Petals on the River (62 page)

fades, you'll hardly notice it."

"Do you have to put that ointment on me?" Shemaine wrinkled her nose in

distaste as he opened the crock.
 
"It smells awful."

"Aye, but twill help heal the wound and prevent infection," he argued,

glancing up at her profile in time to see the comical face she made to

exaggerate her aversion.
 
Her protestations were as winsome as those of

a young child trying to cajole her parent.
 
Though he leaned near that

visage, she stared straight ahead, silently admonishing him by refusing

to acknowledge his proximity.
 
"And I'd prefer not to take any chances

with such a valuable possession.
 
You suit me well, Shemaine O'Hearn,

and I'd rather not lose you.
 
Twould be impossible to find another

bondswoman as beautiful and talented as you are."

"You're only being generous because I've been hurt,'' Shemaine

complained glumly, then caught her breath in a sharp gasp as he began to

wash the torn flesh again.
 
Feeling suddenly light-headed and nauseous,

she swayed on her feet.

Gage hurriedly slipped an arm around in front of her as she slumped

forward, and secured his hold on her with a hand on her far hip.
 
The

pressure of her scantily clad bosom against the inside of his arm was

unsettling to his manly senses, so much so that he dared not move a

muscle lest she fly away again like she had that night after his kiss.

Huskily he asked, "Are you all right?"

Weakly shaking her head, Shemaine gave the only answer she could as she

continued to cling to him.
 
She felt as listless as a rag doll, and it

was a lengthy moment before her lethargy began to ebb. Gathering

strength by slow degrees, she managed to push herself upright, but she

was nevertheless grateful that he kept an arm wrapped around her,

lending her support.

"I'm sorry.
 
I really don't know what caused me to feel so faint,"

Shemaine whispered in chagrin, and met his gaze shyly.
 
His face was so

close, she could have stolen a kiss with very little effort.
 
A strange

thought indeed at such a time!

Managing to convey a casualness he did not necessarily feel, Gage

suggested, "You should lie down and rest after I dress the wound."' "But

what about the washing?
 
And the cooking?
 
And Andrew?
 
He'll be awake

soon."

"My men will have to do without me for the rest of the afternoon."

Gage offered her a subdued grin.
 
"I intend to be at your beck and call

til sunrise."

Shemaine elevated a lovely brow above a teasing smile as she searched

his face.
 
"So, you mean to do chores like any common servant, eh?
 
Have

you no ken, sir?
 
Tis I who should be at your beck and call."

The brown eyes sparkled with teasing warmth.
 
"And if I were to call,

Shemaine O'Hearn, would you truly come to me?"

"Of course, sir!" she replied with a small dip of her head.
 
"You bought

me, and I must obey."

"But what if you were free of bondage, Shemaine?" Gage pressed. "Would

you still come at my call?"

Shemaine found the brush of his breath against her face especially

pleasing.
 
Still, she stared fixedly at the desk as she sought to

emulate a crisp detachment.
 
"But I'm not free, sir, and will not be for

seven years yet."

"Seven years." Gage sighed as his eyes stroked her face.
 
" Tis a long

time for a man and a woman to live together under the same roof and not

be wed or close kin."

Cocking a brow, Shemaine eyed him curiously at very close range,

wondering what he was getting at.
 
If he meant to proposition her for

her favors, then his timing was poor indeed.
 
"I'll be bleeding to

death, Mr.
 
Thornton, if you waste any more time talking," she reminded

him dryly.

She was disturbed by his close attention, for she had not been able to

forget his passionate kiss and its weakening effect on her. Indeed, her

cot had become a place of torture of late, for she did little else but

toss and turn as she sought relief from that burning desire that nearly

consumed her.
 
Feigning an impudence she did not necessarily feel,

Shemaine inclined her head toward the salve he had left on top of the

stool.
 
"I hope you're having second thoughts about using that awful

concoction.
 
Twill certainly be all right with me if you haþ"

"I haven't," Gage interrupted.
 
Stepping back, he spread the odorous

dressing over her ribs, causing her to suck in her breath sharply.

Taking up a bandage, he leaned forward and slipped his arms about her as

he wrapped it snugly around her midriff.
 
"Keep this on until morning,

and then I'll change it for a clean one."

