As the salty breeze whipped at his coat, Adrian stood on the quarterdeck watching his new cabin boy fail at even the most basic of tasks. How had he allowed Rain to rope him into this? Oliver was not only new to life aboard a ship but also clearly not a boy...

Did Rain know? She must. One would have thought she would have had the decency to give him a heads-up. How blind did she think he was? With a frustrated huff, he saw the young woman struggle with the knots and ropes, her slender fingers fumbling with the coarse hemp.

At least no one else seemed to have realised their new cabin boy wasn't...well, a boy. In fairness, Adrian might not have caught on immediately either, had he not recently seen the woman in question in the Winterbournes' garden. He'd come to visit his iguana and had caught a glimpse of her through the window.

He didn't know who she was, but he remembered how the sunlight had played over her sable hair as she strolled through the garden with Rain. Even from a distance, her beauty had struck him, her lively gestures and bright smile catching his attention.

For a moment, he'd considered asking Rain about her, to learn her name, but he'd decided against it. She looked like a proper young lady and proper young ladies needed husbands. Even in his most rakish days, he had stayed away from innocents, having no interest in ruining anyone's reputation. Still, he could appreciate a beautiful woman, even from afar.

And now she was here. On his ship.

Why?

His gaze strayed back to where she was still struggling to coil a length of rope, her delicate hands clearly unaccustomed to the rough work. Her face was flushed with exertion and her brow furrowed in concentration. Determination was etched in her features and the stubborn set of her jaw spoke of an obstinate nature as she refused to give up.

Maybe he should have called an end to the charade the moment he laid eyes on her and recognised the face of the enchanting woman in Rain's garden, but he had been curious. What would make a woman who was clearly of good birth hide aboard a ship and pretend to be a boy? What was she running from?

"Captain?" A gruff voice broke into his musings, and Adrian turned to find his first mate, Mr Hawkins, at his elbow. The weathered sailor nodded towards the young woman now wobbling across the deck to help their cook with something he'd requested. "That new cabin boy, Oliver. Bit of an odd one, ain't he?"

Adrian schooled his features into a mask of mild curiosity, hiding the amusement that threatened to spill into his voice. "Oh? How so, Hawkins?"

The first mate scratched his grizzled chin, his gaze still on the 'boy'. "Don't rightly know, captain. Just something about him. Too...delicate, if you know what I mean. Like he's not quite cut out for this life. I guess it's these pampered aristocrats. He must be well-connected if he was recommended by the duchess."

"Perhaps," Adrian allowed, fighting back a chuckle. If only Hawkins knew just how ill-suited their new recruit was for the rigours of shipboard life. "But he seems determined to learn, doesn't he?"

Hawkins grunted, a grudging note of respect in his tone. "Aye, that he does. Not baulked at a single command yet. Can't do anything we ask of him, but at least he does try."

They watched in silence for a moment as Oliver hauled fresh water for the cook, slopping half of it onto her shirt in the process. The young woman was hopelessly out of her depth, but there was something about her, something about the sheer stubbornness with which she approached everything that fascinated him. He wanted to know more about her, and if he'd kicked her off the ship before they set off, he would never find out.

No, he would let her keep her pretence for now, while he tried to find out why she had begun this foolish endeavour in the first place. How far would she take it? He had to hold back a grin as opportunities to push her to confess flashed before him. This voyage might actually turn out quite entertaining.

"Well, Hawkins, only time will tell." He clapped the other man on the shoulder, a smile playing on his lips. "Who knows? Our young Oliver may surprise us all."

As the first mate moved off to attend his duties, Adrian couldn't help himself. He made his way down to the deck, his boots thudding against the weathered planks as he approached his newest recruit.

"Oliver!" he called out, his voice carrying over the wind. "A word in my cabin, if you please."

There was a flash of panic in the young woman's stormy grey eyes as she turned to face him. She swallowed nervously. But to her credit, she nodded and followed him.

Once inside his cabin, Adrian gestured for her to take a seat, watching as she perched on the edge of the chair, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. Leaning against his desk, he crossed his arms over his chest, his gaze intent on her face.

"So, Oliver," he began, his tone casual despite his nagging curiosity. "What brings a young lad like you to join a ship to cross the Atlantic? Seeking adventure on the high seas?"

