ache?”
She swallowed. “A little.”
“I’ve been able to get only a little water down you in the last few hours.” She took a cup from the bedside table. “Drink.”
It wasn’t water but sweetened coconut milk, Cassie recognized. She must be ill. From childhood Lani had always given her the same drink when she’d been sick. She had made up a story for Clara that though the drink was bitter tasting, it had special healing properties. Cassie remembered the secret laughter they had shared as she had feigned reluctance even to taste the milk.
Her lips curved in a smile before she made a face. “What foul stuff.”
Lani’s eyes twinkled. “But it’s so good for you.”
She took another sip. “Am I sick?”
“You don’t remember? You fell and hit your head at Pelée’s Breath. But don’t worry, the doctor was here just a few hours ago and said no true harm had been done.” She wrinkled her nose. “I didn’t need him to tell me that.”
Pelée’s Breath. What had she been doing at Pelée’s—
She sat upright in bed. “Papa!”
“Lie back down,” Lani said. “All is well. At least I think it is. The Englishman has not found Charles yet. Do you know where he is?”
“Yes.” Ignoring Lani’s order, she threw the cover aside and swung her legs to the floor. Then she had toclutch at the mattress as dizziness overwhelmed her. When it cleared, she cautiously lay back down before asking, “How long have I been here?”
“Danemount brought you back late last night. It’s a little after noon now. He found you lying in a faint at the bottom of Pelée’s Breath. You’d hit your head on a rock.”
Cassie suddenly remembered that moment of waking on the trail. “He was angry.…”
“Extremely,” Lani said. “He came here first, and when he couldn’t find Charles, he set out for the volcano.” Her lips tightened. “I tried to keep him here, but Clara told him that you had hurried off early that day to give your father a message from the king.”
“Splendid.”
Lani shrugged. “She appears to be mildly enthralled with His Grace. I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised. He’s an English duke, and even a British peasant is better than the king of any other country.”
“Haven’t you told her he’s Papa’s enemy?”
“When has she ever believed me? I’m a heathen.”
It had been a foolish question. Cassie doubted if Clara would have listened to her either.
“But is he really your father’s enemy?” Lani asked. “What did Charles tell you?”
“He said Danemount wants to kill him.”
Lani’s face paled. “Why?”
Cassie shook her head. “He kept saying, ‘God’s will.’ ”
“Danemount is no angel sent from heaven. Quite the contrary, I’d judge. But he can be charming when it suits him, and he’s made an effort to make himself pleasant to Clara.” She was silent a moment. “He’s a very clever man, isn’t he?”
Cassie could not miss the significance of the question.Lani suspected things were not as they appeared on the surface, and Cassie knew she should tell her of that meeting on the shore. Yet she was reluctant to do so. She wanted only to block it out, forget it. “How should I know?”
Lani raised her brows. “When he brought you back, he called you Kanoa. Of course, Lakoa could have called you by name, but his manner was definitely familiar. What knowledge do you have of Danemount?”
She looked away and said haltingly, “I … met him on the beach. We talked for a few moments.” She burst out, “He was a stranger. I knew nothing about him.”
“But now you know he’s your father’s enemy.”
“Of course I do,” she said fiercely. “Do you think I would—”
“Shh.” Lani put her fingers on Cassie’s lips. “You didn’t tell me of your meeting, and I had to be sure. He’s a man who’s practiced in molding women to his will. Even Clara has weakened before him. She believes everything he tells her.”
“I can’t imagine that
She swallowed. “A little.”
“I’ve been able to get only a little water down you in the last few hours.” She took a cup from the bedside table. “Drink.”
It wasn’t water but sweetened coconut milk, Cassie recognized. She must be ill. From childhood Lani had always given her the same drink when she’d been sick. She had made up a story for Clara that though the drink was bitter tasting, it had special healing properties. Cassie remembered the secret laughter they had shared as she had feigned reluctance even to taste the milk.
Her lips curved in a smile before she made a face. “What foul stuff.”
Lani’s eyes twinkled. “But it’s so good for you.”
She took another sip. “Am I sick?”
“You don’t remember? You fell and hit your head at Pelée’s Breath. But don’t worry, the doctor was here just a few hours ago and said no true harm had been done.” She wrinkled her nose. “I didn’t need him to tell me that.”
Pelée’s Breath. What had she been doing at Pelée’s—
She sat upright in bed. “Papa!”
“Lie back down,” Lani said. “All is well. At least I think it is. The Englishman has not found Charles yet. Do you know where he is?”
“Yes.” Ignoring Lani’s order, she threw the cover aside and swung her legs to the floor. Then she had toclutch at the mattress as dizziness overwhelmed her. When it cleared, she cautiously lay back down before asking, “How long have I been here?”
“Danemount brought you back late last night. It’s a little after noon now. He found you lying in a faint at the bottom of Pelée’s Breath. You’d hit your head on a rock.”
Cassie suddenly remembered that moment of waking on the trail. “He was angry.…”
“Extremely,” Lani said. “He came here first, and when he couldn’t find Charles, he set out for the volcano.” Her lips tightened. “I tried to keep him here, but Clara told him that you had hurried off early that day to give your father a message from the king.”
“Splendid.”
Lani shrugged. “She appears to be mildly enthralled with His Grace. I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised. He’s an English duke, and even a British peasant is better than the king of any other country.”
“Haven’t you told her he’s Papa’s enemy?”
“When has she ever believed me? I’m a heathen.”
It had been a foolish question. Cassie doubted if Clara would have listened to her either.
“But is he really your father’s enemy?” Lani asked. “What did Charles tell you?”
“He said Danemount wants to kill him.”
Lani’s face paled. “Why?”
Cassie shook her head. “He kept saying, ‘God’s will.’ ”
“Danemount is no angel sent from heaven. Quite the contrary, I’d judge. But he can be charming when it suits him, and he’s made an effort to make himself pleasant to Clara.” She was silent a moment. “He’s a very clever man, isn’t he?”
Cassie could not miss the significance of the question.Lani suspected things were not as they appeared on the surface, and Cassie knew she should tell her of that meeting on the shore. Yet she was reluctant to do so. She wanted only to block it out, forget it. “How should I know?”
Lani raised her brows. “When he brought you back, he called you Kanoa. Of course, Lakoa could have called you by name, but his manner was definitely familiar. What knowledge do you have of Danemount?”
She looked away and said haltingly, “I … met him on the beach. We talked for a few moments.” She burst out, “He was a stranger. I knew nothing about him.”
“But now you know he’s your father’s enemy.”
“Of course I do,” she said fiercely. “Do you think I would—”
“Shh.” Lani put her fingers on Cassie’s lips. “You didn’t tell me of your meeting, and I had to be sure. He’s a man who’s practiced in molding women to his will. Even Clara has weakened before him. She believes everything he tells her.”
“I can’t imagine that
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