‘All right, Victoria., I’m going to put you out for a while. It’s just chloroform. You understand me? I just want you to breathe in, deeply. Don’t fight it, now.’ She nodded, and closed her eyes as Saint gently placed the dampened cloth with its sweetish liquid over her nostrils.
He carefully stitched the torn flesh, then bathed her and pressed soft cloths against her.
‘Thank you, Saint,’ Maggie said quietly when he rose. He said nothing until he’d pulled a sheet and blankets over Victoria’s body.
‘Would you like a brandy?’
He nodded, still looking down atVictoria. ‘She won’t be out for much longer. Yes, a brandy is just what I need. Give her a bit of laudanum in water when she wakes up. And have one of the girls stay with her, Maggie.’
He followed her from the room.
‘This is damnable, Maggie,’ he said as he accepted the brandy snifter from her.
‘I know.’ He saw the pain in her fine eyes, and just a bit of his anger melted. ‘I heard her scream, and ran into the room. The man … well, I smashed him over the head with a lamp, then called Caesar. The man wasn’t really unconscious and he began struggling. He pulled a derringer, and Caesar killed him. Will she be all right, Saint, truly?’
‘Yes, in time. I think, though, that you’ve lost yourself a whore.’
Maggie winced at his term, but said nothing. It was true, no matter how one dressed it up fancy in ones mind. She shook
her head and sank wearily onto a chair. ‘I’ll see that she’s well taken care of. But she’s alone, Saint. Like all my girls, Victoria chose to be a … whore. Hell, she’s getting rich off all the horny men in this city.’
‘I wonder what her choice is now?’
‘I’ll take care of her,’ Maggie repeated. ‘She’s earned quite a bit of money during the past year. She’ll be just fine.’
And she’ll probably go through life now never wanting another man to touch her. ‘She’s going to need some close nursing for a couple of days. I’ll see her tomorrow morning. Keep her quiet. I’ll take the stitches out in a week or so.’
‘Thank you, Saint. Lord-, I wish Brent were here.’
‘He and Byrony will be back soon enough. He couldn’t have prevented what happened, in any case.’
‘No., I suppose not,’ Maggie said. She rose and shook Saint’s hand. ‘Thanks, Saint, for coming so quickly.’
‘What did you do with the bastard who hurt her?’
‘Caesar dumped him somewhere, I don’t know.’
‘I hope it wasn’t in the bay. Wouldn’t want the fish to get polluted by such scum.’
‘I owe you, Saint.’
31
Saint grunted, too weary to argue or preach anymore.
He went home and drank half a bottle of whiskey before falling into oblivion near dawn.
3
Aboard the Sea Shroud
Juliana felt bile rise in her throat as she looked down at the tray of food Jameson Wilkes had brought her. In normal circumstances she would have wolfed down the delicious-loo king beef and boiled potatoes.
‘You will eat, my dear.’
Her head jerked around at his very calm, hated voice. She’d seen him leave but hadn’t heard him come back into the cabin.
‘I can’t,’ she said.
‘I am prepared to make allowances for your shock, Juliana, but not when it comes to your health. I assure you that I will not allow you to become a skinny wraith. Now, eat.’
‘I’ll vomit,’ she said viciously. ‘All over your beautiful cabin!’
‘If you do,’ he said very softly, coming to stand beside the narrow bed, ‘I will let You spend your days up on deck in full view Of my men. And you’ll be stark naked, my dear.’
She took a bite of the potatoes.
‘That’s better. You will finish all the food on
your tray, every bit of it. I will be your dinner companion, so to speak.’
‘I have nothing to say to you, Mr. Wilkes – ‘
‘You may call me Captain.’
‘Nothing at all, save to insist that you return me to my parents.
‘You know, Juliana, you are really looking quite bedraggled. Your hair is encrusted with salt and tangled like a witch’s mop. After you eat, I’ll let you bathe. It will make you feel better, and undoubtedly make you appear more appetizing.’