Thinking he was imagining the sight of his captain and her first mate having tea on the island, Dallas inspected them for the s.p.a.ce of several heartbeats. They were all too real. He 101.
watched as Da.r.s.ey read, lowered the book, and then read some more. He continued to watch as Smokey picked up a teacup, working to balance it carefully with just two fingers.
Realization of what she was doing dawned just before he was spotted.
Smokey knew the moment she saw Dallas that he had been watching for some time. Her face flamed in humiliation, but her embarra.s.sment did nothing to temper the sternness of her tone.
"Get back to the ship, Dallas." Smokey"s voice was like a lash, and Dallas immediately moved to do as he was bid.
He"d only taken two steps, however, when an overwhelming feeling of tenderness for his captain overrode his good sense. He stopped and turned back.
"I gave you an order, sailor." Smokey was livid, and her voice told Dallas as much. Still he did not obey.
"I know you did, Captain." Dallas" voice was quiet and respectful as he took careful steps toward the table. "However, I"d like to show my appreciation for your helping me by returning the favor. With no offense intended, I think I can be of more a.s.sistance than Da.r.s.ey."
Da.r.s.ey came out of his chair so fast that he tipped it over backward. He righted it quickly, and even though Smokey was glaring at him with fire in her eyes, he turned to Dallas.
"Take my seat, Dallas." The older man"s voice was filled with relief. In truth, insult was the farthest thing from his mind "I"m ready for a break, so go ahead and sit here and read for Smokey."
As Dallas collapsed his tall frame into the chair Da.r.s.ey had vacated, shame washed over Smokey so quickly that she had trouble breathing. Never had she been so mortified. She turned frantic eyes to Da.r.s.ey, but he was headed through the trees without a backward glance.
"Now," Dallas" voice was as calm and collected as if this were an everyday occurrence for him. "I believe you were working on tea service."
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Dallas began to read. Smokey kept her eyes on the table, her face still aflame. She would have given anything at that moment to be able to walk away, but something detained her.
For some moments she only half-listened to the book. Then Dallas spoke her name, his voice tender and compa.s.sionate.
"Okay, Smokey, pick up the teapot with your right hand."
Smokey moved to obey him without ever looking in his direction.
"Put the fingers of your left hand over the lid and pour us some tea. Oh, now, that won"t do at all!" Dallas suddenly said, and Smokey looked up in surprise, wondering what she"d done wrong.
"Da.r.s.ey didn"t even take time to put water in this. Here,"
he handed her the book, "you read that first page yourself while I fill this."
Smokey watched him walk away and then glanced at the trees overhead The sun was headed high into the sky, and the day was growing warm. Smokey looked at the book in her hand and for a moment forgot about the heat. On the opposite page was a lovely ink sketch. The picture showed a beautiful parlor where three ladies were seated, one of whom was pouring tea. Smokey scrutinized the picture, studying it with intense longing.
So consumed by the picture and the words of the chapter, Smokey reached without thought to remove her knit cap.
Dallas came through the trees from the pond and stopped dead at the sight of Smokey with her hair down her back.
It fell to her waist in black waves, and he continued to gawk as she unconsciously ran her fingers through the ma.s.s and gently rubbed her head. Dallas got ahold of himself just before she glanced up to see him.
"All right," Dallas said as he worked at not staring at Smokey He placed the teapot back on the table and resumed his seat. "Now, try it again."
In the last moments, Smokey had become completely relaxed. All humiliation over Dallas" presence deserted her, as with studied concentration she lifted the teapot and filled gla.s.ses to the three-quarter mark, just as the book jcted Her hand never wavered, and when she put the pot i, she gave Dallas a huge smile. Dallas couldn"t stop self from laughing. Smokey joined him before asking him read on.
u In the next hour Dallas read while Smokey set the table, served from a standing position and drank her "tea" without spilling a drop. Dallas thought she might go on forever, but his stomach suddenly growled very loudly.
"I didn"t take time for breakfast," he said with a sheepish grin.
Smokey frowned "I didn"t either, now that you mention it.
I guess we had better head back."
They were gathering the tea set to return it to the box when Smokey realized she couldn"t find her cap. She searched around a bit, but stopped on Dallas1 words.
"Why do you need it?"
"Because I don"t want to cut my hair."
"Why would you have to do either; I mean cut it or cover it?"
"The wind, Dallas," Smokey explained patiently. "I can"t let it hang down while on the Aramis. It blinds me."
"Here," Dallas stepped toward her, "turn around a minute."
