Page 89 of A Devious Secret

“I did, but if you give me a chance to explain, I will tell you everything.”

Gemma’s eyes showed hesitation. “I will hear you out,” she finally said.

Stephen dropped his hand from her arm. “When I was a first lieutenant, I learned of a young woman that had disguised herself as a man and she was working as a seaman on my ship,” he explained. “I wish I could say that it was uncommon, but it happened more times than you can imagine. In some cases, it is the difference between life or death for these women.”

“What happened to the young woman when she was discovered?”

“The captain had little time on his hands and asked me to ensure she was being properly tended to,” Stephen replied. “That is when I discovered one of the lieutenants was trying to force himself on her.”

“How awful,” Gemma murmured.

“Unfortunately, her fate would’ve been much more grim than that if I hadn’t interceded,” Stephen said. “Sailors can go years without seeing a woman and they would have no qualms with taking advantage of her. I couldn’t stand by and let that happento her. Challenging the lieutenant to a duel was the only way to keep her safe.”

“You were court-martialed.”

“I was, but I chose to do the right thing, regardless of the consequences.”

Gemma went to sit down on the bench, a frown marring her features. “Lord Hawkinge informed me that this young woman slept in your quarters with you.”

Stephen bobbed his head. “That is right. She slept on my hammock, and I slept on the ground. It was the only way to ensure her safety until we docked,” he said. “But I assure you that nothing happened between us.”

“I want to believe you, but it just sounds so…” Her voice trailed off.

He took a step closer to her. “What does it sound like?” he prodded.

“Remarkable,” Gemma replied as her eyes searched his.

Stephen gestured towards the seat next to her on the bench. “May I?” he asked.

Gemma nodded her approval.

As he sat down, he said, “We do have a problem.”

“Which is?” Gemma asked.

He shifted to face her. “If you don’t trust me, then what more do we have to discuss?” he asked.

Gemma’s gaze left his and she stared straight ahead. He would have given everything that he had to know her thoughts at that precise moment.

Gemma knew that Stephen was right. Without trust, what did they have? And she did want to trust him, but something was holding her back. She was afraid of giving him her heart and not knowing if he would break it. She closed her eyes and wished she had a crystal ball that would tell her precisely what to do.

She felt Stephen place his hand over hers and she felt a sense of peace wash over her. And in that moment, she wasn’t as afraid as she had been before.

Gemma opened her eyes and said, “I do believe you, Stephen.”

A boyish grin came to his lips. “I am pleased to hear you say so.”

“But that doesn’t explain why you were at a gambling hell,” Gemma said. “Are you a gambler?”

“I am not,” he replied. “I abhor gambling.”

Gemma lifted her brow. “Will you kindly explain why you were at the Scarlet Lady?”

“I was searching for someone.” Stephen reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it as he explained, “This list contains the names of the officers that died when my ship went down. For every name crossed out, I visited their families and have offered my condolences.”

Stephen’s voice grew hoarse as he continued. “They gave their lives fighting for the Crown, and I did not want their deaths to be in vain.”

Gemma noticed that one name was not crossed out. “You only have one name left.”