Chapter 24

"W HAT DO YOU SUPPOSE PIRATES WERE DOING IN E NGLAND?" Georgina asked James.

She was trying to show him that she wasn't that upset, but she wasn't having much luck, not after he'd seen her stricken expression as Drew's crewman related the tale. The man had managed to slip over the side of The Triton while it was still in the channel, without being seen, and came straightaway to Berkeley Square to tell them that Drew had lost his ship to pirates, and he'd overheard them say they were heading to a small island east of St. Kitts.

"Does it matter? Pirates, thieves, whatever they are, they're still in possession of your brother's ship." And then James mumbled, "Bloody well wouldn't have happened on The Maiden Anne. "

Georgina pretended she didn't hear that. The Maiden Anne had been James's ship and he'd been a gentleman pirate himself for many a year, even capturing a few of her family's ships, as well as capturing her heart when she'd sailed with him as his cabin boy.

His tone implied he was angry. She wasn't surprised. He couldn't stand to see her upset about anything and usually wanted to kill whoever caused it. In this case there was nothing he could do, and that would just make him even more angry. Not that anyone who didn't know him well could tell. It wasn't his way to shout or rant or get emotional. Oh, no, James Malory was unique in that regard. If he was going to demolish someone, that person would have no prior warning.

"At least Boyd is here," she said. "I'm sure he'll want to go after The Triton. "

"Of course he will, but is that going to relieve your mind?" he asked pointedly.

He knew her too well. Of course it wouldn't. Boyd didn't captain his own ship, nor was his ship equipped to deal with pirates. But then neither was The Triton heavily armed.

"I've bought a ship," James continued. "It was to be a surprise for the next time you get it into your pretty head to cross the ocean."

She grinned at him. It had really stuck in his craw that he'd almost had to sail without being in command of the vessel. She wasn't at all surprised that he'd make sure it never happened again.

"Then you're going after them?" she said.

"Of course."

"That's an excellent plan," she agreed, already feeling much better.

"Thought you might think so."

"And I'll go with you."

"Now, George—"

"Don't even think of leaving me at home to worry myself sick."

He just stared at her, waiting for her to come up with a few other reasons he could more easily disagree with. She wisely changed the subject by pulling a note out of her pocket and handing it to him. She'd found it when she'd stopped by Gabrielle's room this morning to see if she was feeling better. Quite a shock to find her gone instead, though Drew's crewman showing up soon after with the news that his ship had been captured by pirates had made her temporarily forget about it.

He frowned at her when he finished reading it. "You think Gabrielle has taken Drew's ship?"

Georgina blinked. "Heavens no, that never occurred to me. I was merely surprised that she didn't tell us her father was in trouble, that she just packed up and left, merely leaving that note. You'd think she would have at least asked for your help, since you and her father had been friends."

"She probably felt she'd imposed on us enough. But the timing is rather…on the mark, don't you think? When did she leave?"

"This morning, no, wait, it could have been last night while we were at Tony's for dinner. She wasn't feeling well, which was why she didn't join us, as I'd told you—"

"But she was well enough to sneak off, so I'd say that was just an excuse."

"Oh, come now, you can't really think she'd commandeer Drew's ship. He's my brother. I befriended her. If anything, she might have asked him for help since she knew he was sailing. For all we know, he might have agreed and she's a passenger, or rather a hostage right now, just like he is. She'd have no reason to do him a wrong…turn…"

He sighed and finished the thought for her. "I see you've remembered what you told me he said at that ball the other night. Just the sort of thing to ruin the chit's chances for a good match here."

"Nonsense," she disagreed. "It didn't make the gossip rounds. And it's been two days since that ball. We would've heard—"

"You're always the last to know if you're personally involved, m'dear," he cut in, "and since you were her sponsor, you're most definitely involved. Besides, we didn't leave the house yesterday other than to go straight to Tony's for dinner and back."

"I know." She sighed. "Actually, when I first read Gabrielle's note, I thought it might be a ruse, that she's merely gone into hiding to weather the storm. I was going to ask you to find her so we could blast this scandal out of the water."

He raised a golden brow. "And how would you have done that if it is making the rounds already? It's not a lie, but the truth."

"A lover scorned, wanting revenge," she replied. "Very easy."

"You mean she scorned Drew and he wanted to blacken her reputation by making that remark?"

"Well, my brother did start the rumor. Which is why I'd feel so guilty if this has ruined her."

"Stop it," he demanded. "For all you know he may have been provoked."

She stared at him incredulously. "You're taking Drew's side?"

"Bite your tongue, George. I'd never. But did you never notice the sparks that would fly between those two?"

"Of course I did. They seemed not to like each other a'tall to begin with, but that changed rather quickly. It even worried me enough that I tried to warn Gabrielle away from Drew."

"But did you warn him away from her?"

She blinked. "Of course not. You know how he is. He's worse than you were, about being determined to never marry. So he knew very well she was off-limits to him."

"And that, m'dear, might have been the problem. She's a very pretty chit. If she set her cap for him, he may have indeed been provoked, or tempted beyond good sense, as it were."

She frowned. "Well, in any case, I'll send a note off to Reggie to find out for sure if there is a rumor circulating. She keeps abreast of all the current gossip, so she'd know. But still, Gabrielle only went out for a little while yesterday with one of those men she came to London with, according to Artie. And he said she only had one other visitor, a young man he guessed was one of her suitors. But if, as you say, the subject is the last to know about their own scandal, then she wouldn't know either, would she?"

"I wouldn't count on it. It's too bloody coincidental and would explain why she didn't ask Drew for his help."

"That's if she's on his ship."

"Doesn't matter, m'dear. Whether she's one of those pirates or at their mercy, or in hiding as you first guessed, I'll round up a crew today. So stop worrying about your brother. Whoever instigated this mess will be torn limb from limb. You may depend upon it."