Shemaine rolled her eyes, looking up at him askance as she grumbled,

"With more of that loathsome salve, I suppose."

"I'll use less in the morning if you abhor it so much." Gage ripped the

bandage slightly and then knotted it so it wouldn't tear back any

farther.
 
It was certainly no unpleasant task to embrace his bondslave

Is he wound another strip around her waist and tied it off. Indeed, he

vas rather disappointed there were no more bandages left to apply.

"Potts will be more adamant about killing us now," Shemaine grited

through a wince as she tried to accustom herself to the tight bandges.

"He'll seize upon his wounding as an affront to his pride and will

hound us til he catches us unawares.
 
After his fight with the ,oldiers,

you can believe he'll be in a mood to annihilate us all."

"Aye, and perhaps I'll be more fortunate the next time and put a

Dermanent end to his visits," Gage rejoined gruffly.
 
"I can understand

low why you were so anxious about the man.
 
He certainly seems intent

upon doing you harm.
 
Believe me, my sweet, we'll get back to those

shooting lessons as soon as you're able."

"This afternoon will not be soon enough," Shemaine replied gloomily.

She would never feel free again to roam the glade until Potts was zither

gone or dead.

Gage already knew what he must do, for the tar had left him no other

choice.
 
"If Potts is still in Newportes Newes, then I'll find him and

have it out with him.
 
If he doesn't take my warning seriously, I'll

have to kill him."

"Morrisa will know where he is," Shemaine replied, stepping gingerly

away.
 
"From the way Potts was hanging around the tavern, I doubt that

much has changed since he did her bidding on the London Pride.
 
In fact,

it wouldn't be at all out of character if Morrisa had encouraged him to

come out here and kill me.
 
Tis what she has threatened all along."

"Why does she bear you such a grudge?"

Shemaine's brows gathered in a perplexed frown.
 
It was something she

couldn't rightly answer.
 
'I'm not sure I can lay the blame to anything

specific, Mr.
 
Thornton.
 
True, I thwarted her efforts to rule over the

women by encouraging Annie and the others to stand firm against her, but

unless she's demented, I can't imagine that my refusal to submit to her

dictates would be reason enough for her to want to see me dead."

"Perhaps she's jealous."

"Oh, she wanted you, all right," Shemaine readily acknowledged, subduing

another grimace.
 
"She vowed to cut me up if I left the ship with you."

"Morrisa obviously considers herself a handsome woman and is intent upon

having her pick among the men.
 
She may resent being Outdone by another

woman."' "I can't quite lay a finger to it, but I think there's another

purpose X1n aA vv a, hid sr n il tl s L behind her motives.
 
Tis only a

suspicion, but I've been wondering about her ever since she came aboard

the London Pride."

"Why is that?"

"Morrisa had never laid eyes on me before she was brought down to our

cell in the hold.
 
She had been at Newgate but in another section. After

looking the women over, she asked which one of us was Shemaine O'Hearn.

I didn't care to identify myself at the time, and the other women played

ignorant.
 
Morrisa dubbed me Bogtrotter' and didn't ask again. Later,

she and I got into a fray because she demanded the food I'd been given.

She pulled a knife on me, and I threw a pail of water in her face.
 
The

bosun came down to settle the squabble and called me by name.
 
I rather

gathered from the way Morrisa smirked that she had already figured out

my name.
 
She had certainly done everything she could to rouse the ire

of Gertrude Fitch and Jacob Potts against me."

"Who might have told her about you?"

"I can't imagine why anyone would have talked to her about me.
 
We were

all strangers.
 
Except for the gaoler and the bosun when they were

taking account of the prisoners, there was only one other who ever asked

me to identify myself outright and that was a turnkey at Newgate.

The first time he came to my cell was shortly after I signed on to come

to the colonies."

"Did he ever try to harm you?"

"I'm not totally sure about that.
 
I just know he watched me a lot."

''Perhaps he admired your beauty," Gage suggested, having seen her

effect on some men.

Shemaine scoffed.
 
"I really don't think I was a particular favorite of

his.
 
Shortly before they came to take us to the London Pride, I was

caught in the midst of a row between some of the prisoners, and I very

nearly got my head bashed open when one of the toughs started beating it

against a stone wall.
 
The turnkey witnessed the whole thing but never

tried to stop it.
 
It was only when the gaoler heard the commotion and