Page 4 of Kiss of Steele (The Royal Occult Bureau #9)

FOUR

AFTER A DAY spent under the implacable Portuguese sun and walking up and down hills, I was almost glad to crawl back to the dark and cool SS Florentia . I wasn’t glad to face three more days at sea before we stopped in Tunis. I was much less glad to face Rennie, who’d been following me everywhere like a hunter, since my failed escape.

I dragged myself towards my cabin, looking forward to washing away the dust of the day and changing into something lighter. The disappointment at not having seen Sandro was like a thorn in my chest. No Sandro, no answers. Rennie tailed me along the cool passageway, radiating annoyance and clenching his fists.

A scoff left me when I put my hand on the doorknob. “Are you going to follow me everywhere now?”

He folded his muscular arms over his chest. “You’ve proven to be untrustworthy even though you agreed to let me do my job and protect you.”

“I’m not a child.”

“Then don’t behave like one.”

“Confound it.” I pushed the door open and slammed it shut behind him. Not very mature. I was only confirming his words. But his constant presence was itching along my skin, and today’s fisco didn’t help my mood.

I washed and changed, taking my time brushing my hair and choosing a dress for dinner. Unfortunately, every evening dress in my trunk had buttons on the back. When I’d packed my clothes, I’d been in a hurry, thanks to my parents. But I’d rather show my naked back to every passenger than ask Rennie for help. Bother. The dress was a tad large for my straight body. If I breathed too hard, it might slip down. Never mind. I’d be careful.

So I wrapped myself in my shawl, leaving my back half-naked underneath. When I opened the door, I wasn’t surprised to find Rennie in the corridor.

His jacket hung from the rail. His shirtsleeves were rolled up to his elbows, showing his corded muscles, and the waistcoat stretched over his chest. The yellow glow from the gas lamps enhanced the scar on his neck and the harsh set of his jaw. He looked every inch the pugilist, which I was sure he was.

“Are you ready to go to dinner?” he asked between clenched teeth.

“Yes.” I straightened and turned towards the other side of the passageway.

There was a low rumble, coming from somewhere, as if the engine were hiccupping. The floor shook. I gasped and grabbed the rail, my stomach lurching. Rennie’s hand took my elbow.

“Stormy weather,” he said, steadying me.

“Indeed.” I snatched my arm free and started walking again.

The muscles in his naked arms, contracting and tensing, were quite distracting. Not that I was staring. Why would I care? But I hadn’t seen many half-naked men in my life, and he was displaying lots of muscles. Gentlemen didn’t show their arms, especially at dinner.

“Shouldn’t you wear your jacket for dinner?” I asked, eyeing him again.

“Shouldn’t you have your dress fully buttoned for dinner?”

Annoyance tickled me as my mouth hung open. “Listen—” My little speech was cut off by another jolt from the ship. I lost my balance and fell back. Rennie caught me and pulled me closer to his hard body.

As he went to withdraw his arm, my dress caught in the newel cap with a yank. The noise of ripped fabric boomed in the silent passageway. Pearly buttons rained to the floor and ended up under my slippers, causing me to lose my balance again. It was like ice skating. Not that I’d done that often. Safety and all that. Too dangerous for me, according to my parents.

“Confound it.” I had to grip Rennie’s shoulders not to fall over.

The back of my dress unfastened completely, and the low neckline dropped a few inches, revealing the top of my breasts and the lacy hem of my chemise. If I tilted my head to the right angle, I could see my nipples, taut and pressed against the flimsy fabric, which meant that Rennie could see them too.

His lips parted in mute shock as his gaze dipped low, down to my neckline, and stayed there. He was so focused on the show I was accidentally offering that he didn’t even blink. My cheeks flamed. And not only them. The heat moved lower, much lower. A combination of shame and something else I didn’t want to acknowledge caused me to freeze in his arms.

Then the SS Florentia jolted again, shoving me into Rennie’s arms. My half-naked breasts rubbed against his chest. The dress dipped another inch, revealing my nipples. He kept staring with undisguised interest. Another shock of stillness went through me as the contact with his broad body started an illicit pulse between my thighs.

Holy. Smoke.

Unless I untangled myself from his embrace, we would stay here and... and... I didn’t want to think about that . With the speed of a startled mouse, I scurried away from him and covered my chest with my shawl.

