Fire On The Water

  **Start at Chapter 1-"Fire On The Water" 
                                           

                                                Chapter Two


    Vanessa heaved the saddle over the fence rail with an exasperated breath.  Anger toward Philip and his idea of a joke continued to brew.  To be totally embarrassed before a perfect stranger, and then laughed at, was not her image of something funny.

    Thinking back, it had nothing at all to do with Philip laughing at her, it pertained to the fact that he was able to enjoy going to sea and not her--because she was a woman.  Women just weren’t sailors; it wasn’t done.  So she should be punished for being born female?

    Other emotions stirred within her, pushing out all the anger.  She glanced at the back of her hand and touched the area where the velvety warmth of Captain Clairmont’s lips had been.  Men had kissed her hand before, but this seemed different.

    Because he’d held her fingers until she decided to look into those deep-blue eyes of his?

    And when she did, a surge of heat penetrated her embarrassment, making her aware of his virility.

    Glad she’d escaped when she did, Vanessa could now compose herself before anyone approached her.  How would she deal with Captain Clairmont at supper?  She should apologize for being so rude to a visitor, but she’d have to remain aloof.  Letting him see how he affected her as a man after just one meeting could prove disastrous.

    Star, Vanessa’s sleek black mare, pranced over to the fence, and rubbed her nose against Vanessa’s cheek.  She patted the white marking on the animal’s forehead.  "I suppose it’s really too late to ride you.  I need to dress for dinner."  Star stared at Vanessa with large, chocolate-brown eyes.  "I know you understand.  I’ll see you tomorrow."

    A stable hand walking toward Vanessa along the fence returned her wave.  Before going to the manor, she called out to him. "Could you return the saddle for me?  I don’t have the time to ride this evening, but I will first thing in the morning."
                                                    * * * *

    Dressed for the evening meal, Vanessa heard voices when she neared the drawing room door.  She entered to find Captain Clairmont talking with her family.

    After greeting everyone, she stepped to the captain’s side. Vanessa held her head high and looked directly into his blue eyes, refusing to be intimidated.  “I must apologize for my earlier behavior.  I didn’t mean for my anger to be directed at you, though you received the brunt of my words.  I am sorry.  May we be friends?”

    Nathan Clairmont’s warm smile reached his eyes.  “Apology accepted.  I would be cruel not to accept your friendship.”  Nathan cupped the glass in his hand.  “Philip tells me you know quite a bit about breeding horses.  That also happens to interest me a great deal.  Would you mind sharing some ideas with me sometime?”

    “I’d be happy to discuss it.”

    The doors to the drawing room opened and a footman entered. “Dinner is served.”

    Throughout the meal, Vanessa kept quiet and listened to the adventurous stories of the journey Philip and her father made from England.  On several occasions, she glanced up from her plate and met Captain Clairmont’s gaze.  His friendly smile unnerved her, making her feel like a blushing debutant.

    James Deveraux braced his elbows on the table and steepled his fingers once the footman cleared away his plate.  “Captain, would you and Mr. Faulkner care to ride around the estate tomorrow afternoon, once we’re finished unloading the ship’s cargo?  Vanessa usually goes riding about two o’clock with her groomsmen.  You wouldn’t mind the company, would you, dear?”

    Vanessa paused before raising her eyes to meet her fathers. She looked at Mr. Faulkner, then at Nathan.  “Of course not, but I’m sure they don’t want to be pawned off onto a female when Philip could show them around.”

    Nathan’s gaze never wavered.  “Philip has already stated that he has business to attend, so we would be pleased to have you show us around.”

    “Splendid,” James announced.  “Shall we all retire to the verandah before the evening comes to a close?”
                                                  * * * *

    Two weeks later on a hot afternoon, Vanessa sat near the lagoon listening to monkeys screech to one another in the distance.  She enjoyed getting away by herself to enjoy the sounds of the island.  High humidity caused wisps of hair to spiral and cling to her face.  The simple, yellow linen dress she wore today allowed the slight breeze to cool her skin in this quiet spot at the back of their property, which lay nestled at the edge of the dense jungle.

