He’d been teasing, of course, but she feared it was true. Isla did love Daniel Pickett, and she didn’t know what to do with that knowledge, so she shoved it aside for later perusal. When she’d embarked on her journey she’d no idea what lay ahead, and drawing nearer to Port Lucy made her nervous.
She was cautiously optimistic that Nigel Crowe might be a sympathetic colleague in the future; the letter he’d given her for her birthday was a simple one—he’d wished her well and promised that despite his knowledge of the other passengers’ secrets, he would do nothing to harm them. As birthday gifts went, it was the best she could ever have expected from him.
The airship descended slowly over Port Lucy, and Isla stood on deck with her friends, and held Monkey while they all looked over the side. The world below was a vibrant carpet of green, trees and flowers in a thick array. Vegetation was dense, as was the air, and beads of sweat trickled between Isla’s shoulder blades. It had been much more pleasant on the little island where she’d not been obliged to wear her formal corset, breeches, and boots. And her top hat, complete with goggles and feathers. In partial conciliation to Daniel’s request about her hair, she braided it loosely in the French style and draped it forward over her left shoulder. Monkey played with the long rope, tickling his nose with the curly ends of it.
The port city was large—much larger than she’d imagined—and bustled with life. Shouts and laughter and arguments mingled in the air with the smell of food and spices that made Isla’s mouth water. They flew over several winding streets that contained an odd assortment of shops, taverns, and businesses, as well as some houses.
Daniel had told her that most shop owners and families lived above the stores for easy access to their businesses. Most residences were in the town proper, although small pockets had begun to pop up along the outskirts.
The airship moved toward a large, clear field, and Daniel slowly brought the craft to the ground where ’tons ran to secure it in place. Isla’s heart thumped as she realized the time was at hand. If she failed to convince Malette to give her a cure, she might sleep forever.
She quietly exhaled and tried not to let her anxiety show. Nigel stood with the others at the railing, his expression grim. His hair had grown out from its usual closely-cropped style, and a couple days’ worth of stubble gave him a rougher edge. Unpredictable, not as tightly controlled.
“You do not truly want to be here, do you?” she asked him.
He looked at her for so long she figured he would either refuse to converse or was searching for something to say. He shook his head briefly. “My memories here are not the pleasant sort.”
“Why did you come?” she murmured. “I have asked you that for three weeks now.”
He sighed. “I saw little choice. The decision was an impulsive one.” He shrugged. “No matter, Miss Cooper—Dr. Cooper.”
She smiled. “Isla.”
“Isla. Thank you for your overture of friendship. I do hope we shall work amicably together in the future.” The words were stiff and reluctantly offered, but she appreciated them all the same.
“As do I, Mr. Crowe.”
He lifted the corner of his mouth. “Nigel.”
“Nigel.” She grinned. “When do you return to London?”
He looked at the swarm of activity below them. “I don’t know. There are things beyond my control that may impact my departure.”
“Now that is certainly cryptic. Is there anyone who can help? Perhaps Dan—Captain Pickett has resources that might be useful?”
He chuckled, and she realized that, although the tone still carried a jaded air about it, he seemed genuinely amused. Not cutting. “You would solve the world’s problems.”
“Isn’t that what we are to do, all of us? Nobody solves everything alone.”
“Except you.”
She frowned. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Your life at home, your family, your business. Single-handed, all of it.”
“That isn’t true,” she murmured, uncomfortable.
“Well, at any rate.” He gave her a head nod and left the railing.
She watched him cross the deck, presumably to gather his belongings from his cabin. What had he implied? Had he researched her life because of her connection to the predatory shifter world?
Monkey batted her in the face with the end of her braid, and she scowled at him. “You behave, or I shall leave you locked in the cabin.” She and Bonadea had discussed searching the environs of Port Lucy for Monkey’s species. It was possible a group might adopt him since he was still so young. “I would miss you, though,” she admitted and tapped his nose. “You are quite funny, and you make me smile.”
Daniel descended the wheelhouse steps, and Lewis crossed the deck to speak with him. Bonadea turned to Isla and held out his arms for the little primate. After some hesitation, and to Isla’s surprise, Monkey went to him.
“Oh, I am relieved,” she murmured to him as Quince smiled at the animal. “I do not know how long I’ll be here, and I was feeling rather wretched about abandoning him.”
Bonadea shook his head. “Had I realized he would latch himself to you like a barnacle, I might never have encouraged him.”
“I haven’t minded in the least.” She patted Monkey’s head.
Monkey took advantage of her proximity and wrapped all four limbs around her arm.
Bonadea shook his head. “That was short-lived.”
Daniel and Lewis approached, and Isla decided she could easily watch the captain walk around all day. She didn’t want to be caught staring, but she sensed her time with him was drawing to a close. Better to take in as much as possible while she could, she reasoned. He was dressed formally but in lightweight fabrics more appropriate for the current climate.
