At long last, he heard her leave the water and duck back behind the tree to dress.
“Would you like to bathe?” she asked. “I promise not to look.” There was a teasing laugh in her voice that made him want to throttle her.
He should call her bluff. She’d probably never seen a naked man before. He could just imagine her shock at seeing him in all his fully-aroused glory. She’d probably faint. Then again, Hester never did what was expected. She’d probably just look at him curiously and demand what was the matter with him. Wouldn’t that be interesting?
“I’ll do it later,” he ground out.
They’d almost reached the tent, with her complaining about her wet hair, when he stopped in his tracks and ducked down.
“Shh!”
“Don’t you shhh me, you overgrown—”
“Be quiet!” he hissed.
He glanced sideways at her. Her mouth had stalled in a perfect O, and her eyes widened as she finally noticed what he had: the shadowy figure sneaking around the outside of her tent.
He tugged her behind a cluster of date palms.
“It’s Drovetti!” she whispered indignantly. “Why, that sneaky devil! He’s trying to steal my necklace!”
She put her hand up to it, still fastened around her neck, and Harry wondered if she’d taken it off to bathe. The mental image that flashed into his brain—Hester, naked in the moonlight save for the strange, otherworldly necklace, like some irresistible Egyptian goddess—made his blood pound in his temples.
Thankfully, she didn’t notice his inattention. She scowled as Drovetti ducked under the tent flap and went inside. “The fiend! Well, he won’t find anything in there.”
Drovetti clearly came to the same conclusion. After a few minutes he reappeared and slunk off into the shadows.
“I doubt he’ll be back tonight,” Harry said, “but just to be on the safe side, I’ll sleep there.” He pointed to a spot in front of her tent, then went to his saddlebag and withdrew his bedroll. Hester, to his surprise, didn’t argue.
“Thank you,” she said. “I would appreciate that.” She ducked inside her tent then almost immediately stuck her head back out again. “Oh, don’t forget to put your socks over the top of your boots. It stops the snakes and scorpions getting in. Goodnight.”
Chapter 8
It took Hester a long time to get to sleep. She was far too aware of Tremayne sleeping less than three feet away from her, albeit on the other side of the material. She tensed every time she heard him sigh, sniff, or turn over.
In truth, she was rather disappointed that he hadn’t turned round even once while she was bathing. She hadn’t been brave enough to go completely naked; she’d kept her shift on in the water, but she’d assumed an unrepentant rogue like him would have at least tried to steal a glance.
Was she really so unattractive? Harry said men always wanted to see naked women, but he’d been all too able to resist the temptation of seeing her, hadn’t he?
Hester sighed and punched her pillow. Not that shewantedhim to look at her. Still, it would be nice to be thought of as an attractive woman for once, instead of an annoying, over-educated harridan.
The sun had barely risen when she was awakened by one of the local boys talking urgently to Harry. She pulled on a shirt and her split skirts and emerged from the tent.
“Are you sure?” Harry asked.
The boy nodded vehemently. “Yes. It is the lady’s man, Suleiman, calling for help. I hear him.”
“Where?” Hester demanded.
The boy pointed to the remains of the Roman fort at the opposite end of the oasis. “There. His voice comes from the ground.”
Hester glanced at Harry. “There are several chambers below ground and tunnels to direct the water. He could have fallen into one of those.”
Tremayne nodded grimly. “All right, let’s go.”
He rose, and Hester saw him withdraw two pistols from beneath his bedroll, check them, and stuff them into the waistband of his breeches at the back. He shrugged into his jacket, tugged on his boots, slung his leather satchel across his body, and set off in the direction the boy had indicated.
Hester pulled on her own stockings and ankle boots—after checking them for scorpions—and hurried after him. She was out of breath by the time she caught up with him. His long legs seemed to eat up the ground and she had to hurry to keep pace.