Chapter 80

"You will stay on board while I conduct my business here."

"Why?" This was the third such stop he'd given her specific instructions to stay out of sight. It was getting annoying, especially considering it was one of the only times he talked to her voluntarily. In the close confines of the ship, it was hard for him to avoid her completely, and when she did manage to corner him, she'd attempted to engage him in conversation, to baffling effect. She'd discovered smiling at him or laughing made his face tighten, almost as if he suffered pain, and then he'd make an abrupt U-turn and just about run to get away from her. On other occasions, he pretended to not see her at all, avoiding her as if she had the plague. Ralph tried to reassure her that it was because Reg was afraid of his feelings for her. Penny disagreed. If he liked me, he wouldn't be so aloof.

"You will stay on board out of sight because the place we're docking at is too dangerous."