Smokey did as he directed without question, but she stiffened when she felt his hands on her hair. When they were both working on her ship, it was easy to remember their positions; she was the captain and he was pan of her crew. But in Maine or here on the island, she was a woman and he was a man, and Smokey found herself unable to remember anything.
Dallas was feeling the same way at the moment and was tremendously relieved that Smokey"s back was to him, allowing him to hide his expression. He efficiently braided the length of her hair, amazed at how soft and thick it was, and tied the end with a thin leather strip he wore about his wrist.
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"There" he said proudly when the work was done Smokey"s]
hand went to her nape as she turned to face him.l Until that moment, she had given no thought to his bare chest or the dark stubble on his cheeks, but he suddenly became more male than she had ever noticed The breadth of his shoulders and the muscles in his arms, along with the way his gold ring hung sparkling from his ear, were so distracting that Smokey could only gaze hopelessly into his crystal-blue eyes.
"Your hair is beautiful." Smokey heard Dallas" voice, although he sounded a long way off. "It seems a shame to cover it." Smokey made no reply, but continued to look at Dallas, her heart in her eyes.
"Smokey," Dallas" voice had turned hoa.r.s.e. "If you don"t stop staring at me like that, I"m going to kiss you."
Smokey unconsciously raised her face, and Dallas lowered his. Da.r.s.ey had come upon them, but had discreetly moved away this time in order to give them privacy. Dallas"
lips were just a breath away from Smokey"s when a bird suddenly flew from the trees and startled them both. The interruption broke the spell.
Smokey, her heart still madly pounding in her chest, spoke to Dallas, but her eyes never left the ground "It"s time to get back to the ship. I"m sure Da.r.s.ey is nearby.
He can help you take the table and chairs back to the boat. I"ll see you on board"
Dallas watched her walk away, knowing he had no choice but to obey. Within moments she had gone from a very warm, embraceable woman to the businesslike /vnt*t~ ***-- *"- ,v , vw, .1. uiun i uiange me way he felt inside-- like a man who had been offered a lovely gift, only to have it s.n.a.t.c.hed away a moment before he could grasp it.
Smokey had been right about Da.r.s.ey; he appeared just moments later. Dallas was thankful for his help as well as his silence. He needed that time to pray. He was still praying when the Aramis set sail less than an hour later.
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That evening when all was quiet on the ship, Da.r.s.ey found ^ alone at the railing. The moon was a crescent in the , but there was still enough light for the first mate to see his jtaln"s face.
"Are you all right?" Da.r.s.ey asked without preamble, lokey nodded, turning to look at her friend and confidant.
"I think so," she told him. "I was afraid for a few moments the island."
"Of Dallas?" Da.r.s.ey"s voice held legitimate concern.
"No," Smokey rea.s.sured him. "I think my fear stems from Rhe intensity of my feelings. By the time I gained my cabin, frustration had set in. There"s nothing I can do about the way I feel."
Da.r.s.ey had no argument for that. They were both professionals and rightfully believed this was not the time or place to pursue a romance. Smokey rea.s.sured Da.r.s.ey that she was going to be fine and talked of other things before going down to bed. Upon her departure, Da.r.s.ey went on watch.
When the older man was finally alone, he let his mind drift to the youngest crewman. As quiet as Dallas had been when they had left the island earlier, Da.r.s.ey was quite certain that he understood the situation as well. Da.r.s.ey found his respect growing for Dallas every day.
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with the ship headed toward London, the next days pa.s.sed in an uneventful fashion, and neither Dallas nor Smokey could have said exactly why. Maybe it was because they forced their minds away from the incident on the island, or maybe it was the amount of praying they both did when apart from the rest of the crew.
Only when Smokey was alone in her cabin and Dallas lay in his bunk did they allow their minds to drift back to the near kiss and the way they felt. On the heels of their thoughts, they turned to G.o.d Smokey begged G.o.d to help her forget Dallas, sure that he could never be serious about her. Dallas, on the other hand, prayed for patience where Smokey was concerned, knowing she did not recognize his feelings for her as yet. He also prayed for a gentle way of telling Kathleen that he was falling for another woman.
Women like Smokey were a complete mystery to women like Kathleen. Kathleen never read a newspaper or cared to talk about anything beyond the latest dress pattern she had seen or who was getting married next and how pretty the bride"s dress would be. It wasn"t that Kathleen was slow, it wasust that her world was so small.
Dallas clearly remembered the first time he"d tried to talk b"ber about the ships he dreamed of building. "Oh, Dallas,"
: had laughingly said. "I"m just a woman, and a woman can"t stand those kinds of things."
