Chapter 4 #3
“We don’t know.” He squeezes my hand as if my admission has added more stress to his afternoon.
“All we can do is trust that Mr. Morgan put these people around us for a reason.” I take in a shaky breath and squeeze his hand harder.
“Last time we did this, we did it alone.” For the first time in our conversation, Ben’s wandering eyes find mine.
His fingers trace up from my upper arm to the scarf tied at my throat and then to my cheek.
I elicit a sigh at the feel of him. “If we want things to be different, we need to believe in each other.”
Ben’s hand slides away from me as he forms his response. His eyes flick away from me to beyond my shoulder. In a jolt that leaves me reeling, Ben tears away from me down the deck toward the bow.
It only takes me a second to understand that he’s chasing after someone.
As my heart starts to pound, I hike up my dress and run after them.
They’re much faster than I, but I manage to keep them in my sights until I reach the crowded first class promenade.
Careful not to attract too much attention, I slow my speed and hop up onto the bottom rung of a deck barrier.
Ben is taller than everyone in the crowd, so I easily catch his floppy hair as he bounds through the crowd. Ahead of him is a man weaving back and forth and gaining distance with every step. The runner is heading toward the ballroom, cutting across the deck now.
Kicking a leg over the barrier, I intend on meeting him at the door and cutting him off, but my plans are foiled before they even begin. “What are you doing out here?” a man asks, grabbing me by the arm before I can take off.
“Let go of me!” I growl, pulling as hard as I can.
The man releases me on command, but instead of running, I look to see what kind of man would be kind enough to release me upon first request. “Mr. Ward?” I immediately go to tame my hair but am quickly reminded that a scarf covers it. “Ben is chasing after someone; he was headed for the ballroom!”
His smirk turns to a scowl, and he immediately moves forward into the crowd. His right hand hovers within his suit jacket, where I assume a weapon resides. The other reaches for my hand and doesn’t let go as he trudges ahead.
We reach the open veranda doors just as Ben races in ahead of us. It’s clear that he’s lost him because he stops just inside. His chest rises and falls as he scans the room. Some groups chat and play cards at the tables, and others mingle at the edges, awaiting the dinner hour.
Nothing looks amiss; no one even bats an eye. “Have you been trailed today, friend?” Mr. Ward asks with a chuckle. He’s still holding my hand when Ben turns to us.
Running a hand over his face to deter the sweat, he eyes where my hand rests in Mr. Ward’s.
Despite the man at my side being eight or so years my junior, I swear I still see a hint of jealousy in the red of Ben’s cheeks.
When I catch his eye, he motions toward an empty space along the wall and finally answers James’ question.
“Ms. Williams and I were definitely being watched this morning.” I try to dispel my own envy at knowing that he and Margaret had spent time together.
Thankfully, the need for information wins out, so I stand my ground and merely listen.
“They didn’t try anything, but I just didn’t like the way it felt. ”
“Intrigued party or spies?” James asks, releasing my hand to readjust a cufflink. His jacket pulls taut, revealing the hidden gun at his side. Had he actually planned on using that out here in the open?
“I thought after the fact that maybe it had been my imagination—”
“I only ask because I and the good Mr. Bennett had an altercation of our own this morning.” James adjusts again, my view of the gun gone in an instant.
A charming smile drifts across his face as if he’s in control of everything.
“I found two gentlemen right outside our door at a very early hour.” The smile falters slightly as he lowers his voice. “German.”
My heart drops even though I’ve known the risks since we left our safe home base in England. I ask the same question that was voiced seconds earlier. “Intrigued party or spies?” I think I know the answer.
“I don’t know,” James says with a shrug.
“You don’t know,” Ben scoffs. “Aren’t you some kind of intelligence?”
James clears his throat. “You didn’t let me finish, good sir. I don’t know the motivations of those men or the one you were chasing after, but I can easily find out.”
“Isn’t it obvious?” I say timidly. “If they have malicious intent, they’d be here for me.”
“Don’t jump to conclusions just yet, Ms. Bach.” I cringe at the use of my father’s last name. “We’re all of use to their cause.” James bows slightly before backing away. “I’ll come looking for you when I find something of importance. Mr. Bennett will want to know of these developments as well.”
“Fair enough,” Ben says, hardly bidding our friend a goodbye. He turns to me next and laces an arm around my waist.
We’re on the move before he speaks again. “Let’s get you back to your room.”
I know I hardly have a choice, so I go willingly.