A/N: I'm not too sure if I am correct as far as a passenger liner making port in Casablanca in 1926, but it suited my story. My apologies if I am mistaken.

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They had boarded a passenger liner in Casablanca for the last leg of their trip to England.

After O'Connell had stayed with her that first night out of Cairo, Evelyn and he seemed to let their guard down and began the tentative task of getting to know each other. The trio had been told that they would need to stay over night because the liner needed to be readied for the Atlantic voyage. Fortunately for them their rooms were ready but the dining room wasn't open yet. There was room service though, but it was limited.

It didn't matter much to Jonathan because he had decided to "see the sights" as he'd told his baby sister, but Evelyn knew better. He was in search of some excitement in an exciting city and he didn't want to miss the opportunity. He'd invited Evelyn and O'Connell to come along, but they both declined.

The fact was that the more time Evelyn spent with the American, she had the peculiar feeling that she was falling in love. Time alone with him was a precious commodity because Jonathan had become a rather pesky chaperone and he took it seriously because after that first night in her cabin, he rarely left them alone. She wasn't sure why because O'Connell had been nothing but a gentleman since then and he always seemed to be there when she needed him, and even when she didn't.

So it had been a particular surprise that Jonathan had left them on their own.

They stood at the railing and watched him walk down the gangway. When he got to the dock he turned and waved at them before he wandered off into the dark.

"I hope he's going to be all right." Evelyn sighed as she waved back. "He's been blathering about the treasure since we returned to the fort and I'm afraid if he gets too far into his cups, he'll get himself into trouble."

O'Connell touched her elbow, which got her to look at him. "If you've changed your mind, we can catch up with him and keep him out of trouble."

That got Evelyn to smile. "Mr. O'Connell, it seems that I've spent the better part of my adult life trying to keep my older brother out of trouble and it never seems to work."

"Fair enough." He smiled back and promptly changed the subject. "Are you hungry?"

"Famished. I asked to have dinner brought to my room and hopefully it will be there when I get back." She told him as her stomach began to growl.

"I did the same thing because I haven't eaten since this morning." He admitted before he looked at her with a questioning look. "So we're going to eat alone in our rooms and wait for your brother to come back."

"Is there something about that that bothers you Mr. O'Connell?" She had the sense that he might be suggesting something, but she wasn't sure what it was.

"Doesn't it seem just a little odd that we're going to eat by ourselves?" His brow was creased with a small frown.

"What are you suggesting?" She started to tremble.

"We could eat together in my cabin or yours." He said.

And then what? She thought. "I don't know if that's a particularly good idea Mr. O'Connell. But we could dine on neutral territory, so to speak."

He looked confused for a moment before he smiled at her. "Neutral territory? What's wrong Evelyn, don't you trust me?"

"Don't be absurd." She frowned as her face turned red and she could see that he was trying not to laugh.

"Where is the neutral territory you're suggesting?" His smile got wider.

"My brother's cabin. He certainly won't be back for hours and I'm sure he won't mind."

O'Connell nodded and took her elbow in a gentle grasp. "Jonathan's cabin it is."

They walked back inside and headed toward the staircase that would take them up to their deck when Evelyn heard music. As they got closer, she realized that there was an orchestra rehearsing in the large ballroom. The large doors had been rolled back and she came to a stop.

She could hear her stomach growl again, but the song she heard was sweet and romantic.

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind if we stepped in to listen." O'Connell's low voice was close to her ear and sent goose pimples down her arms. Without looking behind her she nodded and they stepped inside. The room was dark accept for the stage which was lit up for the orchestra. In addition, there was a spotlight trained on a mirrored ball that hung from the ceiling that sent reflective light all around the room. As Evelyn watched the room veritably sparkle, she didn't notice that a singer had stepped up to a microphone until she began to sing:

~*~

"There's a saying old, says that love is blind
Still we're often told, "seek and ye shall find"
So I'm going to seek a certain lad I've had in mind"

"Looking everywhere, haven't found him yet
He's the big affair I cannot forget
Only man I ever think of with regret"

"I'd like to add his initial to my monogram
Tell me, where is the shepherd for this lost lamb?"

~*~

She stood and listened as the romance of the music weaved a spell around her and she felt O'Connell standing behind her. They weren't touching, but she could sense how close he was.

"Evelyn, would you dance with me?" He asked her quietly, his voice again close to her ear.

She was so enchanted by the music that all she could do was nod before she turned around to face him. He had a look in his eyes that she hadn't seen since they'd traveled to Hamanaptra the first time and they'd been confronted by Ardeth Bay and his Med-jai warriors. She'd shot one of them with O'Connell's shotgun and the recoil of the weapon had knocked her flat on her back in the sand. She'd never forgotten how he'd pulled her up so gently and had touched her just as gently to make sure that she was all right. And she thought she'd seen a look of tenderness.

As she took the hand he offered, she felt his other hand move around her waist. She put her other hand on his shoulder and he pulled her close.

~*~

"Although he may not be the man some
Girls think of as handsome
To my heart he carries the key

Won't you tell him please to put on some speed
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
Someone to watch over me"

~*~

She put her head on his shoulder as he pulled her closer and she sighed because she could feel the strong, steady beat of his heart and the soft stroke of his hand against her back. And the pesky feeling she'd had a few days before had blossomed into the full knowledge that she had indeed fallen in love.

~*~

"Won't you tell him please to put on some speed
Follow my lead, oh, how I need
Someone to watch over me

Someone to watch over me"

~*~

The song came to and end and the room grew silent accept for the soft sounds of the orchestra members talking to each other as they began to pack away their instruments.

She didn't want to say anything that might break the romantic spell that hung over them, so she stood in his embrace and waited for him to step away from her. When he didn't, she looked up at him and in the dim light from the stage the look in his eyes made her heart stop for a moment. He released her hand to put his other hand around her waist and she put her other hand around his neck.

As the lights were dimmed on the stage, he held her closer than he ever had before and whispered, "Evie."

She answered with a whisper of her own. "Rick."

He smiled at her use of his Christian name just before he leaned in to kiss her. It was nothing like his two previous kisses and she felt in her heart it was because he loved her. It was firm, but very gentle and seemed to go on forever as his hands roamed up and down her back.

She didn't notice that the lights had completely gone out and that the mirrored ball had ceased to sparkle until Rick loosened his hold on her and spoke quietly in her ear. "Having dinner in Jonathan's cabin was a very good idea, less temptation that way."

Evelyn was reluctant to take her arms from around his neck, but her stomach growled again. "Bloody good idea." She used her brother's vernacular.

"I was wondering how long it was going to take before you called me by my first name." He teased.

She felt her face warm as she looked up, but could barely see him with the light from the corridor. "I never felt comfortable enough before to say it."

"So do you feel comfortable enough to say it on a regular basis?" He asked with his arms still around her.

"Ask me after we've eaten, if our dinner hasn't gone cold." She smiled.

Rick nodded and seemed to be reluctant as he let her go, but took her hand almost immediately and held it in a firm grip.

Evelyn's smile brightened as her grip on his hand was equally firm. "Jonathan is the only one who's ever called me Evie, but it sounds much nicer coming from you."

He leaned in to give her a brief kiss and smiled. "I like saying it."

Evelyn's stomach lodged one last loud protest and she laughed softly. "I like hearing it more than my stomach growling, so I'd really like to eat now."

His laugh answered hers. "You'd rather eat than kiss me again."

"Don't take it personally but right now, yes."

"All right Miss Carnahan, let's go eat." He conceded with a smile as he walked with her out of the ballroom to enjoy what would certainly be a cold meal, in Jonathan's cabin.