Part 3 of 4
She lounges against the door jamb and tosses her hair (a riotous mass of midnight curls, he can't help noting helplessly), "Hey, don't stop on my account."
He stiffens but feigns ignorance, saying lazily, "Hmm? Stop what?"
She laughs and steps in. She's wearing shorts and a strappy T as befits her day off… but why is she here? She must have come straight from La Kaz. Why would she do that without calling ahead? He also can't help noticing how snugly her clothes fit… and how artistic her outline. From every angle. She nods to the side table where the bodice-ripper (of is that muslin-ripper?) tries its best to hide, "Reading." At his blank look, she clarifies, "Mistress? Seven Seas? Snow and Fairechild? It's good isn't it?" The alarm that flashes across his face sobers her instantly. She takes a step back, "Sorry, I wasn't snooping, honest. I saw the book cover as I passed your windows."
His temper cools and he looks down sheepishly, "Oh, um, yes, well…" His mind casts about desperately and all it can come up with is, "It's not historically accurate; pirates weren't operating in those waters at that time. The terminology is all wrong; the author misnamed all the sails and got the decks mixed up. I don't read fiction. I especially don't read Chick Fic romantic nonsense that has no basis in reality, no plot, and no redeeming value."
She smiles, "I don't know about most of that but I agree with you, it's nonsense. It's not even proper fiction, more one long silly foot-dragging daydream." She shrugs, "Chick Fic, like you said… and which you don't read at all."
He frowns, picks up the book and stares at the cover, "Not fiction? A daydream?"
She sits down in the chair beside him, "Come on, you kidding me? A beautiful pirate queen with all her limbs and teeth? Captures a handsome British captain with plans to make him her love slave? She gets him alone about a dozen times but something interrupts her each time? He escapes with the help of a jealous crew member and…"
"The second-in-command?" Richard asks, sitting up alertly, "I haven't gotten that far yet but it doesn't surprise me. That second-in-command acts suspicious as hell. He reminds me of someone..."
"Yes, he got jealous soon as she saw Snow. It was love at first sight…" She colours faintly and looks away, "… even if they didn't know it. As for the familiarity," her voice lowers, "perhaps you're thinking of Samuel King?"
"Love at first sight? Don't you mean lust? So far there isn't any hint of honest feelings here. She's hot to have him and he's determined she won't!" Then he looks away, "And, yes, you might be right." Very low he growls, "Smarmy git! Imagine thinking you'd be flattered by such blatant…"
Camille shrugs and looks back to him, "Hey, she's a woman; we got needs, same as men. Sometimes love comes later, you know?" Now she examines the floor and murmurs, "Yeah, imagine the gall of King, thinking I'd be interested in someone like him, not smart or handsome or honest or dependable or trusting or…"
He sits back carefully with narrowed eyes, "Later? I always thought love came first."
She scrutinizes him, "Well, sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes it can take weeks, months, years even, before you realize your heart's desire is right in front of you. You've seen enough errant human behaviour on the job to know that people can be complicated and contrary, denying the truth to their dying breath. Most of us think our darkest secrets must remain hidden forever, that to reveal them to another would spell certain doom."
He stares at the floor, "Yes, certain doom."
She leans forward, "Do you have a dark secret, Richard? I do. I wonder if it's the same one?"
He looks up, "The same? The same secret? Oh, I find that highly unlikely. You couldn't possibly be interested in… in…" He stalls, hands fisted into a knot between his knees.
She frowns then picks up the book, "There's a bit in here about secrets, let me read it to you."
END – part 3