“I need to change,” I stuttered the most obvious words I’d ever spoken.

Without waiting for him to say anything, I ran towards my cabin. Of course, he hounded me. His footfalls echoed in the passageway. When I tried to open the door, the key to my cabin slid out of my fingers and clattered to the floor, thanks to my trembling fingers. Before I could pick it up, Rennie took it for me and unlocked the door.

“Monia, I should apologise,” he said in a low, intense voice that started a stirring in my belly, but I didn’t want to hear anything.

I brushed past him and slipped inside my cabin, gazing at the floor. Stubbornly, he followed me inside and shut the door. I was alone with him!

“Monia, I...” He scrubbed the back of his neck, shoulders hunched.

“We’re alone in my cabin.” Sheer shock and outrage caused my voice to quiver. “You should leave.”

“Yes, sorry. Of course.” He opened the door, then closed it. “It’s that... I... All right. I’ll leave you alone.” In a flutter of grey fabric, he staggered out of the cabin, leaving behind a heady male scent.

Blimey. My shoulders sagged when I was finally alone. That had been embarrassing. No. If I was being honest with myself, it’d been exciting, too. A little. Watching him lose his cold composure because he was staring at me had been empowering, different, and adventurous.

I shook my head, discarding the shawl and the half-ripped dress. Forget fashion. I was going to wear a dress I could button on my own. The SS Florentia rocked gently, as if in agreement, before giving a lurch.

“Dash it all.” I gripped the table to steady myself. And they said big ships didn’t rock around.

After I changed into a blue afternoon dress that buttoned on the front, I was surprised not to see Rennie waiting for me in the passageway. I must have scared him away. I was alone. Good. Yes, it was good. Freedom at last. What I wanted, right?

After glancing right and left to be sure he wasn’t lurking somewhere, I strode towards the reception area. The ship inclined again with a violent jolt, and I was thrown against the wall. Pain exploded in my shoulder after the impact. Thank goodness nausea wasn’t a problem for now. Wincing, I rubbed the sore spot and resumed walking. A young woman stood behind the reception desk, struggling to stand up while keeping the ink bottle straight. Since Rennie wasn’t tailing me, I should take advantage of the rare moment of freedom to do some investigation.

“This is perfectly normal, madam,” she said before I asked her anything. “The captain said we’re leaving behind the rogue waves. In a few minutes, everything will be fine.”

“That’s great, but I meant to ask you something else.” As I straightened, so did the ship.

The chandeliers hanging from the ceiling jingled when the crystals hit each other, casting shimmering lights on the white walls.

“How can I help you?” she asked.

I searched around again. Rennie could be awfully silent. “I’m looking for a passenger, Mr Edward Marston. I’d like to know the number of his cabin.”

“Let me see.” She brushed her dishevelled locks from her face and flipped through the pages of a register. Her brow furrowed. “Are you sure the gentleman’s name is correct? I can’t find any Marston.”

“I’m sure. I met him at dinner.”

“Maybe he isn’t a passenger but a member of the staff.” She opened another register and went through it.

A pricking started at the base of my neck. Edward wasn’t part of the crew. He didn’t wear a uniform.

She shook her head. “No, madam. I’m sorry. There is no Edward Marston on board.”

“But I talked to him. I danced with him.”

Sighing, she put the registers aside. “Then perhaps there was a misunderstanding about his name. Maybe the gentleman has a longer name, and he gave you his middle name.”

Or he’d lied to me. Dash it. I didn’t know what to believe. “Thank you.”

Why would Edward lie? Was he implicated in Sandro’s problems? Was he a spy? What advantage would he get from lying to me?

I returned to my cabin to see if Rennie was waiting for me there. But no. The corridor was empty. Odd. I loitered, torn between going to dinner and enjoying an evening alone, or going to his cabin and checking on him. But he could take care of himself, and Edward might be in the dining hall. Without Rennie breathing down my neck, I would have time to talk with Edward undisturbed. I spun on my heels and started heading for the dining hall, only to come to an abrupt stop. I chewed on my bottom lip, doubt gnawing at me. What if Rennie had fallen and hurt himself? There had been a few mighty jolts, and he hadn’t been himself when he’d left my cabin. The fact he wasn’t here bothered me more than I wanted to admit. I sighed.