    She glanced at the Singhalese groomsmen who rested in the distance, yet were close enough should she require their help.  Her father insisted she never go anywhere without them because of the leopards and cheetahs that roamed the jungle.  Though not much frightened her, she did allow for the need of servants with guns.

    Thoughts of Captain Clairmont invaded Vanessa’s privacy.  She found her relationship with him had blossomed into a beautiful friendship in only a matter of weeks.  She’d curbed her tongue a bit, or at least, refrained from directing it at him.

    He and Philip seemed to have become close friends, which likely was the reason he had remained a guest in their home.  The captain now joined her and Philip on their daily rides, periodic walks into the jungle, or ventures to watch the elephants.  She enjoyed his company and carefree attitude.  Lately, he teased her as often as her brother, Philip.

    Vanessa turned at the sound of approaching horses.

    “What are you doing out here alone?  Don’t you know cheetahs feast on young, lonely women,” Philip teased as he dismounted.

    “You know I don’t believe that story any longer.  As a matter of fact, I don’t believe much at all of what you tell me happens in these jungles,” Vanessa said.

    “Then you don’t need to pay attention to the snake in the tree above you.”

    “I won’t fall for that trick again, Philip."  A gun shot sounded, and a three-foot snake dropped beside her.  She bounded from the ground, tripped on a protruding tree root, and to her amazement, landed in Captain Clairmont’s arms.

    Shocked, Vanessa pushed herself away from him.

    “Are you all right?” Captain Clairmont asked.

    She stared at the dead snake, thinking what could have happened if she’d been bitten, then looked back at the captain.

    His brows drew together in concern.  "I think you should sit down over here with us for awhile.  That incident would disturb anyone.”

    Vanessa sat with her back against a rock, as did Captain Clairmont.  Philip sat across from her discussing a shipping matter with Nathan.  Careful not to be caught by Philip and teased later, she observed Captain Clairmont as he relaxed his broad shoulders against the boulder, his long legs stretched out before him, crossed at the ankles.  His deep blue eyes contrasted well with his dark, tanned features; the sculptured line of his chiseled jaw adding to the mystery in his character.  Her gaze dropped to the flexing muscles of his forearms as his fingers fondled a blade of grass.  Vanessa bit her lower lip.  Apparent strength exuded from his being even while he rested.

    What was Captain Clairmont like?  Did he have a wife and children?  Where was his home?

    “Nathan and I are going to ride down the coastline later this afternoon if you’d like to go with us, Vanessa.”

    She glanced at Philip, then at Captain Clairmont.  He moistened his lips.
“I would enjoy your company,” he said.  A smile tipped one side of his mouth.  “Being with Philip all the time gets boring.”

    “At least I don’t give you a tongue lashing every time something goes wrong like she does,” Philip exclaimed.

    Warmth flooded Vanessa’s cheeks.  Philip thrived on embarrassing her.  “If Philip plans to harass me all evening, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be good company.”
Captain Clairmont raised a seductive brow.          “We could always leave him home.”

    “I don’t think so, my friend,” Philip retorted.  He waived a hand in Vanessa’s direction.  “Leave her alone with a rake like you?  Not likely.”

    Vanessa met Captain Clairmont’s gaze, rather enjoying their discussion.
“I’ll be there this evening to protect my sister’s honor,” Philip teased, winking at her.

    Vanessa rolled her eyes heavenward, shaking her head, wondering if Philip would ever get tired of teasing her.


    Later that afternoon in the stable, Nathan checked the saddle on his stallion, Caesar, as he thought about Vanessa.  Her green eyes had captured his heart the day they’d met.  How could it be that she was still single?  Beautiful women always married early, but society in Ceylon differed from England.

    Granted, the men here weren’t of Vanessa’s station, and Philip did tell him she’d already refused several offers.  Was she the type to require a titled husband?  What of Jonathan Shyler, back in England?  Philip had called him Vanessa’s childhood sweetheart.  Was he titled?  Did she have feelings for him?  And if so, were they strong enough to withstand the past ten years she’d lived here?