“Allow me to show you to the inn,” he said when he reached them. “There is a formal restaurant attached and two taverns across the street. We shall see you settled in, and I’ll locate my contacts for introductions. Employment for each of you begins as soon as you would like.”
“Captain, again, I cannot thank you enough.” Bonadea extended his hand to Daniel. “I and my family are forever in your debt.”
“Agreed,” Quince echoed and sniffled. “My family is safe from their association with me, and spending the rest of my days doing horticulture research is a boon I never expected.”
“The pleasure is mine, truly.” Daniel nodded. “I am in town at least four times per year, and I hope you will contact me if you have need of anything. Now, if you would gather your belongings, we shall be on our way.”
Quince and Bonadea walked to the stairs and disappeared, and Lewis extended his hand to Daniel. “Goes without saying, my friend, but I owe you my life.”
Daniel clasped his hand. “As you once saved mine.” A muscle worked in his jaw. “I’ve never forgotten it. Will never forget it.”
Isla’s ears perked up. She was curious but couldn’t very well say, “What’s this? When did he save your life?”
Monkey pulled the fastening cord that held her braid, and Isla scowled. “Give me that,” she muttered. “No, no.” She used both hands to refasten the cord but needn’t have worried Monkey would fall; he clung to her like a vine. “We shall have a tangled mess on our hands if I lose this.”
He chattered at her, a mix of chagrin and irritation.
“I shall find you something else to play with, but you leave this alone.”
Lewis had left the deck, and Daniel turned his attention to her. “We shall need a nanny for that thing, I suppose.”
Isla laughed. “Can you imagine? Wanted: a nanny for one very furry toddler. Has tendency to swing from trees.”
He smiled, but it seemed rather halfhearted. “Will you allow me to reserve a suite of rooms for you next to mine at the inn? I customarily stay ashore when I’m in town. I’ve become so accustomed to your presence as my neighbor I don’t know how I’ll sleep otherwise.”
She smiled. “Or could it be you’re worried something untoward will happen to me at night? I would be happy for your assistance in finding a room, but truly, though, you needn’t worry. I have lived with this for nearly a year. I am very careful.” She grimaced. “Well, apart from losing track of time on my birthday.”
“Which was my fault.” He took her elbow. “Come, let’s get your things.”
Despite her insistence that she could manage her portmanteau, Daniel carried it for her from the ship and to a large ’ton-driven auto-carriage. They all climbed into it, even Nigel. When Daniel settled onto the seat next to Isla, Monkey glared at him.
“Stop that,” she whispered and bounced the creature on her knees. “If you cannot behave, you’ll go to bed without dessert.”
Quince laughed, and Bonadea eyed Monkey with resignation.
“Does the inn allow wildlife?” Nigel looked at Monkey with distaste, and Monkey scowled.
Daniel sighed. “I have some influence. He is a menace, though. Bonadea, I hold you responsible.”
“I hold myself responsible,” Bonadea said. “At least he doesn’t chatter incessantly.”
Daniel snorted. “You didn’t hear him last night.”
Isla shook her head. “Wonderful. He will bother the other guests, and if I set him loose outside, who’s to say he won’t camp outside my window and be even more of a nuisance?”
“Chloroform.” Nigel’s voice was flat.
Bonadea raised a brow with a reluctant nod. “I suppose that is an option. Too much would kill him, though.”
“I’m certain Mr. Crowe was only teasing,” Isla said, narrowing her eyes at Nigel. “Weren’t you.”
“Absolutely.”
“Oh, look!” Quince gazed out the window at a cluster of red and orange blossoms that climbed a thick vine into a towering tree. Isla leaned closer to Daniel to see the vibrant colors splashed amidst the green scenery. It was a floral feast, and Quince was clearly in heaven. “I have much to research.”
“It’s stunning,” Isla murmured. “So beautiful.”
“I would have to agree,” Daniel whispered in Isla’s ear, and she felt herself blush to the roots of her hair. With any luck, her sunburn would hide it.
She straightened in her seat, trying to decide if she wanted to look at him with reproach or crawl into his lap. The man could tempt a saint.
The next ten minutes passed with comments on scenery that was almost too vivid to be real, and a debate between Quince and Bonadea about which was more fascinating—the flora or fauna. Lewis was quiet, gazing out of his window, and Isla wondered what he was thinking. He occasionally lifted his mouth in a partial smile at something one of the other passengers said.
“I do believe I shall miss this,” he murmured. “They’ve quite grown on me.”
“Do you have family who will visit?” Isla asked him. She’d attempted to draw details from him during the voyage, but he’d remained vague, a closed book.
He shrugged. “One never knows.”
“One certainly doesn’t,” she said, curious and fairly frustrated.
He smirked at her without malice, more as though he recognized her gentle prying and the myriad approaches she’d used to engage him in conversation about his life.