Fine. I would go and see him.

The ship slanted right and left, but not with the same wild energy as before. I could walk along the passageway without tripping on my feet. Rennie’s cabin was on the lower floor, second class. My cabin was suffocating, but I had a clear view of the sea and sky. I guessed Rennie’s cabin must be even more oppressive.

The polished wooden floor and the golden decorations that abounded in first class were replaced by ugly brown tiles and dull wallpaper in second class. The corridor was narrower than the one upstairs, and the lights were few and far between. Even the floorboards were uneven.

I knocked on door number seventeen. “Rennie?” A muffled noise, like a strangled moan, came from the other side of the door. “Rennie? Are you all right?”

Another groan.

“I’m coming in.” Pulse spiking, I turned the knob and inched the door inward. “Are you?—”

From a corner of the dimly lit cabin, a huge man emerged and shoved me back with enough strength to make me lose my balance. I had barely time to let out a scream before I fell over and hit the floor hard. A new pang shot up my shoulders. The man scampered out of the room, hitting my stomach with a kick in the process. The groan of pain I meant to release remained trapped in my chest as I curled up into a ball, pain bursting through me. Agony radiated from my belly to my brain, a burning sensation that punched the breath out of my lungs. Even my head spun.

“Monia.” Rennie’s rough voice came from somewhere in the cabin.

There was a noise of feet shuffling across the floor. Then his warm hand was on my shoulder.

“Did he hurt you?” Lord, his voice sounded wrong, all raspy and broken, as if he were about to cry. What had happened to him?

Gasping, I opened my mouth. “F-fine.”

He stroked my cheek with so much kindness that I leant against his touch. “Let me turn on a lamp.” More groans of pain rose from him.

He limped around and rummaged through the room lit by the light from the corridor. A yellow glow spread from the nightstand, illuminating the chaos in the cabin. Shards of glass littered the floor. The bed sheets had been ripped, and Rennie’s clothes were scattered around.

As the pain in my belly faded, I sat upright, my body shivering. “What happened? Who was that man?”

“I don’t know.” He limped back towards me and crouched.

The light revealed all the red spots marring his face and a deep gash in his side where a wet dark patch stained his waistcoat.

“Rennie.” On pure instinct, I put a hand on his cheek, feeling the light stubble. “Did he stab you?”

“I’m fine.”

Maybe I was too shocked by what had happened, but I could swear he leant against my touch as well.

“You aren’t fine. You must go to see the doctor immediately.” I stroked his cheek. His skin was surprisingly smooth.

“I don’t need a doctor. Don’t worry.” He held my hand, his breathing returning to normal.

“Don’t worry?” I stood up on wobbly legs. He staggered to his feet too, wincing all the way up. “You aren’t fine at all. Let’s go.” I slid an arm around his waist and dragged him towards the door. Or tried to. He didn’t budge. “Rennie.” I squeezed him harder. “You’re injured.”

A softness relaxed his features, which didn’t make any sense. He’d been attacked. “I don’t need a doctor. Trust me.”

“You’re bleeding. Why do you have to be so stubborn? We must report the attack to the security officer. For Pete’s sake.”

He put a hand over mine and sucked in a deep breath. A battle was raging inside him, judging by the way his lips were pressed together and the worry lines creased his forehead.

“All right,” he gritted out, as if reluctant to accept the evidence that he was bleeding and needed medical attention. Rennie and his stupid stubbornness.

We inched out of the room with Rennie’s heavy body nearly dragging me down.

“What happened?” I asked as we slogged towards the stairs.

He swallowed hard. “I entered my cabin and shut the door. The next moment, the man jumped out of a corner and attacked me. Then you came.”

“And your leg?”

Another grimace twisted his mouth. “The man nearly broke it with a kick. He’s strong.”

A sickening lump of anxiety swelled in my throat. “Good Lord, Rennie. The gush? Is it a stab?”

“I think so. It was too dark to see his blade, though,” he said as if he were talking about a stroll in the park.

A few passengers glanced at us when we reached the main deck. Whispers and mutters followed us.

“I don’t understand.” I shook my head, Rennie’s arm weighing me down. “What did he want? If he wanted money, he should have broken into a first-class cabin. I mean no offence by that.”