    Out of habit, Nathan slipped his fingers beneath the saddle’s cinch to check the tightness, and then went to check Star’s saddle for Vanessa.

    Women in his life had been few and far between these last few years, some wanting only his money, not loving the person he was inside.  Maybe the time had come for him to settle down.  Perhaps he should get to know Vanessa better.  They’d become friends recently, and she had quit being so testy.

    “Hello, Captain.”

    The soft lilt of Vanessa’s voice caressed Nathan’s ear. When he turned toward her, he took a quick breath.  The friendly smile that played about her mouth drew his attention to her full lips.  Mahogany hair fell in waves, framing and adding color to her delicate features.  Much to his pleasure, she wore breeches rather than a riding habit, which he was used to seeing English women wear when they rode.  Hopefully she hadn’t noticed his quickly in-drawn breath.

    God, she was a beautiful woman.

    Nathan knew he should be ashamed of his thoughts.  He’d only known Vanessa for a few weeks, and after all, this was his employer’s daughter.  What would James think?

    “Hello.  I’m glad you decided to ride,” Nathan said, dropping the stirrup of Star’s saddle.

    Vanessa held her riding crop beneath her arm as she pulled on her black leather gloves.  “Where’s Philip?  I thought for sure he’d be here, knowing how adamant he was about going with us.”

    “He had some urgent business in Colombo, but gave the grooms strict orders to joins us.  If you’d rather not go—“

    “Don’t be absurd.  I’m sure you’ll be the perfect gentleman.  We don’t need Philip.”  Vanessa finished with her gloves, and then looked up at him.  “He’d only tease me while we ride, and I don’t need anymore of that today.”

    “I’ve learned not to tease you the way Philip does,” Nathan offered, gesturing toward Star.  “Shall we?”

    Vanessa reached for her saddle.  With her back to him, Nathan grasped her tiny waist and lifted her.  She swung her leg over the saddle and placed her feet into the stirrups.  Chuckling to himself over the way Vanessa flaunted society, Nathan mounted and they rode from the stable.

    An hour of warm conversation and riding took them to a small cove.  Nathan helped Vanessa down and they walked toward the back of the inlet, followed at a distance by three groomsmen who also took advantage of the break.  Nathan led the two horses to a grassy area, then returned to sit on the sand with Vanessa.

    He followed her gaze out toward the frothy white caps, watching them float inland as they rode the undulating waves. Nathan inhaled the warm salty sea breeze mixed with Vanessa’s scent of jasmine, attempting to stir past memories he chose to ignore.  Glancing sideways at her, the air blew Vanessa’s hair away from her face.  Her strength and stamina seemed at odds with her slender body.  “You enjoy living here, don’t you?”

    Sparkling green jewels glanced at him from beneath dark lashes.  “Yes.  But father’s planned a trip back to England next month and I’m very anxious to go.  Living here for the past ten years, I wonder if it’s possible for certain feelings to remain the same after such an absence.”

    “Many things are possible.”

    Vanessa looked back over the water.  “Long ago, a boy from my childhood captured my heart even at so young an age.  We constantly teased that one day we’d be married and have several children.  I still have strong feelings for him and think of him often.  Yet...can one ever go back?”

    Nathan watched her expression sadden as she talked of her past.  “Does he have a name?”  He almost wished this childhood love didn’t exist; he would have loved to be that boy.  Nathan found himself quite interested in Vanessa.

    “Jonathan Shyler.  He’s Philip’s age.  They were friends and Jonathan would visit often back in England.  The three of us were nearly inseparable then.  I rode as well as they did, and beat them in several races around Deveraux Manor, our grandparent’s estate.”

    “Has he ever written to you since you left England?”

    “Yes, he writes quite often.  His work takes him to America much of the time right now.  I wrote to let him know we’d be home soon.  I’m all packed for voyage but I’ll miss the island.”  A moment passed before she spoke again.  “Captain Clairmont, you are very easy to talk to.”

    “Please, call me Nathan, at least when we’re alone.  I’m not one for such formalities.”

    “All right...Nathan."