“Here we are.” Daniel looked out his window as the vehicle came to a stop. The driver climbed down from his perch and opened the door, and Isla gaped in surprise at the inn.
“This is an inn?” It was enormous, three stories high with wrap-around porches and balconies on each level. It was constructed of white stone, and the path leading to the front steps was lined with tall palm trees and orchids twice the size Isla had ever seen. A placard at the base of the steps indicated that this was, indeed, the Port Lucy Inn.
Daniel appeared to be fighting a smile as he directed three ’tons who emerged from the lobby to unload the carriage and await his instructions regarding delivery.
Lewis shot a flat look at Daniel. “This rivals Shepheard’s in Cairo.”
Daniel shrugged. “And?”
“You’ve been holding out, friend.”
“Nonsense.”
Isla looked at Lewis in surprise. “You’ve been to Cairo?”
“I thought I’d mentioned it.”
She scowled. “No. No, you did not. To think of all the time we spent in the lounge discussing everything under the sun and not once did you mention Cairo.”
He laughed. “We still have time. I’ll tell you all about it over dinner.”
Daniel grasped her elbow. “Let’s get you settled.”
Isla thought she caught Lewis smirking at Daniel, but he turned and walked with the others to the wide front steps. Daniel muttered something that sounded like “trying to force my hand,” and shook his head slightly with a ghost of a smile.
Isla hesitated at the door. “Should I wait out here with Monkey until you do whatever it is you think will entice the managers of this beautiful establishment to let me bring in a wild animal?”
He must have heard the doubt in her voice, because he winked at her and put his hand at her back. “It will be fine, fret not.” He ushered her inside, and she forgot about Monkey as she took in the soaring ceilings, marble floors, and a vast array of colorful plants and flowers so bright and heavily scented she was nearly dizzy.
A woman in a tailored, light-colored linen ensemble approached them, a smile on her face. Her clothing seemed so much more suited to the climate that Isla felt a true pang of envy and decided to move “find a local boutique” to the top of her priority list.
The woman herself was lovely; she appeared to be a native to Port Lucy, tall with beautiful skin, a wealth of black curls atop her head, large brown eyes and thickly fringed black lashes, and possessed of a beautiful smile and perfect white teeth. She walked with a purpose, and Isla wondered if she were the proprietress. Perhaps she wouldn’t be upset about Monkey.
“Daniel,” the woman said with a honey-smooth, lyrical accent. She extended her hands and clasped his, moving in close with that beautiful smile. Her body language spoke of comfort and ease of familiarity. “We were expecting you days ago, of course, but received your message about the delay. Your suite is ready, as always, and at your request, the adjoining one is available.”
“Thank you, Lia. Efficient and organized as always. The inn is pristine—I see the whitewash on the porch has been finished.” Daniel smiled at the woman and gave her hands a squeeze.
Isla’s eyes narrowed.
“It looks lovely, does it not?” Lia agreed. “Would you like to speak with the staff right away? I’ll gather them whenever you’re ready.”
Isla’s brow knit. Gather the staff?
“Later in the afternoon will be fine. And this evening I’ll review the books with Shelton. He will be in later?”
“Yes. Wife and baby are doing well, and Mrs. Shelton’s mother finally arrived. Shelton has been here in the evenings, but now that she’s in town, he will resume his regular schedule. ’Tis good to see you, Daniel.” She turned her attention to Isla, who made an effort to smooth over her expression.
“We’ve not met.” Her smile really was stunning, and her warmth seemed genuine. She extended her hand, and Isla shook it, noting the firm grip. Isla wanted very much to hate her.
Daniel rested his hand again on Isla’s back. “Lia, this is Dr. Isla Cooper. She’s in Port Lucy on business. Isla, Malia Francisco manages the Port Lucy Inn and keeps the whole of it operating like a well-oiled machine.”
Lia waved a hand in dismissal. “’Tis easily enough accomplished when the owner supplies everything I request.”
“I can imagine,” Isla said.
“And who is this little one?” Lia asked, holding her hand unthreateningly toward Monkey, who examined it and then grasped her finger. The traitor.
Daniel smiled. “This is Monkey. He is fond of the good doctor and cannot be enticed to leave her side, so we are temporarily accommodating him.”
Lia scratched Monkey under the chin. Monkey leaned into the caress as though he’d never felt anything better. “I shall have the chef send up a special plate of plantains and berries.”
“He will be euphoric, I’m certain,” Daniel said drily. “Too much of that treatment, and he’ll be unbearable. Best include a stack of nappies with the food.”
Daniel and Lia looked at Isla, and she knew they expected her to fill the conversational gap, but her head was spinning. All she could manage was a nod. Not only did Daniel apparently know and have fondness for the beautiful island goddess, it seemed he owned the entire hotel.
“We’ll take the lift up,” Daniel said. “I’ll show Dr. Cooper to her suite.”
“Wonderful.” Lia beamed at Isla. “Welcome to Port Lucy.”