Chapter Twenty-One
The timing was horrible on all accounts. Nathan had just opened up, answering questions without asking any of his own. That could have gone much further if they weren’t interrupted. But Judith didn’t need to be told to hide. She was hurrying toward the crates when Nathan’s arm hooked around her waist and she was pretty much deposited on the floor behind one. At least she had room to hide there because none of the supplies were placed close to the hull since it needed to be checked regularly for leaks. It was one of Nathan’s jobs as the ship’s carpenter—when he wasn’t being interrogated by the captain’s niece.
She crouched down behind the crate with a few moments to spare before she could distinguish her father, just entering the hold, saying, “. . . answered too readily, without a single pause. Didn’t have to think about it even once.”
“And your point?” James replied.
“Thought that would convince you the lad is telling the truth.”
“I never called him a liar, Tony. He can be exactly who he says he is and still have an agenda other than the simple one he claims. Telling us nothing but the truth doesn’t mean he hasn’t left out some pertinent details.”
It almost sounded as if they were talking about Nathan, but Judith knew better. They were discussing Andrássy, although Nathan might not guess that. And why hadn’t he left yet? She could still see him standing between the two crates by his tools, his back to the entrance, and less than two feet from her. He was providing her with more concealment, but she could tell from the aggressive set of his wide shoulders that he was tense. Did he expect a confrontation? Or just expect he might have to protect her from one? Decent of him, but she wouldn’t let it come to that.
As if she weren’t anxious enough, she felt dread when it occurred to her why her father and her uncle had come down here. To use the new ring. They wouldn’t be leaving soon, which meant she couldn’t leave either. It also meant they’d hear Jack calling for her when she didn’t see her on deck, and that would be anytime now. She could even imagine her father initiating a search of the ship by everyone on board.
James’s voice had sounded farther away, as if he’d already gotten into the ring. Judith didn’t peek around the crate to find out for sure. But once they started sparring, they might be distracted enough for her to slip out of there. She’d have to crawl most of the way behind the supplies, but that would be easy enough to do in her britches.
“My nephew’s wife has hair like yours,” Anthony said in a deceptively affable tone.
Judith’s eyes flared wide. It sounded as if her father was standing right in front of the crate she was hiding behind! But she knew he was talking to Nathan.
“Be a good chap and tell me you aren’t related to the Hilary family.”
“Never heard of them,” Nathan replied cautiously.
“Good.”
Judith didn’t have to see it to know her father had just punched Nathan in the gut. The sound was unmistakable. But why? And not just once. She winced with each blow that followed. She knew how brutal her father could be when it came to landing punches. Was Nathan even trying to defend himself? She was afraid to look. She couldn’t not look.
Nathan ducked the next blow. He’d maneuvered the fight so Anthony’s back was to her. James was facing her from his position in the ring, but his eyes were on the two men below him and his tone was quite dry when he said, “You’re allowed to fight back, Mr. Tremayne. My brother won’t be satisfied unless you do.”
Nathan blocked a blow to his face and followed it with a right jab that caught Anthony in the chin and snapped his head back slightly. She winced for her father now, yet she wondered if he wasn’t secretly pleased that he wasn’t going to win easily. He loved a good fight. There’s wasn’t a Malory who didn’t know it. But if he appreciated that Nathan wasn’t flat on his back yet, he gave no indication of it. He continued to deliver blow after blow, concentrating on Nathan’s midsection, while Nathan got in two more punches to Anthony’s chin and cheek.
James finally said, “Enough, Tony. I don’t want him damaging his hands on you. He needs them to do his job.”
“Someone else can do his bloody job,” Anthony replied in a snarl.
“Actually, they can’t,” James rejoined. “We only have one carpenter aboard.”
“He’s the one found your hidden miscreant last night?”
“Yes.”
One more punch. “Very well, I’m done. I shall consider us even—Tremayne, is it? Unless you do something to tip the scales again.”
“Your idea of even stinks—my lord.”
Judith groaned to herself at that less than conciliatory answer, but Anthony merely seemed to be amused by it and quipped, “On the contrary, dear boy. You’re still standing, aren’t you?”
James offered magnanimously, “If you need to rest up after your exertions, Tony, I can wait another day to test out this ring.”
“Bite your tongue, old man. That was just a warm-up.” Anthony proved it by joining James in the ring.
Nathan should have left, but instead he sat on the crate that Judith was still hiding behind. She was sitting cross-legged now, facing the hull, her back against the crate. She assumed Nathan was just catching his breath, watching the action in the ring.
So she was surprised a few minutes later to hear him say in a low, if incredulous tone, “How does he do that at his age and after what I just meted out to him?”
He was talking about the punches her father and her uncle were doling out to each other in the ring. She whispered back, “Don’t equate age with skill. My father has had years of conditioning, not to mention frequent matches with his brother like the one you’re watching now.”
Nathan snorted quietly. “I gave you the opportunity to leave—why didn’t you?”
She didn’t answer that and instead asked, “Did he hurt you?”
“What d’you think?”
“How badly?”
“I might survive.”
She started to frown until she recognized the teasing note in his voice. There was something else she wanted to know. “What did you do to provoke his anger?”
“I have to be at fault?”
“I know my father. I can tell when he holds a grudge against someone. Why?”
“I might have knocked him out on the London docks before we sailed.”
She gasped. “How? The only one he ever loses to is my uncle James.”
“Caught him by surprise, you could say. But you heard him. We’re even now.”
She almost said, “Don’t count on it,” but she didn’t want him to turn leery of talking to her because of her father. That might happen anyway now, but she wasn’t going to help it along.
Then he added, “Go now while they’re distracted. Stay low.”
“You should leave as well.”
“Not a chance. People have to pay to watch fights of this caliber. Besides, don’t take it wrong, darlin’, but I want to see your old man lose.”
That infuriated her, enough to make her hiss, “You won’t see it today. Mark my words, my uncle is going to let him win that bout.”
“Why would he do a fool thing like that?” Nathan sounded surprised.
“Because those two are very close. It might not always seem like it, but they are. And because it will soothe ruffled feathers, even put my father in a good mood—which might help him to forget about you for the duration of the voyage. Just don’t expect my uncle to do you that favor after we dock and you’re no longer working for him.”