    Vanessa sat silently for a long time, and he didn’t prod her, but rather, shared the peace of the ocean with her.  How deep did her feelings go for Jonathan?  The voyage back to England could prove to be a long one, he mused, though they wouldn’t leave for several more days.



    Nathan stood at the helm of his ship, now only one week from England’s shores.  Vanessa leaned against the rail, enjoying the afternoon sun in her yellow-striped gown.  Yes, a gown looked just as good on her as those bloody breeches.  She obviously could be tamed, even if only for a short time.

    A variety of colors burned in her hair as the light reflected from the water, causing a dancing effect in the waves that cascaded down her back.  Stepping away from the rail, serene happiness exuded from her being as she strolled about the deck, never once faltering when the ship dipped with the ocean’s reflux.  She was a natural at sea.  Her cloak billowed behind her, but she held tight to the front.

    “You shouldn’t be quite so obvious, my friend.”

    Nathan turned slowly to glance at Philip as he leaned against the mizzenmast with his arms crossed over his chest. Vanessa had been correct when she stated that Philip never gave up his penchant for jesting.  “I’ve always admired beautiful women,” Nathan said, looking back toward Vanessa.

    “As I said before, I think she’s still in love with Jonathan Shyler.  She’s never given up hope that he feels the same way.  But I will give you a ray of hope.”

    “And what might that be?”  Nathan curiously stared into Philip’s blue eyes.

    “I’ve seen the way she watches you when she thinks no one is looking.  Perhaps I should have a talk with her.”

    Nathan immediately narrowed his eyes on Philip.

    Philip held up his hands in protest.  “All right, all right.  But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

    “I’ve been warned,” he acknowledged.

    Later that night, Nathan escorted Vanessa on deck while two deck hands worked on a carriage gun at the opposite end of the massive vessel.  “I hope our friendship continues once you arrive in England.  I’ve enjoyed our discussions of horse breeding and I’d like to continue those.”

    “So have I.  Our friendship means a lot to me, too…Nathan.  I know I haven’t known many men while I’ve lived in Ceylon, but you and I seemed to have connected in some way.  I would hate to lose your friendship.”

    Nathan stepped closer to Vanessa than he’d ever been, and she didn’t retreat.  Searching her eyes, he looked for a sign of her feelings.  He’d wanted to kiss her since the day they’d met.

    She gazed up at him with parted lips, as though she was going to speak again.  When her tongue moistened her lips, Nathan lowered his head.  Taking advantage of the opportunity, he gently embraced her; his mouth captured hers.

    Vanessa’s warm lips responded, yet her hands pressed against his chest.  Nathan spread his fingers over her back, memorizing the sensuous curves, her body feeling right against his own, but he didn’t want to frighten her.  He withdrew from the kiss, tasting Vanessa’s lips one last time before releasing her.  “I won’t apologize for that.  I’ve dreamed of nothing else since we met.  If it never happens again, I’ll remember it always.”

    Rounded eyes looked back at him.  Her fingers touched her lips.  “I should get back to my room.”

    “Let me see you safely to your cabin.’

    Vanessa leaned against the closed cabin door for what seemed several minutes.  Did Nathan stand on the opposite side yet, or had he returned to the helm?

    Thundering blood pounded in her ears.  The beat of her heart refused to slow.  She touched her fingers to her lips again and relived the kiss.  The scent of spice, his scent, wafted up from the front of her cloak to assail her senses.

    Closing her eyes, Vanessa leaned her head back against the wood. Other men had kissed her; she wasn’t a child.  But the end result never affected her like this.

    God, help her, she prayed.

    The mere touch of his warm hands on her back had nearly seared through her cloak.  Sprinkles of excitement rushed through her as she remembered the way his velvet lips brushed against her own, tormenting her emotions.  The deep timbre of his voice had caressed her senses, dulling her knowledge of proper etiquette. How could she face Nathan tomorrow without blushing red enough to alert Philip to what had taken place between them?

