Page 66 of Storm over the Caribbean
I felt something tug on my heart strings, hard. What was I supposed to say against something like that?
You can’t. That’s probably why he said it.
That goddamn infuriating, stubborn, block-headed, loveable idiot!
“Come.” Sliding his hand up to my shoulder, he gave it a squeeze. “We have to move.”
I swallowed. “All right.” He wasn’t wrong. We did have to go. But…
I raised a finger, nearly stabbing it into his nose. “Next time, webothdrink, understood?”
You want to guess what I received in answer to that?
Yep, that’s right. Silence.
Somehow, that icy silence warmed my heart.
As we rose and prepared to depart, tropical birds began to sing in the trees, and other animals started chattering all around. The half-shadows of the morning were pierced by beams of golden sunlight as the dark faded and the day began. Today, Mr Rikkard Ambrose took point, striding straight into the jungle. Hurrying to catch up, I asked something that only just occurred to me.
“Say…where are we going, exactly? It’s not as if we have a map of this place. How do we know we’re not just going in circles?”
“Simple.” He lifted his arm.
I blinked, trying to see where he was pointing. But there was nothing there except green and some colourful petals.
“What…?”
Then I suddenly realized: he wasn’t pointing at anything. He was simply extending his arm at an angle. The same angle as, I only now noticed, the ground beneath our feet.
“We’re heading uphill! Why?”
“Two reasons.” He held up one finger. “First, water runs down from uphill, and the tops of hills encompass far smaller areas than the valleys around them. So if we go up a mountain, we will have more chances of encountering running water, within a much smaller search area.” Another finger rose. “Second, even if we do not find water, if we find a high enough mountain, wemight be able to survey the surroundings and discover a water source that way.”
That sounded…quite logical.
Which was a bloody pain in the butt! Because that meant I had no argument against having to march uphill all day!
Well, one thing was for sure: today, I wouldnotbe removing my clothes for my dear husband!
***
I was going to repeatedly eat my words today, wasn’t I?
“Pant…pant…!”
Rivulets of sweat were running down my back and forehead. Right now, I wanted nothing more than to take off my petticoat. No, not just my petticoat, my bloomers and shoes and any other scraps of clothing I could find on my body
But I wasn’t going to! I was a strong-willed woman! I would not go back on my word! I would…
I would have to eat my words again, wouldn’t I?
Crap!
“Pant…pant…!”
Scratch that. I couldn’t eat anything right now. My mouth was far too busy gasping for breath.
“How much…farther?” I panted.
