Prologue
April 1870
A ship in the Atlantic Ocean
Meg couldn't sleep. It was one of many restless nights she had endured in the past few weeks and she knew it wouldn't be the last. The captain had informed her that they were still two weeks away from their destination. Throwing the crude cotton sheet back she rolled onto her side and gazed across the small stateroom at the dark, sleeping form. He hadn't left that small space since they had sailed. There was an unspoken pact between them. They would look after each other until the end of their journey. Once they reached land their promise to her mother would be fulfilled. Despite the distance that they had mutually created she watched him closely. At that moment he was so still. Crawling out of her bed, she glided across the planked floor on light, dancers feet stopping just short of the bed. She watched him intently until she could see the slight rise and fall of his chest.
Damn you.
She wanted to hate him for everything he had put her through. Despite that there was a part of her that wanted to know him. He was a stranger to her, yet familiar in so many ways...