Scorpius (Stars and Sails, Book 2)

Six

"Heiress Ro," he said.

Ro's eyebrows shot up before she pulled away. But it wasn't Suzaku. This man was tall, with brown hair, all golden around his shoulders like he had spent too much time in the sun. He grinned, his eyes a little green, a little brown, a little silver even. His beard was sloppy. He flashed his teeth, but any charm he was hoping to cast was lost on her.

"Who told you to call me that?" Not many people knew Ro's favored nickname.

"Have I upset you?" he asked, folding a gloved hand over his stomach. His hands were bulky like he was wearing too many rings beneath the fabric. The materialistic sort never made a good impression, which was ironic since Ro had lived in everything gold and velvet since she was born.

"No. Carry on." She turned away, but the man followed her. He tugged on the collar of his shirt. "You're not a businessman," Ro assumed. "Seeing as you're uncomfortable in that suit. Not royalty either. You're a little too--"

"Roguish."

"Unkempt, I was going to say." "Captain Robert Fairburn," he said. "Highly renowned. Highly decorated."

Ro hadn't heard of him. She had to get more involved with the Navy. "Proper to meet you then, but I've got things to do."

"One dance, Heiress Ro--you'd pay me great compliment--your best Naval Captain."

For as long as she'd been alive, Ro had never danced with a man. One half of Longport thought she was too young and carefree, always dancing with her female friends. The other half knew a secret that she wasn't trying that hard to keep. Life was too short not to dance with beautiful women. For diplomacy's sake, then. Ro agreed, turning back to Captain Fairburn. They began in the middle of the song, swaying back and forth. It was boring yet so tedious.

"I thought you'd be less clumsy," he said. "Though I mean no offense of it."

"I'm not inherently clumsy, just easily distracted," she said.

"Yes, so many beautiful people here. And I'm dancing with the heiress."

Ro laughed quietly, not as offended as one might expect. She knew she wasn't a beautiful woman in the traditional sense, and she was tired of all the brown nosers of Longport lying about what they saw. She liked Captain Fairburn's honesty. It didn't hurt the way lies did. "Why, I see I'm not included in the beautiful lot."

"It's ever such a curse to be beautiful and have a high profile. I dream some nights of being ghastly."

"Yes, being ghastly isn't all so bad, Captain. I've been like this my whole life."

"Fascinating," he said. He raised his arm, waiting for her to twirl, but Ro wasn't much of a twirler. "Well, we just seem like the strangest pairing on this dance floor, don't we?"

The song ended. "Perhaps." She paused. "Perhaps until those widows start fighting over the young Captain Howe."

"Oh, Heiress Ro. How generous of you to remind me. I'll be sure to be thoroughly drunk by then."

She walked away and tugged at her dress. The high neckline was riding up and choking her. She looked over her shoulder. "Captain Fairburn." He turned back before bowing again at her. She took a deep, decisive breath. "I expect you to debrief me on Naval status at your soonest convenience."

"Absolutely, Heiress, meet me at the east wharf tomorrow morning, eight o'clock."

"You've no office?"

"Office," he mocked her. "The world is my bloody office." She nodded before leaving the ballroom for good. "I do have an office actually. It's very nice!" He called after her. The ego on this one. It was a bit hard to stomach.