The Hawk and the Jewel (Kensington Chronicles 1) (3 page)

When Brandon's attention returned to Ali, he noticed the older man had produced a simple but beautiful jewelry box. Where it had come from, Brandon could only guess, but then guessing was all he'd done since these visitors had come aboard.

Ali held it out to him and spoke. "She will not be ready for this when she awakens. When she is calm enough to keep from throwing it overboard, please give this to her. It is a gift from his highness, Ahmad Khan."

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They left then, and Brandon, having finally come to grips with the feet that no part of this affair had been left to chance, followed them up onto the deck. He watched from the railing as they again entered the longboat and the oarsmen rowed for shore.

He stood for long moments and watched as they worked their way through the surf. When he turned, it was to find his first mate waiting for orders. Brandon's first thought was of the girl below. Asleep or not, he felt he needed to be near her. After only a few instructions, he went below decks of the
Flying Surprise,
leaving Flynn in charge as they set sail for home.

shani moaned softly as she woke after just 20 minutes of sleep. Though she hadn't had enough tea to experience its full effects, her head felt as though she'd been held under water too long. It didn't really ache, but everything was fuzzy to her eyes. When her vision cleared somewhat, she found that she was still in the captain's quarters. The first question on her mind was the whereabouts of All.

She stood, thinking to open the door and call to him, but the ship lurched suddenly, and Shani felt panicked as fear welled within her. She ran to the window, squinted out, and tried desperately to clear her vision. What she saw made her wish she hadn't looked. They were moving!

Shani, still slightly dizzy, made a dash for the door. She wrenched the portal open, only to collide with the hard expanse of Captain Hawkesbury's chest. She tried to move past him, but as surprised as he was to find her awake, Brandon was not about to let her escape.

*Tve got to find AH," Shani spoke breathlessly. "The ship is moving, and I've got to see him."

Brandon's heart wrenched at the anguish in her voice, but he knew he couldn't hide the truth from her. "The ship is moving; however, Ali has returned to Darhabar."

Shani finally looked up, full into his face. Tears had puddled in those captivating eyes, and Brandon eased her backward into the chamber and shut the door.

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"You must not do this," Shani spoke in desperation, suddenly afraid to be alone with this man.

"Your leaving was planned by the emir," Brandon told her softly.

Even as he said the words, Shani knew he was telling the truth. Still she shook her head and tried to deny them.

Brandon reached for the document on his desk. "He left this for you. Ali said it would explain everything.**

Shani took the offered paper with a shaking hand. She sat on the edge of the bed and read the first line. "It is because of my love for you that I have taken this action.*5The words were written in the language of Shani's adopted homeland, and even though she kept her head bent over the paper, she was not reading. Her mind was moving furiously, very aware of the way the captain watched her.

Years of living on the threshold of a harem, in a land where women were to be seen and not heard, had taught Shani how to hide her emotions well. Carefully schooling her features, she looked at the captain.

"I am sorry if my behavior was rude earlier, and I hope you will not find me rude now, but I wish to be alone."

Brandon felt it was the worst thing for her, but he could see no alternative. "All right. I'll check on you shortly.** He rose reluctantly and left the cabin.

For the space of several heartbeats Shani sat still. In that brief time she convinced herself that her Poppy had made a mistake, and that if she could only speak with him, she could change his mind. Her eyes cast miserably around the room and fell upon the wardrobe. With a glance at the door and one at the buttons on the front of her dress, Shani went to work.

"I can see you'd rather be below, Hawk," Flynn commented. "You've only been up here a few minutes, and you're already pacing the deck."

"She said she wanted to be alone,** Brandon commented as though trying to convince himself of that feet.

"You said as much, but if you feel it's not best, go back down. Remember, you're the authority where that little girl is concerned, and maybe the sooner she realizes it, the better off she'll be."

Brandon silently agreed with him, and after giving him a swift pat on the shoulder, moved to go back below deck.

Shani had no more dosed the cabin door than she heard footsteps approaching in the passageway. She stepped back into the shadows, hoping she would be able to quiet her breathing before she gave herself away. She was dressed in her bloomers and a pair of pants she'd found in the wardrobe, along with a gigantic shirt. She was in danger of losing the pants, but if that was the price she had to pay to get home, she would gladly pay it.

The footsteps drew nearer. Shani nearly gasped when they stopped not five feet from her and the captain's door was opened. Shani knew she had only seconds before her disappearance was reported, but they were seconds she planned to use to her own advantage.

On silent, bare feet she moved toward the steps that led upward to the deck. When her foot was on the first step, the captain's door crashed behind her. No longer bothering to stay silent, Shani scrambled up the stairs in a panic. She heard the captain's shout behind her, but there was no hesitation as she gained the deck and ran for the stern of the ship.

Like a wild animal on the run, Shani rounded the wheelhouse, leaping over riggings, barrels, ropes, and other obstacles that stood in the way of her home. Even as she ran, her eyes caught glimpses of the shoreline on the horizon. It was shrinking at a rapid rate, but Shani had no doubt she could swim the distance.

The ship was in pandemonium in her wake. Brandon had come topside, shouting orders as he charged after the young girl. He'd finally got her in his sight, but wasn't close enough to stop the inevitable. He watched her dive without a moment's hesitation, reaching the railing in time to see her land in the water with perfect form. He tore his boots off, watched her surface, and then joined her in the sea.

