But a lingering ache made her realize she still had some memories to lose. Where Brazos Sinclair was concerned, some things were easier to forget than others.
TWO DAYS later, Brazos searched the deck of the
Uriel
with a package in his hand and a notion in his mind. It was time to apologize to his wife. His behavior the other morning had been deplorable. The cruel, dishonest words he had spoken had hurt someone who’d been more than kind to him during his hour of need. Although he’d numerous excuses, he’d allow himself none. He considered himself an honorable man, and he’d acted with dishonor. So, the only option he had was to apologize.
Then he planned to go after what he really wanted.
Sleep. Warm, comfortable, uninterrupted sleep. The type he’d enjoyed before boarding the
Uriel
, the kind he’d known only one night since—the night he’d spent in Madeline Christophe Sinclair’s bed.
He’d talked his way right out of that pleasant little heaven, and he felt ashamed as he remembered the words he’d hurled. He’d mean every word of this apology when he offered it. But that didn’t suggest he wouldn’t use every available resource to move right back into Madeline’s bed.
Platonically, of course.
True, he had every right to demand a place in her cabin. She’d offered him the floor when she first mentioned the idea of this marriage. But Brazos had given the idea careful consideration, and he’d decided that any attempt how to strong-arm his way in would undoubtedly lead to war. A man didn’t get much rest when he was fighting battles.
Brazos was tired, exhausted. A bedroll and blanket simply weren’t enough protection against North Atlantic nights, and the nightmares he’d suffered since the storm weren’t helping the situation. Neither were the memories of how he’d made a fool of himself in Madeline’s cabin.
So he pondered a bit and arrived at what he believed to be a foolproof plan for talking his way back into the beauty’s bed. At least, he hoped it was a good plan. He had based his ideas on a concept every man with any sense held close to heart.
If you want something from a woman, you tell her what she wants to hear first.
Brazos had been exposed to the idea at an early age, watching his father with his mother, his uncles with his aunts. He’d employed it for the first time at the age of eleven when he’d been intent on stealing a kiss off of Sarah Jane Davis. Today he planned to tell Madeline what he figured she wanted to hear:
“Let’s hope I’ve got it figured right,” he muttered, stepping over a coil or rope.
It was shortly after eight bells, twelve o’clock, when he found her playing with Rose on a blanket spread atop an out-of-the-way section of the deck. The baby lay on her back, arms and legs all in the air as she tugged on a knitted green bootie. “You do have a problem with shoes, don’t you Miss Magic,” Brazos said, sitting down beside them. “Afternoon, Maddie.”
She turned her head, looked at him, and nodded.
The woman can say more with her eyes than anyone I’ve met before
, Brazos acknowledged. Right then, she was telling him to go to hell. “It’s kinda nice having the wind fall away for a day, isn’t it? The sea looks like a sheet of glass. Funny how it can change. The last couple of days, it was downright angry—roaring surges, the ridges of the waves all roughened and broken into foam. Now, today the mood’s gone calm and peaceful. Nice to know things can change, right?”
The look in her eyes clearly proclaimed him a fool, but she chose not to answer him aloud.
Ease into it, man
, he told himself. She’d been just as close-mouthed that first day, and everything had worked out all right. Sort of.
“Did you see the whale that swam with us a bit today?” he asked. “Simply fascinating. I’ve never seen such a magnificent animal. And the porpoises are always fun to watch. A sailor told me they’re attracted by the
Uriel’s
copper sheathing. You think that’s true?”
She didn’t even bother to look at him. Watching as she lifted the baby into her lap, Brazos allowed himself a frustrated sigh. “I swear, Maddie. I’ve never met a woman so accomplished at ignoring a man.”
Dryly, she replied, “And I’ve never met a man more deserving of being ignored.”
He couldn’t stop the grin, rueful though it was. “I’ve a far piece to travel, don’t I?”
She lifted an eyebrow.
“I’m here to apologize, Madeline. I didn’t mean those things I said to you the other morning. They were ugly and mean-spirited. You deserve to be treated better than that.”
He paused, gauging her reaction. Well, he’d known it wasn’t going to be easy.
“I’m here with my hat in my hand—or I would be if I still had a hat—to beg your forgiveness. I brought a little something for Rose as a way of saying I’m sorry.” He held out the burlap-wrapped package.