    Stepping away from the door, Vanessa paced the small expanse of the cabin, stopping long enough to place her cloak on a peg.  She moved to look out the porthole, the moon high above reflected off the water.  As soon as she arrived in England, she wanted to see Jonathan, to touch him, to know he was real and not one of the many dreams she’d had of him.  Their love had been there as children and she’d clung to it for ten long years; it seemed to come through in his letters too.  He had to still love her.  The love she felt for Jonathan had to still be there - to withstand the emotions Nathan had disturbed.  Her hand covered her mouth to smother a sob lodged in her throat.  She needed to see Jonathan; to know they still shared what they once had.


    English soil sank beneath Nathan’s boots as he left Deveraux Manor after seeing Vanessa and her family safely to her grandparents.  Now he only need wait a short time to see what transpired between Jonathan and Vanessa.  Would he still have feelings as strong as Vanessa’s love?  And if so, what then?  Nathan couldn’t possibly intrude on a love that had held strong over so long a time.  He would give up Vanessa, though the love she stirred within him would never die.  Their time together had been short, but so many feelings had been planted in Nathan’s heart.


    Six months later at the engagement ball for Vanessa and Jonathan, Nathan stood with Philip, watching the guests mill about.  His gaze centered mostly on Vanessa.  “Jonathan’s a lucky man.  I wish him well with his headstrong future wife,” Nathan mumbled, knowing his anger was evident in his tone.

    “I’m sorry, Nathan.  But Jonathan’s not so bloody jealous that he will destroy Vanessa’s friendship with you.  You really need to get to know him better,” Philip consoled.

    Nathan glared at Philip, aware of his anger inside.  “I should be glad tonight, that soon, another man will make love to the woman I wanted?” he snapped in a low growl.

    Philip raised a dark, aggravating eyebrow to him.  “You’re the one who said you would allow Vanessa to make the decision. Why didn’t you let her know how you felt about her?”

    “Because I don’t step into love triangles if I can help it. One lives longer that way.”  Nathan swallowed the amber contents of his glass.

    “So set yourself up for a lifetime of misery?”

    Philip sounded almost sorry that Nathan had not forced Vanessa to listen to his feelings.  But what good would it do if she would always want Jonathan in the end?  “Let it go, Philip.”

    “Aye, aye, Captain,” Philip replied sarcastically.

    Nathan again glared at Philip, whose mocking attitude was taking its toll on him, then he watched Jonathan.  His laughter carried across the room as others obviously made teasing comments about getting married.  Mentally comparing Jonathan’s body structure to his own, Jonathan stood a few inches shorter, though his shoulders were nearly as broad.  Blond hair, just touching his collar, complemented his amber-colored eyes.  Vanessa had made a good choice.

    Philip had pulled Nathan into conversation and were soon joined by Jonathan and Vanessa.

    Jonathan smiled and held out his hand.

    Nathan shook his hand.  “Congratulations, Lord Shyler.  You’re a lucky man.”  Nathan’s gaze fell to Vanessa, and his emotions twisted his heart.  He’d lost the only woman he’d cared for since Clarissa’s death.  “I wish you all the happiness possible.”

    “Thank you, Captain Clairmont,” she replied.

    “Vanessa tells me you two became close friends in Ceylon.  I hope your friendship will continue and that you’ll stop by for a visit,” Jonathan offered.

    “I’ll make it a point to drop by in a few weeks, if only to check on Vanessa.”  Nathan winked at her.

    Jonathan patted his shoulder.  “We’ll look forward to it.”

    Nathan tried hard to dislike Jonathan but there wasn’t anything he could find wrong with the man.  Jonathan had made a point of stopping to talk with him, a gesture Nathan found commendable.  He appeared to genuinely care for Vanessa.

    After the two walked away, Nathan assumed Philip would start in with his jabbing remarks again.  He was wrong.

      “Did Vanessa mention the fact that she and I were followed last week?”
Nathan stopped in his tracks, his fingers gripping his empty glass and stared at Philip.

    “We overheard the men talk of some “captain” wanting the woman unharmed and that they should find her – now,” Philip stated, drawing Nathan’s full attention.

      “Did you see their faces?”

    “One of them matched the description of the men your brother was searching for.  I brought Vanessa home right away that day.”



*Go to Chapter Three-"Fire On The Water"