Dallas had had to bite his tongue to keep from telling ithleen that Jenny knew all about ships, or to ask her what a woman had to do with anything. Kathleen changed : subject soon after that, however, and Dallas still regretted Jthat he hadn"t questioned her when he"d had the chance.
Worrying about his relationship with Kathleen when they were miles from home was not going to change a thing. Dallas determined to speak with her as soon as he returned He had no guarantees that he and Smokey had a future, but he couldn"t go on seeing a woman whose company paled so dramatically in the light of his captain"s.
When they docked in London, Dallas listened while Da.r.s.ey put some men on watch. The older man then turned to Dallas and invited him to clean up and go with them ash.o.r.e.
They"d come in and delivered a load of coffee and taken on half a holdful of wool. He hadn"t seen much of Smokey since they"d docked, but she now appeared, hair brushed smooth and in a fresh braid that hung down her back, and wearing a different, brighter-colored overtunic than she usually wore.
Smokey and Da.r.s.ey stood on the deck and talked while the officers readied themselves, all turning up freshly shaved and clothed just 15 minutes later. Da.r.s.ey led the procession off the ship, Smokey following behind him. Consumed with great curiosity, Dallas brought up the rear. That this was routine for each of them was more than clear, until he saw where they were headed Da.r.s.ey walked calmly into one of the roughest parts of the 108.
docks, to a waterfront tavern that was so hidden, Dallas would have missed it had he been alone.
Clancy"s Place was painted on the door in faded, chipped letters. Dallas watched as Da.r.s.ey opened the door and held it for Smokey to enter. If Dallas hadn"t already been captivated with this woman, he would have been stunned at the events of the next moments. As it was, he was more than a little surprised at the s.p.a.ciousness of the tavern and his captain"s welcome once she stepped in.
As if someone had blown a whistle, the place grew very still. Heads turned, and drinks and cards were placed on the table with an almost reverent quiet. Smokey began to make her way through the crowd As she pa.s.sed each table, the occupants stood. Dallas listened in fascination to the words exchanged "h.e.l.lo, Timmy," Smokey spoke to a man who looked well over 100.
"h.e.l.lo, Cap"n. How"s business?"
"Smooth. How"s Betsy?"
"Fine, she asks about you."
"Give her my love."
And on it went. She had a word for nearly everyone in the room. As they neared the bar, she spoke to one man who hadn"t stood "h.e.l.lo, Hector."
Hector only grunted.
"Well," she spoke wryly, "you grunt as well as you always have, so I guess that means you"re doing well."
That said, she used two fingers and flicked the cap from his head Dallas listened as the room erupted with laugher, and watched a grudging smile cross Hector"s face even though he never stood or even looked at her.
Finally they were at the bar. A man who was nearly as wide as the wall behind him stood opposite them, his grin as toothless as that of a baby"s.
"Is the back room open tonight, Bart?" Smokey asked with an innocent smile.
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"Well-l-I," the heavy man said with a twinkle in his eye.
tell you, Smoke, there was a great group of nuns just in and wantin" my back room. I didn"t know if you was ling, you see," he shrugged at this point, and Smokey hid a lile. "So I had to turn them away. I"m sure I lost a great deal money."
Another nonchalant shrug accompanied these words, and iddenly a coin left Da.r.s.ey"s fingers and spiraled through the r. With speed and dexterity that belied his size, the big man ^s.n.a.t.c.hed it out of the air, his face alight with triumph. With a flourish of his hand, he spoke.
"It"s all yours, Captain."
"Thanks, Bart. Tell Meg we"re starving, and I want my tea strong."
The men resumed their chatter as the group disappeared to a private room at the rear of the building. Nearly every man in the place had a story about Smoke, some stretching the truth only slightly. The only table that remained silent sat in the darkest corner of the room. Two men occupied this secluded table, and they were as different in size and appearance as two men could be.
"Who is she?" the taller man wanted to know, his eyes never leaving the door that Smokey and her men had disappeared through. His complexion was fair and his hair light, but all was hid under a cap and the shadows of the room.
"Have you not heard of the Smoke?"
"Yes, but I"d forgotten the rumors that Smoke was a woman.
I"d like to know her. See what you can do."
"I"d never get past the first mate. Guards her like mother bear, he does."
"Then it might be worth my having a try." The big man"s smile was surprisingly boyish at the thought.
"You"re willing to give up the sea already?"
"Who is to say I"ll need to?"