Madeline looked at the gift, then looked at him, then looked at the gift again. Brazos could tell she wanted it. He also figured she wasn’t ready to let bygones be. He tried flashing her a winsome smile.
She wrinkled her nose at him, and Brazos laughed. “Ah, Maddie, you’re an all-standing tough old gal.”
“Pardon me?”
“That’s high praise for a woman in Texas.” He motioned with the gift. “Here, Beauty, open it. Let me have Rose. My arms have been aching to hold her these last few days.”
That one worked, he told himself, observing the softening of Madeline’s eyes. Why hadn’t he thought of it sooner? And it was nothing more than the truth. Rose, with her smiles and charming little giggles, had wiggled her way right into his heart. “Come here, Miss Magic,” he said, trading the package for the child. “Wait till you get a gander at what your Mama’s unwrapping.”
While Rose busied herself with pulling at the lobe of his ear, Brazos watched Madeline’s suspicious delight as she turned the gift this way and that, sniffing and measuring and guessing. The lady liked presents, he noted, satisfied he’d chosen well in this next step of his strategy.
He’d figured Madeline would cotton to a gift for her baby. The saying went that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. Personally, Brazos had always felt it was lower than that. Anyway, the counterpart to that adage was, in his theory, that the way to a woman’s bed was through kindness to her children.
He’d never put the idea into practice before—in truth he’d thought of it only yesterday. But as Madeline slowly unwrapped the twine from around the gift, he decided he was right on target.
“It’s something wooden,” Madeline said, nodding with certainty.
“Come on, Maddie. At the rate you’re going, we’ll hit Galveston before you get it open.” Her answering smile was a burst of sunshine that packed a wallop to his gut.
Think platonic, Sinclair. Only platonic. A warm place to sleep for eight hours straight
.
Madeline finally removed the cloth. “Why, it’s a puzzle,” she said, her expression beaming with delight as she traced the pieces with her finger. Five rectangles were carved from the wood, their edges smoothed, and each one large enough not to be a danger to Rose. The shapes were painted in bright, eye-catching colors and designs.
“They’re flags!” Madeline exclaimed.
“Yep. The five national flags that have flown over Texas. See?” He lifted one out and displayed it before Rose. “This is the flag of France—the old one with the fleur-de-lis. But listen, Rose, don’t get too excited about it. France’s claim on Texas was the most doubtful of the lot.”
Shaking her head, Madeline laughed, “Really, Brazos, a history lesson for a seven-month-old?”
“Hey, now,” he faked a frown. “Texans are proud folks. Miss Magic’s got to learn that from the git go.”
Madeline sent him a sharp, knowing glance. “Yes, Texans are complicated people, aren’t they?”
Brazos’s false frown became genuine. Damn, but the woman looked right into a man.
Uneasy now, Brazos moved to lay the baby on her back so she could freely wave the flags she held in both hands. Madeline placed a restraining hand on his arm. “Wait,” she said. “Let me have her. I want you to see what she has learned.”
“Madeline,” he began, but he lost the thought. His gaze snagged on the swell of her bosom as she leaned over and set Rose in front of her. Slowly, Madeline removed her hands from around the child’s waist. Finally, Rose’s birdlike trill distracted Brazos from the delectable display before his eyes. He turned his attention to the baby, and a delighted smile spread across his face. “Why, look at that!” he exclaimed. “She can sit by herself. When did she learn that little trick?”
“She’s been trying for a while, but today is the first time she’s managed not to fall over after a few minutes,” Madeline answered, glowing with pride.
Rose listed to port, and Brazos caught her before she fell. Lifting the baby up, he made faces at her and said, “Aren’t you something special, Miss Magic.” He looked at Madeline and added, “Just like your mother.”
Madeline offered him a hesitant smile. He sat Rose on the blanket and took her mother’s hand. “I
am
sorry, Madeline.”
She nodded. “Would you tell me about it?”
Brazos considered it. Telling her about Perote would undoubtedly further his cause, but as he released her hand to retrieve a puzzle piece Rose had tossed out of reach, he knew he wouldn’t do it. A man could swallow only so much pride before he choked. He’d stick with the scheme he’d concocted. “I made a mistake. Let’s leave it at that, all right? Look at Miss Magic, she’s having a fine time with her toy.”
