Under Her Brass Corset (17 page)

“Pardon us a minute.” She excused herself and Jasper from Mr. Sutterby and led Jasper away. “Where’s the Crystal Compass?”

“The Compass?”

“Yes, the Compass. Is it in a safe place? What if Eric finds us? No one’s on board the
Illusion
to prevent him from finding it.” A breeze caught strands of her hair, fluttering them across her face.

“Trust me, it’s all right.” He brushed her hair back and kept his hand at the side of her head.

Déjà vu swept her mind into recalling her past. She remembered the bouquet of roses she’d picked for her mother and how they’d dropped when she tripped over the stoop. A man’s voice, sounding like Jasper’s, had said the same thing,
“Trust me, it’s all right
.”

“Abigail, are you all right?” Jasper stroked her cheek.

She blinked several times and nodded, shaking away the curious sense of intense familiarity with him.

“Yes. I just thought…I had this strange feeling that you…Never mind. I’m just tired, I guess. You were telling me where you hid the Compass.”

“It’s not hidden. I brought the Compass with us. It’s in that canvas bag.”

“You don’t have the bag now?”

“Of course not. It’s at Juan’s hut, sitting in the corner of the room.”

“What if he looks in it? Or someone else takes the bag?”

“I bring that bag every time I come here. Juan knows it’s mine and he has no reason to look in it when he’d only think it contains my clothes like every other time I’ve been here.” He rubbed her cheek and then cupped her chin. “What has caused you to be so unusually more paranoid? Has Adam said something to you?”

“No. Yes. Not about the treasure though. He just mentioned…He told me about…”

“Isabel.”

Abigail cleared away the lump in her throat with a hard swallow. “And the baby. I’m so very sorry for your loss.” Her words barely rose above a whisper, fearing she’d said too much.

“It was long ago. Time has a way of—”

“No.” She pulled out of his hold. “Don’t start talking about your immortality or age or anything that will make me think your story about her isn’t real.”

“You would prefer I’d say I’m still hurting from the loss of her and our child?” His voice cracked midsentence.

“I know you are,” she said as her chest burned with an undeniable heartfelt sympathy. “Why else would you continue to hate Adam as you obviously do?”

She wanted to believe there was nothing fake about the tears in his eyes, and then he raked his fingers through his hair and snorted an amused sound. “Adam, is it? So you’ve taken a liking to him. I must commend him for winning you over so quickly.”

“He’s done nothing objectionable for me not to like him.” She took a slow, deep breath, suddenly confused and wary of Jasper again. His anger with Adam had seemed real, but a nagging sliver of doubt crept back into her thoughts. What if Adam and Jasper
were
plotting against her?

“I’ll take you back to Juan’s,” he said.

“I’m not ready to go back. I thought I’d look around.”

“I don’t have time to show you the island right now. After the
Illusion
has been repaired, then we can—”

“Mr. Sutterby has kindly said he’d be my escort. I find him interesting and entertaining.”

“You can’t trust him.”

“For your information, I trust him about as much as I trust you right now.” She said it even though it wasn’t true.

“Uh-huh.” He backed from her. “Well, since saying no would make you want to go with him that much more, then enjoy your exploration of the island. Can I expect to see you back at Juan’s in a few hours?”

The turmoil of her emotions left her limited in word choices. In some ways, he inspired her to be carefree and reckless. He always gave her the impression he was pleased by those socially repressed traits in her. Yet throwing herself into his arms while doubting his motives just didn’t seem right.

“Jasper.” She stepped forward and gingerly stroked his sweat-dampened sleeve.

He lifted her face with a finger under her chin. “You can tell me anything, Abigail, any problem. I promise to make it right for you.”

How proud the devil,
she thought, to make a man equally as vexing as he was appeasing.

“I’ll be at Quito’s when you return,” she finally answered, and then walked away, rejoining Adam.

“He seemed upset with you,” Adam said. “Should I have come forward and intervened?”

She watched Jasper head down the beach with a group of men she assumed were working on fixing the
Illusion
. He hadn’t gone far when he glanced back. Regret seemed apparent in his eyes.