"I..." The young woman shifted in her seat, her eyes darting nervously around the room before settling on a spot just over his shoulder. "I'm going to visit my nephew, sir. In America."

He raised his eyebrows. There was a halting quality to her words, a slight hesitation. Was she lying?

"Your nephew?" he prompted when she didn't elaborate.

"Yes, sir. My brother, he...he passed away some years ago. He lived in America with his wife and child, and they remained." She swallowed again, her fingers twisting in the fabric of her breeches. "I've never met my nephew and I desperately want to."

There was truth in her words. He couldn't possibly know for sure, but she hadn't wavered when offering her explanation, and he would almost be willing to bet it was the truth. Hardly the entire truth, but some part of it. Clever girl. Lies were always easiest to hide when they were built on a kernel of truth.

"Why not cross on a passenger ship?" he queried softly. "It would have been a much more comfortable journey for you."

Her eyes flicked to his for a brief moment before she ducked her head. "There weren't any leaving for a fortnight, and I...there are personal reasons why I wanted to leave sooner."

"I see..." He didn't see, but he desperately wanted to know what pushed her to do something as dangerous as this. If she was discovered, her reputation would be in tatters. What would make her risk everything?

"And, to be absolutely honest with you, sir..."

His ears perked up.

"My family doesn't know I'm going. They..." She winced, her nose scrunching in the most charming way. "They would not approve of me travelling all this way on my own. But there was also no one to accompany me."

Not quite the confession he might have been hoping for, but it felt like another half-truth to add to the puzzle. And really, what would be the fun of finding out everything now already? He had an entire sea voyage to unravel her secrets.

"Well," he said breezily. "We've all done something our families didn't quite approve of once or twice. I won't fault you for your decisions. It seems a perfectly reasonable thing to me to wish to see your nephew."

"Thank you, sir." She smiled hesitantly, and he had to keep himself from staring. She had a beautiful smile. It made her grey eyes light up with joy and made her already pretty face even more stunning.

He cleared his throat and straightened. "That's all right," he muttered.

Damn it. He might have to keep her away from the crew as much as possible to keep her secret safe. There weren't a lot of young boys quite that pretty. Hell.

Moving over to the table where his maps and charts lay in a jumbled mess, he looked over at Oliver. "As long as you're here," he said, gesturing to the papers. "Perhaps you could assist me with these. I'm afraid I've let them get a bit out of order."

She jumped to her feet, clearly eager to be of use. "Of course, sir! I'd be happy to help."

As she reached for the maps, the ship swayed slightly, and her elbow knocked against the inkwell, sending it toppling to the floor. Dark liquid spilled across the wooden planks and splattered the hem of her breeches.

"Oh!" she gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "I'm so so sorry, sir. That's so clumsy of me."

Adrian chuckled, more amused than annoyed by the mishap. He sensed that this journey would be far from boring.

"It's no trouble," he assured her, reaching for a scrap of cloth. "Accidents happen, and you haven't found your sea legs yet."

Kneeling beside her, he dabbed at the spilled ink. She joined him in cleaning the mess, and her shoulder brushed against his, sending a tingle of awareness through him. Her breath hitched and she stiffened.

Adrian frowned and rocked back on his heels to put some distance between them. What was wrong with him, reacting to her like this from such a simple touch? He was no green lad unaccustomed to a woman's touch. She was his cabin boy, for God's sake, no matter what lay beneath the disguise.

Clearing his throat, he rose to his feet, tossing the stained cloth aside. "I need to go check on the crew," he said, his tone brisk. "Once you've finished tidying that up and sorted my maps, you can go find my supper from the cook and bring it back here."

She nodded, her cheeks flushed pink. "Yes, sir."

With a final nod towards her, he slipped out of the cabin and closed the door behind him. Rubbing a hand over his face, he groaned. Being attracted to his new cabin boy had not been part of his plans to discover her secrets. No, he was being ridiculous. It had been a momentary weakness. An awareness of the womanly body hidden under those layers, of course, he was curious about it... What man wouldn't be?

It changed nothing. He still planned to find out her secrets, and the small sound of her breath hitching when their shoulders touched hinted that he wasn't the only one affected. If she was even the slightest bit attracted to him, he could use that to his advantage to get her to confess who she truly was.

A grin played on his lips. Yes, this could be fun, indeed.

~~~~~~