“Hmm.” Her eyes fluttered but she didn’t open them.
“You must wake. I need you to sit, drink this tea, and eat a few bites of toast.”
She pushed his hand off her cheek. “Not hungry.”
“I know, sweetheart. I’m sorry, but it will be dawn in a couple of hours. Time is running out, and I need you to take me to that cave and show me where you hid the map.”
Her eyes fluttered open, her pupils large and the irises more amber than brown in this light. “We should go the cave.”
He offered his arm, supporting her as she rose. “Sit at the table and take tea and toast.”
“What time is it?”
“Quarter past two.”
“There’s no time—”
“I won’t have you faint on the walk to the beach. You must eat something.”
She scowled at him. “I have never fainted in my life.”
There was the Marjorie he knew. The steel in her voice heartened him and made him a bit sad. Now that her memories were returning, would she remember how she hated him? Would she treat him with scorn and disgust again?
“But you’re right. I’ll eat.” Her gaze swept over his bare chest. “You should dress.”
“I will.” Once she was seated at the table, he pulled his shirt over his head and donned his boots and a coat. She rose when he offered her his greatcoat. Already, she looked steadier on her feet. When she was ready, he took the lamp from the table.
“Keep it shuttered until we’re in the cave,” she said.
“Can you make it down the path without any light?”
“I’ll have to. We can’t risk someone who’s watching the house seeing a light.”
“Let me go first then.” To his surprise, she nodded her agreement and took his hand. He led them out of the house, along the path to the beach, and then picked his way carefully down the rocky path to the beach below. The way was wide and worn and allowed those who traversed it to make a gradual descent. Still, all it took was one loose rock to twist an ankle or cause a fall, and they might both tumble down. It was just like her to make this trek down by herself under cover of darkness to hide the map in the first place. She was lucky she hadn’t broken her neck.
When they finally reached the beach, the crescent moon was high overhead. The weak light was enough to see the rocky outcrop where he’d found her. Still holding hands, they trudged over the sand until they reached the spot where large rocks jutted from the soft ground. “The cave is just there,” she said, pointing to the rocks. “The entrance is on the other side of that arch.”
“How did you find it?” he asked.
Her eyes narrowed, and he saw the pain that came from remembering flood into them. “Another agent told me about it. He said it was an old pirate cave. They could hide contraband here before coming ashore.”
“Can you show me the way in the dark?”
“I’ll try. I want the lamp dark as long as possible.”
He agreed. Anyone looking out from the bluffs above would spot the lamp even from a great distance. She started for the arch, a rocky structure that must have been hollowed out from centuries or perhaps millennia of waves washing through it. The large boulders at the base were slippery and jagged. Ahead of him, Marjorie had one hand on the interior walls of the arch to keep her balance. Despite everything, she moved gracefully, and he felt like a lumbering giant following her. Then they were on the other side, and he saw the opening that was hidden from the beach, but which was visible from the ocean.
“I can see why this cave would be popular with pirates and smugglers,” he said, following her inside.
“The only problem is it floods at high tide. No good for hiding arms or anything sensitive to water.”
He opened a shutter on the lamp until he could see her clearly. Her cheeks were pink with the brisk ocean air, and her eyes were wide with—if he was not mistaken—excitement. He felt it too. This was why he’d gone into the service. He’d wanted these clandestine moments, and to have them with her was icing on the cake. She smiled at him, and he dared to hope she felt the same way he did.
“The moment of truth,” she said, indicating the dark cave beyond.
“You remember where you hid the map?”
“Yes. I slid it in a corked bottle and put that high atop an outcrop. It’s just back here. Hand me the lamp.”