“That’s very sweet, but no. I can handle Captain Blackthorn.” She slipped her hand around Adam’s arm to show Jasper all was well with her. “I saw a man over there that looked like he might be giving someone a tattoo. Do you think we might go see?” she asked.

“Lead the way.”

She took him to the small grouping of people. There she watched the villager pricking a man’s skin with a fine reed. The use of a plant instead of a needle fascinated her. The intricate design he pierced into his patron’s flesh was perfect.

“What does he charge to do that?” Abigail asked Adam.

“A chicken, a trinket, anything that interests him, I suppose.”

She looked down at her attire. “I guess it doesn’t matter. It’s not like I have anything of value on me.”

“You want a tattoo?”

“Are you shocked?” She smacked her arm, squishing a bug.

“Yes,” he said simply, wiping the bug remains from her skin with a handkerchief.

“I’ll have you know I already have one on my thigh. It’s of a rose vine with a single bud representing my memory of my mother. I’d like to get another bud added for my father.”

“If that is your wish, I’d be glad to pay the cost.”

“Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that.” Before she could say more, Adam walked over and spoke to the artist.

The man who had been getting inked rose from the stool and walked away.

“I’ve arranged for you to have your tattoo done right now,” Adam informed her.

“Oh, but he wasn’t finished.”

“He’s his brother and he can work on his design anytime. Now are you going to have that rosebud added or have you changed your mind?”

Abigail shook her head and hurried to the stool. She pulled her skirt up, tugged the legging of her knickers and explained to the man what she wanted. His English wasn’t very good and Adam translated. He assured her the man understood he was to give her an identical rosebud opposite of the one she already had. Everyone in the vicinity crowded around. From the corner of her eye, she saw Adam turn away. Her heart skipped a beat. A respectful man was desirable to most women.

“Mr. Sutterby, if the whole village can watch, I see no reason for you not to look as well. After all, you are the one paying the bill.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were from another era, Miss Thatch.” Adam spun around and gave her a big grin.

“And what era would that be?” She batted her lashes, feeling happy enough to be flirtatious.

“Whatever time period where a woman felt confident in doing as she pleased.”

“I think that would be today, don’t you, Mr. Sutterby?” She smiled up at him and noticed the colorful birds in the trees.

“So it does, Miss Thatch.” He laughed.

Every bit as likable as Jasper, Adam charmed her into feeding her curiosity and she asked, “How did you and Jasper meet?”

“I don’t think you’d like the story so much.”

“Oh, why not?” She cringed at the first jab of the reed piercing her skin.

“It has to do with a subject that upsets you,” he replied.

She felt a genuine warmth and understanding in his tone. “Your immortality?”

“Yes.”

“I need a distraction, so tell me your tale anyway,” she said, looking around at the villagers. “Unless you have some immortal’s code that prevents you from divulging too much in front of so many.”

Adam stooped down next to her and whispered in her ear, “There is such a code.” He then leaned away and laughed. “But I don’t think there’s a problem since no one here speaks much English.”

“No one?”

“None of the natives to the region.”

“Tye speaks English.”

“Yes, and she was taught by Quito so that she’d be able to talk to his friends.”

“And you don’t think maybe she’s taught someone else?”

“No one here would have a need to know another language. Besides, I think Tye spends most of her time in Quito’s company.”

“And what of this code?” she persisted. “You’re not going to break an oath of silence just because I asked.”

“I’m not breaking anything. Obviously, Jasp has already spilled the beans.” He pulled up another stool and rested forward on his arms on his legs.

“Not all of them. How did you two meet, honestly?”

“We met on a ship. I was his first contact, the first immortal to meet him after his rebirth from drinking the water from one of the springs of Avalon. It fell upon me to give him guidance and initiate him into the Brotherhood.”

She didn’t want to encourage his lies, but she had started it. “What is the Brotherhood?”

“A secret club for immortals.”

In too deep to back out of the topic altogether, she continued, figuring that maybe he’d slip up in the details. “How do you recognize one another?”

“It’s accidental until the initiation. Afterward we get tattoos on our wrists.” He held his arm up and showed her a Celtic knot.

She leaned closer and stared at the design. “It looks just like Jasper’s.”

