Stowaway (A Pirate Novel) (Completed)

Chapter 27 A New Light,

Their reactions were more then she had expected.

"Are you bloody crazy?"

"Elle, you could have been caught."

"Of all the stupid ideas..."

"I should beat you till you canna sit, lass."

"Stop, stop, stop." She said raising her voice over their tirade. "Listen to me. Can you not see I'm fine and standing right here." She demanded their angry attention.

It was then that she made the mistake of looking at the captain.

He stood straight up, hands clinched at his side and they shook. His eyes were narrowed. Raged seemed to spill from his pores. Elle took a step back and bumped hard into the dresser.  Her breath caught in her throat.

"I have the painting." She blurted out. Her voice high and squeeky.

Everyone stopped talking. All eyes swung to her.

"What do you mean you have the painting, Lass." Harv asked.

She glanced at Zara, Miles and then Harv before turning and retrieving the painting from behind the dresser.

She propped it back up on the dresser were she had it before.

She moved aside. None of their eyes followed her. They were each looking at the painting.

She saw Harv turn to look at her.  She faced him. He studied her then the painting. Eyes on her again he studied her features.

"Why would he use this to search for her?" Zara asked the captain.

Elle dared a look at him. He was looking at the painting. She watched as his attention shifted from one feature to another.

Zara continued her appraisal of the portrait.

"I can vaguely see a resemblance. But not enough to warrant using it in a search." Miles said shaking his head. "You could be related, however."

"There be somethin else going on, Cap'n." Harv said sounding suspicious.

"Agreed."

"What?" Elle asked. She didn't understand what they meant. What other purpose could he have for showing this picture to the searchers and telling them to find her?

"Oh my Lord." Zara said and placed a hand over her mouth. All eyes swung to her.

"What?" The captain asked, insistant.

"What... What if this is how he really sees her? What if he's built up his image of her to be this? It's been years. Memories are.... strange sometimes. People can convince themselves of things that never were."

She looked over at Elle. "You look different with your hair and skin exposed to the sun, but think about it a moment." She paused and pointed to the eyes of the painting. "The shapes are right." She moved her finger to the jaw line, the ears, the noses, the lips. "You've changed, yes. The woman in the painting is you, just more sensual, more wantan."

Elle felt her skin heat.

"Leo said he finished the painting mostly by Sir Travis's descriptions." She pointed at the painting. "It would make since. This," she tapped the center of the canvas causing it to trimble, "This is how he sees you." She said completely convinced.

Elle studied the painting, looking at it in a new way. Elle saw it now. It could be her if she were wiser in the ways of men, seduction, and passion. Even the features she had discounted could be her.