A smirk tugged at his lips. “None taken.”

“Why was he attacking you? Did you anger him?”

Rennie paused, his eyebrows drawing together. “Where does this idea come from? I don’t even know the man.”

“Well, you know. It’s a logical conclusion.” I shrugged. “Perhaps he said something, you said something, and he attacked you.”

Scoffing, he resumed slogging forwards. “Logical conclusion my arse,” he muttered.

I paused. “Manners!”

His reply was a groan. What an impossible man.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“Never mind. You’ve been stabbed.” I waved dismissively.

“No, I mean, I’m sorry for having stared.” He avoided gazing at me.

“Oh.” I staggered under his weight, and he held me upright. “Don’t worry. We have more pressing matters at the moment.”

“Yes, but my behaviour was inexcusable.” He shook his head.

“Let’s forget about the whole incident, shall we?” Because I was going to be the first woman to die of embarrassment.

He grimaced. “Damn, it hurts.”

The smell of carbolic acid filled the air when we made our way along a pristine white passageway. We stopped in front of a set of double doors with the name of a doctor written on a plaque. There was no one in the passageway, and the room behind the doors was empty. Great.

“Hmm, help?” I shouted. What did a bleeding passenger have to do to get medical attention?

Finally, a couple of nurses came out of the lateral doors.

Twenty minutes later, a nurse was visiting me while a doctor was attending to Rennie’s wounds in another room. She was the same red-haired girl I’d seen when I’d been dancing with Edward.

“Good gracious, madam,” she said, applying an ointment to the huge black bruise on my ribs. Her gaze flickered over the scar on my arm, but she didn’t comment. “That deranged man kicked you so very hard. You’re lucky he didn’t break any ribs.”

“It felt like he did.” I winced as she probed around the bruise. “Every time I inhale, it hurts.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sure the security officers will catch the man soon.”

I released a breath when she finished attending to the bruise. “I remember having seen you in the dancing hall the other night. You said my partner and I were good dancers.”

“Of course, I remember you, madam.” She smiled, wiping her hands on a towel.

“Do you know Edward, the man I was dancing with? It seems he can’t be found anywhere on the ship. I asked the lady at the reception desk, but she couldn’t find his name on any lists.”

“That’s surprising.” A little frown creased her forehead. “But surely, other people must have noticed him. He was so handsome. His long black hair and sharp grey eyes aren’t common.”

Black hair? Grey eyes? I stopped buttoning my dress. “I think there’s a misunderstanding. Edward has blond hair and blue eyes.”

Her frown deepened. “I’m sure the man I saw you with had long black hair tied in a bun at the base of his neck and grey eyes, madam.”

The description didn’t fit Edward at all. “We’re talking about two different men. I didn’t dance with any man with long dark hair.” I couldn’t completely remove the frustration from my voice. But honestly. She remembered me, but not Edward. Was she making fun of me?

There was a moment of awkward silence. The nurse stared at me, as if wondering if she should check my head as well. The knock on the door broke the spell.

“May I come in?” a man said from the other side.

I tugged at my shirt and patted my hair. “You may.”

A man in a dark blue uniform with the golden stars of the company bowed to me from the threshold. His rounded glasses perched on his straight nose. “Miss Fitzwilliam, I’m Detective Norton. I’m terribly sorry for the incident. I promise I will start a thorough investigation and catch the perpetrator as soon as possible.” He flipped through the pages of a notepad. “Would you please tell me what happened?”

I didn’t have much to say. It took me only a couple of minutes to sum up how the huge man had tackled me and kicked me in the stomach before rushing out of Rennie’s cabin. Pain burned my side all over again as I remembered the kick. My breathing sped up.

Norton nodded. “Can you describe the man?”

“It was dark, but I can tell you he was tall, muscular, and broad.”

The detective stopped writing, scowling. “Are you sure, madam?”

“As I said, it was dark. I’m not sure about the colour of the man’s hair or eyes, but I’m pretty sure he was a large, strong man.”

Norton scribbled something in the notepad, shooting me a glare, as if I were a lunatic. He exchanged a glance with the nurse. “Large and strong?” he repeated.

Hadn’t I been clear enough? “Yes,” I said.

He wrote something else. “That’s all for now. Thank you, madam.”