“That’s the idea.”

“Do you have another tattoo above it? A crest?”

“I do.” He pushed his sleeve higher, exposing the outlined shield containing entwined dragons on a cross.

“This looks familiar.”

“I don’t see how. My family line is old, but I was the last male.”

“I know I’ve seen this one before.”

“Where?”

“Probably in the museum where I worked. Were your family…Are you royalty, Mr. Sutterby? Though I’m fairly well-schooled in the lineages of England, I don’t recall any Sutterbys.”

“There aren’t any Sutterbys anymore, and I’d be quite surprised if I were remotely close to being an aristocrat.” His eyes twinkled with amusement. “I’m as peasant as a boy can get on a farm.”

“Your manners say much more.”

On the walk back around the island to Quito’s hut, Abigail thought about Adam’s statement. It almost sounded as if she was right—Adam was an aristocrat. Maybe a black sheep, a son who had disgraced the family name. However, Sutterby wasn’t a name she remembered from her studies. Then there was the obvious conclusion—she had read too much into his tone. It was possible he wasn’t from a noble house. That he lost all his family from an epidemic, and he was made angry by the painful subject. That was an experience she could empathize with in the fullest.

When they got to Quito’s hut, she saw Jasper standing under the thatched awning over the door. His dark hair fluttered in the breeze, getting in his eyes. Several times he ran his fingers through the strands in attempts to tame it. He didn’t look happy. She knew it was because she’d gone off with Mr. Sutterby. Not because of a falling-out they may or may not have had, but because he wasn’t in control of her decisions.

“The
Illusion
will be ready in a few hours. We can go back on board and wait there,” he told her.

“Would it be too much to ask to join you, Jasp? Get passage to anywhere with a harbor where I might buy a new ship?” Adam asked.

“Yes—No.” She and Jasper answered at the same time.

“No,” Jasper repeated.

“Be reasonable, man. It’s not like I’m a threat to you or Abigail,” Adam argued.

“She’s Miss Thatch to you,” Jasper growled.

Abigail liked his protectiveness, but she wasn’t going let him think he had full control over her.

“I don’t think he’s asking so much, Captain Blackthorn,” she said. “We’re headed for North Carolina and I’m sure they have harbors there.”

“No,” he replied, giving her a glaring hard look. “He-can-find-another-way.”

“If he doesn’t go, then-I-shan’t-go-either.” She enunciated each word just as clearly and determinedly as he had.

“Fine,” he grumbled and went in the hut.

Abigail stood confused. Had he agreed she’d stay or agreed Adam could go? She glanced at Adam, seeking an answer from him. He shrugged, looking just as unsure about the one-word verdict. It worried her she had made a big mistake. Jasper could have tricked her into giving him an ultimatum. What better way to get rid of her than to let her do the suggesting?

A minute later, Jasper emerged from the hut with the satchel slung over his shoulder. He shook Quito’s hand. “Until next time around,
mi amigo
,” he said in farewell.

Abigail wrung her hands. She’d not back down, but she had to seek clarification. “When you said
fine
, did that mean you agree Adam can go with us?”

“No.” He stopped in front of her.

She swallowed hard to clear room for her next question to come out. “Then you’re leaving me here?”

Jasper stared at her for what seemed the longest time. If he said yes, she’d have to give in. He had all the power. She’d never find her treasure without him.

“No,” he answered roughly. “I’m not leaving you. So if it takes him coming, then fine, you can have your way.”

She suppressed a smile and accepted Jasper’s hold on her arm. She glanced back and motioned with a backhanded wave for Adam to come along. He flicked a wave back and mouthed he’d be along shortly.

Jasper towed her along, displaying that overbearing maleness she both liked and disliked. This time she’d let him have his way—let him drag her along as if he were a Neanderthal staking claim to his property. She had won. The
why
disturbed her. No man let a treasure slip through his fingers. She’d not let Jasper’s surrendering to her wishes trick her into a false sense of security.

Jasper found it hard to stay angry with Abigail. Since she insisted they swim to the ship and leave the longboat for Adam, his admiration for her grew. Her thoughtfulness exceeded expectations, even though it was misguided.