“I dream of a whipping I received while I was a forced crew member of the merchant ship I sailed on.”
“Forced?’ she asked, then added, “And whipped? The captain whipped you?”
“Often and enjoyed doing so.”
“I’ve heard such cruelty existed on some ships and I’ve heard how some men must crew the merchant ships to settle their unpaid debts.”
“I owed no debts, though it was made to appear otherwise,” he informed her with a cool tone.
“You were unfairly sold into service?”
“Exactly.”
“That’s horrible,” she stated angrily. “Who would do such a thing?”
Lucian had waited for this moment and calmly he told her. “Your stepfather.”
Answers to so many questions suddenly became clear and her response was swift. “You’re mistaken.”
His arms fell away from her and she rolled away from him. “I am not mistaken.”
She moved to the edge of the bed. “My father,” she emphasized, “would never sell a man into servitude for an unpaid debt.”
Captain Lucifer’s response was so calmly and forcibly delivered that she shivered.
“He did.”
“Never,” she corrected.
“You have no idea what your stepfather is truly capable of.”
Catherine felt her anger rise. Her hands began to shake and she had no doubt that when she spoke her voice would tremble. “You know nothing of my father, Captain Lucifer. I know him better than anyone.”
He laughed before he responded. “You know him that well? Then tell me, Catherine, how are his kisses?”
It took a moment for his nasty insinuation to thoroughly sink in. Her response was swift. She turned on him and swung her hand full force at his face.
The stinging blow reverberated through the darkness. Silence followed for a moment and then he reacted. He reached out, grabbed her by the back of her head and yanked her face down to a mere inch from his.
She felt his warm breath, smelled the fruity wine scent and sensed his deep-rooted anger.
His grip on her tightened with each word he spoke. “You ever raise your hand to me again and I shall tie you to the mast and whip you myself.” He shoved her away from him.
Catherine huddled to the edge of the bed, hugging the side so as not to fall off. She hadn’t known the reason behind his revenge and now that she did it made her task all the more difficult. No wonder he hated her father so much. To Captain Lucifer the Marquis of Devonshire had been the reason for all the ills that had befallen him. He now planned to have the marquis suffer as he had suffered. The captain was so blinded by anger and revenge that he couldn’t see the truth, the truth about her father, or the truth about herself.
Chapter Seven
Catherine chose to remain silent when she woke the following morning. Her somber mood seemed in keeping with the weather. The sky outside the row of four windows was overcast, promising rain or perhaps a storm.
She felt her own mood brewing beneath the surface. She was upset with her actions last night. She had lost her temper when she shouldn’t have. After all, she had taken great pains to paint herself a harlot, and if the captain thought poorly of her, it was her own doing. His obscene response meant she had succeeded in convincing him of her promiscuous nature. Oddly, she thought that she should be proud of herself.
She wasn’t. Her difficult task had just begun and already another burden had been added to her load. Not only was she determined to find the documents proving her father’s innocence, she intended to make certain Captain Lucifer was made aware of his mistaken notions of her father.
She sat up in bed, adjusting the covers across her lap before running her fingers through her tangled hair. She glanced casually around the cabin, aware that the captain sat at his desk, but attempted to appear indifferent to his presence.
A grimace of pain forced her to cease her attempts at combing her hair with her fingers. The pulls and tugs were just too uncomfortable and actually served little benefit in making her hair appear presentable.
“If you wish your comb, ask for it,” Lucian commented with annoyance, and shoved the quill pen into the inkwell in front of him.
“My comb,” she repeated, “Is on the other ship.”
Lucian pushed back his chair and stood. “Your belongings were brought upon my ship along with you.”
Catherine smiled joyously and clapped her hands together like a child delighted with receiving a gift. “How wonderful! Where are they? May I have them brought to me?”
Lucian felt a sudden stab to his belly that raced with lightning speed through his body and stuck in his throat, nearly taking his breath away. Good Lord, she was even more beautiful when she smiled. He wouldn’t have believed her angelic looks could improve if he hadn’t witnessed the transformation with his own eyes.