around the cabin. Something didn’t feel right here, and she turned questioning eyes on her aunt.

“So you’ve brought her.” The man studied her openly. “I was told she’s eighteen, but she looks younger.” He stroked a rapidly growing erection through the front of his trousers. “I like them young.”

Lily turned terrified eyes to her aunt, who refused to meet her gaze.

“All right,” he said, tossing a bundle of bills to Lily’s aunt. “I’ll take her. She’ll keep me company on the way to San Francisco, and I can sell her there at a nice profit.”

Lily’s aunt grabbed the money and scurried out the door, leaving Lily stunned and alone with the captain.

A cunning grin caught at the corner of his mouth. “You didn’t know about this, did you?”

Lily shook her head. Maybe it was all a mistake and he would let her go. Somehow she didn’t think so.

“Better that way,” he said, lighting a cigar. “Less time to object.” He rose and circled her. “So you speak English.”

Lily considered not responding, but she’d already indicated she understood him. She nodded.

“Good,” he said, as though they were conducting a business negotiation. “Here’s what’s going to happen. This ship sets sail for San Francisco tonight.” He gave a chuckle that set the fine hairs on the back of her neck on end. “Don’t get too attached to me, because I’ll be selling you when we get there.” He paused and lifted her heavy hair. She could feel his breath on her neck and she was almost overcome with nausea. “You should bring a fine price.”

He continued pacing. “If you behave, I’ll let you out on deck once a week, depending on the weather. The rest of the time, you’ll be in here.” He paused dramatically. “With the door locked.”

Lily looked toward the door.

“Don’t think about trying to get away.” He stopped and pretended to think. “And don’t think about trying to harm me. If you were foolish enough to do that, my men would take turns with you for the rest of the voyage.” He made a tutting noise. “Trust me, that would not be pleasant.”

He adjusted the bulge in the front of his trousers. “Much as I’d like to see what I’ve bought, I have to get this ship underway.” He glanced toward the bunk. “There will be plenty of time for that later.”

* * *

The captain made good on his promise. He took her virginity roughly, seemingly unaware of the tears streaming silently down her cheeks. After that, she learned to turn off her mind each night while he rutted on top of her, then rolled over and snored loudly while she roamed silently around the cabin, wondering if she would ever climb out of the black hole that was now her life. Her pride would not permit her to beg him to leave her alone. Besides, she knew it would do no good.

Her one foray out onto the deck ended badly. The seamen all stopped what they were doing and stared at her, many making lewd gestures in her direction. Terrified, she ran back to the cabin, thankful for the locked door.

As the days and weeks went by, Lily’s heart hardened. The captain had taken more than her virginity... he’d shattered every illusion she’d ever had about tenderness between a man and a woman. Looking back, she recognized the romantic, whispered dreams she’d shared with Julia as nothing more than the fantasies of two silly girls. This was real life. She may be broken, but somehow she was determined to survive.

The only break in her routine came about a third of the way through the voyage, when the captain invited several of his officers into his cabin for a game of cards. At the captain’s insistence, she sat quietly behind him, watching the game progress. She did not recognize the game, nor the cards, but to amuse herself, she started observing the reactions of the men when they won, as well as when they lost. When she mentioned to the captain that the first mate tugged at his beard when he had a good hand, he looked at her curiously, but said nothing. The games took place more frequently after that, and he encouraged her to report to him when she saw other telltale signs. Pleased with his winnings, he presented her with a change of clothes. Her new outfit was a simple tunic and pants, but the fabric was finely woven, reminding her of her former life. But she harbored no illusions about what would happen when they arrived in San Francisco.

* * *

“Bollocks!” The captain turned away from the mirror, where he had been shaving. Lily had noticed a slow improvement in his appearance in the past few weeks, including reducing his beard to a strip of hair that rimmed his chin.

He swished the razor in a basin of water. “Have you ever shaved anyone?” he asked, watching her reaction closely.

“No,” she said, her gaze fastened on the sharp blade.

He passed her the razor and indicated the nicks on his face. “You can’t do worse than this.”

Lily turned the blade this way and that, catching the light. He was right; he’d made a mess of his face. She approached cautiously, wondering if this was a test.

Within a few days, she had mastered the art of shaving him. He enjoyed the attention, but she was careful not to look in his eyes, unable to hide the hatred that simmered just below the surface. Just when she thought she couldn’t stand him another moment, he’d remind her of her fate if something were to happen to him. As they neared San Francisco, she resigned herself to the fact that she’d do nothing... at least not while she was on board.

* * *

The faint scent of lavender brought Lily back to the present. Her life these past few months had been one long nightmare... and almost as unbelievable. She splashed water on her face and gave a prayer of thanks. Was it possible that she could find peace in this house full of women? She stretched out on the bed with an exhausted sigh. She would certainly try.

* * *

Devon walked aimlessly. He knew that Addie meant well, and he appreciated her concern, but she couldn’t possibly understand what had happened to him when he looked into the woman’s eyes. His friends had called him a confirmed bachelor for many years now, and in spite of his oft-expressed desire to remain unattached, he was growing tired of the single life. In quiet times alone, he’d frequently found himself wondering if he would ever find a woman to love. And now that he had, she was beyond his reach. He didn’t need Addie to tell him that. He’d seen it for himself in the way she looked at him, breaking his heart even as he gazed into her eyes and fell deeply in love.

He found himself at the waterfront and looked into the darkness. Masts creaked as ships rocked at anchor, and disembodied voices drifted over the water. Here and there, a soft light glowed from a ship’s interior, but the harbor was mostly quiet.

The ship she had arrived on was out there somewhere. He wondered if he would ever learn what had terrified her... or if he even wanted to know. If the fear in her eyes was anything to go by, her story might be better off left untold. Would time erase whatever had made her tremble in his arms? He ached to hold her again, to help her forget the terrors of her past. But only time could do that. Time and patience. He would need plenty of both, he thought with a wry smile, then turned and walked back toward the house.

* * * End of Excerpt * * *

No Such Thing

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http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NF12ODM