A Kiss of Lies by Bronwen Evans Page B

many places she could hide on a ship.
    Sarah let him lead her away from the railing and begin a tour of the
Doreen
. And she wondered why, instead of feeling weighed down by the dangerous and unpredictable future she faced, her heart still felt lighter than it had in a long, long time.
    The rest of the day passed quickly. Sarah spent most of the morning in the main cabin taking Lily through her lessons. After lunch, Sarah allowed the girl to run about on deck, and then they settled in the bow of the ship with easels and paints and Lily received her first painting lesson.
    To Sarah’s surprise, Lily had talent when it came to colors. The technical aspects of painting and representing what she saw imaginatively would come with time.
    Yet, despite the distraction, all through the art lesson Sarah’s body thrummed with tension.
    She could hear Christian training at the other end of the ship. He and the first mate,Gareth, were practicing sword fighting. The clink of striking steel reverberated in the sea air. Occasionally Christian came into view as Gareth beat him back. She could see the alluring definition of his rippling muscles as the sweat made the white linen of his shirt stick to his skin.
    The practice seemed to be in earnest. She knew men were competitive, but something else was in play here. While Sarah washed and tidied herself for dinner, she reflected on Christian. He was rich, powerful, and strong, yet she felt no fear in his presence. From his comments about his father, she knew he would never take advantage of or hurt anyone weaker than himself.
    She’d been around men who were truly evil. She knew the kind of men who felt they had the right to abuse and rape women because of the position they held and the brute power they wielded.
    Christian, on the contrary, was a kind soul. He treated Lily with a gentleness that belied his size. He had looked after the Pearson staff and had been very generous with Mrs. Hobson when he was under no obligation to be so.
    Besides, unlike her husband, he’d have no need to force himself on any woman; his appeal to the fairer sex was evident. Christian had no need to resort to physical force when his looks, title, and witty conversation would overcome any woman’s resistance.
    A worrying thought then invaded her mind. For some men it wasn’t simply about sex. It was about power. Her husband had seemed to get more excited the more she resisted him. He liked her screams and watching her tremble in fear.
    Making her way to the main cabin for dinner, Sarah swore she’d never quake in fear before a man ever again. She wouldn’t give any man the satisfaction.
    Lily was already seated at the table, her brown hair brushed neatly, with a soft curl falling over her shoulder. Lily was giggling at something Christian had just said. The girl had been completely won over by her guardian. Each time he smiled at her, her light brown eyes twinkled like stars on a cloud-free night. A warm feeling flooded Sarah’s heart. She knew Lily would always have Christian as her protector.
    No one had ever protected her.
    Sarah didn’t notice that the Earl had stood up when she entered. He must think her silly, standing in the doorway with a dreamy look on her face. But when she raised her eyes to his face and saw the same warmth he’d shown Lily reflected back at her, pinpricks of pleasure needledher skin.
    “Mrs. Cooper, you look lovely this evening. Doesn’t she, Lily?”
    Lily nodded. “Mrs. Cooper’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.” Her smile faltered and she moved to open the locket at her neck. “Except Mama, of course.”
    Sarah bent down to study the image. “You look just like her.” She tapped her finger on Lily’s little nose. “You’ll be as beautiful as your mother when you’re older.”
    Lily giggled. “I hope so. Then I can marry a man as perfect as Lord Markham. I’d ask him to wait for me to grow up, but I think he should marry you, because he’s lonely and