The water, although not cold, was still something of a shock to Shani. She came up gasping for air and struggling to pull up the pants she was losing under the water. She realized she was going to have to let them go if she was going to swim the distance. After

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wrapping them around the back of her neck, Shani started toward shore with strong, sure strokes.

She hadn't gone 40 feet when Brandon laid hands on her. She'd still been removing the pants when his body hit the surface, and since the waters of the Arabian Sea were choppy, she had no warning of his presence.

Brandon thought he had a full-grown shark on his hands when Shani realized who held her captive. She fought him with every ounce of strength. Later Brandon wondered how long he could have held her if one of the longboats had not reached them so swiftly.

He passed Shani up to the waiting arms of a crewman, and then hoisted himself in behind her. She was still fighting, so as soon as he was aboard, he took her back into his arms. The men knew what to do and rowed immediately for the ship. Shani took no notice of them.

Brandon tried to subdue her without hurting her, but because she was bent on escape, this was no small task. At one point he secured her flailing arms and legs, only to have her bite him on the forearm. They were still struggling furiously when the boat pulled alongside the ladder.

Without ceremony Brandon slung her across his shoulder. He mounted the ladder so swiftly that Shani had scarcely taken a breath before she was back aboard the ship. Although she heard the orders he spoke as they moved across the deck, she didn't understand them. Shani was still over his shoulder when they entered his cabin. He shut the door and placed her on her feet.

A piece of toweling flew in her direction, and Shani grabbed it automatically. She didn't dry herself, but held it to her chest and looked at the tall man across from her. Why had she not noticed his size before? Shani shrank back, sure she was about to receive the beating of her life, but all Brandon did was look at her, the expression in his dark eyes unreadable.

Shani would have said something, but the door opened after a brief knock and a wiry, gray-haired man entered carrying two steaming buckets. He disappeared behind the screened-off corner of the room Shani had noticed earlier. Another man entered, more buckets in hand, and by the time the two had finished behind the screen and exited the room, Shani was shivering uncontrollably.

Brandon pointed to the partition. "Get behind that screen and into the tub."

Shani nodded, and even though Brandon hated the fear he saw in her eyes, he was too spent to reassure her. His only objective at the moment was to move swiftly out of these waters and take his young charge as far from these shores as he could possibly get her.

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As soon as brandon was certain Shani was well ensconced behind the screen, he stripped out of his own wet attire and slipped into dry pants and a robe. A crewman entered bearing two steaming mugs, and Brandon accepted his with a grateful word.

Once again alone, Brandon sat at his desk and sipped the tea. Nothing had been as he had expected. He was under the impression that he would be going ashore for the girl, and that she was anticipating his arrival. Brandon sat quietly and tried to take it all in.

None of this is a-surprise to Tou, Lord,
he prayed silently,
so please help me to trust Tou m this. I praise Tou for her return and pray that Fit be able to handle the task before me. They're alt so excited at home, Lord. Please keep us safe for this journey.

He sat for many minutes committing the journey and all involved to God's care. After some time he reached for his Bible. He read a few chapters in the Psalms, but since his mind was so centered on the girl behind the screen, he closed his Bible after just a few more verses and prayed for her again.

Shani took a deep breath and tried to calm the frantic beating of her heart. She was shivering so violently she could hardly remove her sodden clothes. Her face burned, and shame threatened to choke her when she saw how bare her body had been in the wet bloomers,

knowing that the captain and many of the crew had seen her nakedness.

Fearful that the captain would check on her, Shani hurried into the water as soon as she was undressed. She barely stifled a gasp at the change in temperature. Her skin had become so chilled that the water seemed to scald her.

Some minutes passed before she was able to unclench her jaw against the chattering of her teeth, and lay back in the water. She let her body sink low in the tub and closed her eyes as the water washed over her shoulders.

This cannot be real,
she thought bleakly.
Pm going to wake and find that I have fallen asleep while Indira brushed my hair.
But even as the thought entered her head, Shani knew it would never be true. She was on this ship, and probably headed to England.

How many times had she wondered about her homeland and questioned Indira over her past? Indira had always answered as best she could, and Shani had oftentimes dreamed of going to England, but never once had she imagined being sent away from the only family she had ever known. Why would they do it? Indira had assured her many times that her entire family was dead. Who would take care of her in England?

**Oh, Poppy," tears gathered in her throat, and Shani tried hard to draw breath.

"Are you all right?" Brandon's deep voice spoke suddenly from the other side of the screen.

Shani didn't answer.

"Please answer me, or I'll be forced to come back and check on you."

"I am well," Shani answered stiffly, horrified at the thought of this strange man invading her privacy.

Shani heard nothing for some minutes after that, so she started violently when a dry towel was laid over the top of the screen. Joining this were two garments. From her place in the tub, Shani thought they appeared to be her underclothing; in reality, they were a robe and nightgown.

When a dress was not added to the lot, Shani wondered about the implications of such an action. She forced herself not to think about what might happen this night. Had the captain not called to her to finish and come out, she would have stayed in the water until she was once again chilled to the bone.

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"I do not wish to come out," Shani called, wondering at her boldness.

"Supper is here, and you need to eat something. Get done now and into the nightgown and robe."

He did not sound angry with her, but something in his voice propelled her into action. Five minutes later she slipped around the partition and stood very still. She'd dried her hair as best she could, but she knew it hung in a riotous mass around her head.

"Warmer?" Brandon called the moment he spotted her.

Shani could only nod. Her hands clutched the front of her robe and were white with strain. At home her gown for sleeping was short, but in front of this man, Shani found herself thankful for this covering.