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Azores.
    The time they’d spent together had made this long voyage pass swiftly—far too swiftly it now seemed to him. It had also given him the opportunity to suspect that he could at last be content to settle down with one woman for the rest of his life. But that woman was not one his family would choose for him. Indeed, she was one of whom they were certain to disapprove most fiercely.
    With the end of the voyage in sight at last, the other passengers of the Hartwell were all in fine spirits. Blade tried to pretend likewise. On this fine, balmy evening with the wind not too high, they had gathered on the poop deck to enjoy a bit of music and dancing in the sea air.
    Genia’s light step and vivacious manner made her a much sought after dancing partner. Blade wished he dared keep her all to himself—tonight and forever. The thought of her dallying with a succession of other men on the fringes of Society tore at him.
    He managed to claim his share of dances with her, during which he treasured each touch of her hand, each sparkling glance, each special smile that was meant for him alone. After one spritely set, she must have sensed he craved a private moment with her, for she pleaded the need to catch her breath and retired to the taffrail with him.
    As he stared down at the water swirling in the great ship’s wake, Blade could not contain the feelings brewing inside him a moment longer. “I wish this voyage never had to end! I wish we could sail across the Atlantic and keep going around the world.”
    â€œI fear it would spark mutiny among our fellow passengers.” Genia glanced back at them with a rueful chuckle. “Like it or not, all good things must come to an end at last—voyages…friendships…lives.”
    Something about the wistful way her voice lingered upon those last two words reminded Blade of several conversations they’d shared during the past few weeks. “Is that why you don’t want a husband and children—because you’re afraid of losing them, the way you lost your friend Margaret?”
    Genia winced. “I saw what it did to Margaret’s poor husband, losing her and the baby. I know what it did to me. I was so desperate for any diversion to lighten my spirits, even for a few hours. Only on this voyage, with so much time to think and a sympathetic ear to confide in have I made peace with my grief. I’m not certain I could bear to go through that again.”
    Perhaps uncomfortable with how much she had confessed, she tossed her head and shot him a teasing grin. “Besides, what sort of marriage could I make with my reputation in tatters?”
    Did he detect a note of challenge in her tone? Blade wondered as he and Genia were summoned back to join in the dancing once more. If so, was he man enough to accept such a challenge, knowing what it might cost him?
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    What did her reasons for not wanting a husband matter to Blade? That question plagued Genia as she continued to dance, making her preoccupied and clumsy. He’d gotten what he wanted from their liaison and so had she. This voyage had been like a pleasant dream for them both, but soon it would be time to wake up and face the reality of their lives. She’d spent far too long trying to run away from hers. Now the time had come to pay the piper. The memory of these golden weeks with Blade would make it bearable.
    When the dancing had finished and the other passengers headed back to the roundhouse for a late supper, Blade drew close enough to Genia to whisper, “Stay behind a moment. There is something I want to ask you.”
    â€œPlease,” she begged him as they hung back, “No more sighs and regrets. I don’t want to spoil our final days together by fretting they will soon come to an end.”
    â€œA sensible sentiment.” He sounded chastened, but his next words came out in a firmer tone—the way he’d sounded on the day of the storm.