The Gilded Fan (Choc Lit) Read Online Free PDF Page B

Midori had known she had to do something drastic. She couldn’t fail. To go back to Ichiro without securing passage on board the captain’s ship would be to lose face. She had to prove to her brother she could fend for herself. With renewed determination, she gripped the handle of her knife and drew in another calming breath. It wouldn’t do to sink to this barbarian’s level; she must stay calm and reasonable. Slowly, she felt her inner harmony returning.
    Several expressions flitted across the captain’s face – astonishment, anger and possibly a small measure of admiration. Midori waited in silence, her knife poised by his neck. She could see him debating with himself, but his next words indicated that although he wasn’t prepared to give in gracefully, he was wavering slightly.
    ‘We’re not going to England, so you’d have to find your way from Amsterdam to wherever you’re headed,’ he growled. ‘By yourself.’
    ‘Well, there must be ships that sail to London. It’s not that far, is it?’ Midori had no idea if this was true, but decided to take a chance. She wasn’t actually going to London, but knew it was England’s main city, so she was sure she could reach her destination from there somehow.
    ‘London?’ His eyebrows descended even further. ‘Your relatives live there?’
    ‘Um, nearby I believe, yes.’ To distract the man from the fact that she was lying, Midori gave him a dazzling smile. ‘So, you see, I’ll be all right if only you can take me as far as Amsterdam.’
    The captain blinked and stared at her. She saw him swallow hard, then he closed his eyes and uttered what sounded like a groan. ‘Very well,’ he gritted out. ‘You may sail with us. I can’t guarantee your safety, but I’ll do my best. It might not be enough, though. Do you understand?’
    ‘Perfectly. I’ll leave you to your, er … pleasures now. When do we sail?’
    ‘For the last time, I’m not indulging in any …’ He muttered a curse, then made a visible effort to calm himself. ‘We’re sailing with the tide the day after tomorrow. I’ll require your payment by tomorrow evening. A thousand pieces of silver.’
    Midori didn’t bat an eyelid at this preposterous amount, although she couldn’t help wondering if Ichiro had brought such an enormous sum. ‘Five hundred,’ she said. ‘I’ll bring you half of it tomorrow, and the rest I will give you when we reach Amsterdam safely.’
    ‘I didn’t say the price was negotiable.’ His blue gaze had turned to steel.
    ‘No?’ Midori smiled sweetly and lifted her eyebrows, while pricking him with her dagger. A tiny droplet of blood appeared on his sunburned skin.
    Captain Noordholt gave her a furious look, before turning the tables on her with a minimum amount of effort. He grabbed the hilt of her knife with lightning speed, twisting it out of her grip and throwing it to the ground. Then he shoved her off and jumped to his feet in one fluid motion. With another glare he turned on his heel and stalked off.
    ‘Six hundred and not a piece less,’ he called over his shoulder before disappearing inside the house.
    Midori sat in the mud and stared after him. ‘What an extraordinary man,’ she muttered. He could obviously have heaved her off at any time, but he’d let her think she had the upper hand. And then he gave in to her demands? It didn’t make sense to her, but she was grateful all the same.
    She wondered if she would ever understand these foreigners.
    Nico stopped just inside the door and leaned his back on it for a moment. His heart was racing as if he’d been running, and he clenched his fists. ‘Damnation, but you’re a fool, man, a complete lackwit!’ he berated himself. Of all the stupid things to do, he’d let a pretty face sway him and cloud his judgement.
Well, not just pretty, dazzlingly beautiful! But I’m still an idiot …
    And yet, how could he leave a woman like that here to die? She was half-English, after all, as much a