Madeline allowed the question to drop, glancing over at Rose, whose little hands busily banged rectangular flags against their slots on the board. “The poor child has skin just like mine,” she said regretfully. “I must remain on constant guard to ensure that she avoids unattractive spots.”
“I think your freckles are cute, Maddie,” Brazos said, deciding that a little flattery wouldn’t hurt before he launched the next stage of his plan. Besides, he was telling the truth about that, too.
After a few moments of silence, Madeline said, “Thank you for the gift, Brazos. At times, you are a fine man.”
He couldn’t ask for a more perfect opening. “I’m glad you think so. In fact, I want you to keep that in mind. You see, I’ve decided to take you up on your offer.”
The wooden puzzle piece in Madeline’s hand dropped to the ground. In a flat voice, she asked, “What offer?”
Brazos took one look at the hard glint in her eyes and realized her mind was on the other morning.
Bad choice of words, Sinclair
. He hurried to cover his mistake. “I guess it wasn’t actually an offer; but I’ve been thinking’ about that conversation we had the other day. The one about La Réunion—remember it?”
“Yes,” she answered, frowning suspiciously. Still, he thought she looked a little relieved.
Brazos chose his words carefully. He hoped that the sincerity of his apology would linger over into this second part of his strategy. This was the tricky part. He’d need all his acting ability to get her to believe he meant this next bit of business. “I’ve rethought my position.”
“What position?”
On this stupid idea that appears to mean so much to you
, he wanted to say. “On the idea that men and women are equals. Now, I’m not sayin’ I’ve changed my mind,” he cautioned.
That’d be a stupid move. She’d never believe that
. “But I will allow that I can see some merit in your arguments. I’d be willing to listen to more.”
And I hope to hell warm, dry nights’ll be worth it
.
He tried so hard to look sincere. The way he had it figured, Madeline would find the opportunity to prove to him the error of his ways too hard to pass up. Then she’d have to spend time talking with him—just as she had the night of the storm.
“Just what brought this on?” she asked, pinning him with a shrewd gaze.
“You just got me to thinking.”
“What a dangerous occupation.”
He pretended not to hear her droll reply as he looked around for a distraction. He didn’t want Maddie questioning him too closely right yet. His gaze snagged on the sight of a young sailor being tugged in their direction by Madame Benoit, the most irritating colonist aboard the
Uriel.
“Damn, that woman is dangerous with a parasol,” he observed.
“Brazos, are you serious about this?”
“Yep, I am. Look at that, Maddie, Mrs. Benoit is all but banging that boy over the head with her umbrella.” He whistled softly. “He’s opening that hatch. I wonder why. Usually a ship’s hold stays closed the entire voyage.”
Madeline muttered something about “frustrating fools.”
A second sailor, older and bewhiskered, noticed the goings-on and spat out a rapid flurry of French Brazos had no chance of following. Both sailors were waving their arms, Madame Benoit was waving her weapon, and they all shouted at one another. Brazos did catch the word
capitaine
just as they all marched off in a cloud of commotion.
“Mrs. Benoit’ll be lucky if the old salt doesn’t toss her overboard,” Brazos observed as the trio disappeared.
Madeline answered his smile with one of her own.
So far, so good, Sinclair
. He was encouraged by her look and pleased she’d had a moment to warm to his idea.
“Brazos,” she asked, “have I truly convinced you that women should be treated equally to men?”
“Well, you don’t need to give me a cake recipe just yet.” He stretched out his legs and wiggled his foot as Rose played with the toe of his boot. “But I figure it won’t hurt us to pass some time together and chew on the idea a bit.”
“Speaking of chewing on things…” Madeline gently tugged the piece of burlap away from Rose. “This child puts everything in her mouth these days,” she fussed. Then she asked, “Why do I have the feeling, Brazos Sinclair; that you want something from me?”
Damn
. He couldn’t forget that for a woman, Madeline was pretty smart. Brazos decided it was time to pursue the third objective in his plan. Madeline needed to be reminded just how badly she’d wanted aboard the
Uriel.
“When we were stumbling around Antwerp trying to find us a preacher, how come you were so set on me not mentioning your name?”