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even accommodating. We’ll be back in London from the wedding with plenty of time to pack if we sail next week. I just wouldn’t have felt as comfortable asking him to make a detour to take me to Bridgeport, but since he’s already going there…”
    “You forget, he adores Jack. He’d do anything for her, if not for you. And like you, he’ll be delighted with the notion of taking her to Connecticut to see firsthand where the barbaric side of her family comes from. For years now your brothers have been mentioning that she ought to make the trip. If they had their way, she’d be raised there, not here.”
    She ignored the “barbaric” remark to point out, “I don’t think they meant for her to go while she’s this young, though. If you must know, they’re hoping she’ll marry an American, so they wanted her to make that particular visit when she’d reached an age to attract a husband.”
    “Bite your tongue, George. She’s going to marry an Englishman—if I allow any of them to get close enough to her to make her acquaintance.”
    The last was said in a mumble that had Georgina grinning. “Well, the thought was that if she fell in love with an American, you wouldn’t prevent the marriage. You’d object, of course, but since the little darling fits in one of your few soft spots, you’d give in, in the end.”
    “Appreciate the warning.”
    Since he didn’t elaborate, she frowned. “In other words, you won’t allow her anywhere near Connecticut when she reaches a marriageable age?”
    “Exactly.”
    The frown eased. She even chuckled. “I hate to inform you of this, but more and more Americans visit England these days. And you can be sure that when the time comes, my brothers will be trotting every eligible one of them by here to meet their beloved niece.”
    “I wouldn’t place any wagers on that, m’dear.”
    She sighed, imagining how unpleasant it would be if her husband and brothers put aside their truce. It was only a grudging truce, after all. It wasn’t as if they liked each other or hadn’t tried to kill each other in the past. In fact, her brothers had trounced James soundly, all five of them at the same time. Of course, they wouldn’t have succeeded if they’d been fair about it, but they had been furious when he’d announced to them that he’d compromised their only sister, and they’d been quite willing to have him hanged for piracy if he didn’t agree to marry her. Not a very good start to the wonderful marriage they had now, but she certainly couldn’t say getting to know James Malory, ex-rake, ex-gentleman pirate, hadn’t been incredibly exciting.
    She finally tsked and complained, “I don’t know how we got onto the subject of Jacqueline’s future marriage, which is years away. We should be discussing Jeremy’s instead, which is only days away. You do know he’s coming to dinner, right? And that he needs cheering up? I’ve also invited Percy and Tony and his family.”
    James came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “You mentioned all that at breakfast. What I didn’t know was that you were nervous, and don’t deny it. You wouldn’t be repeating yourself if you weren’t. Fess up, George.”
    “I’m not nervous a’tall. I expect Drew to be quite pleased to take us on as passengers once I mention it to him, and I’ll do that tonight.”
    “Then what is it?”
    She sighed again. “It’s occurred to me that we’re getting old, James.”
    “The devil we are.”
    She turned around, put her arms around him as well, which was no easy task considering how wide and solidly muscled James Malory was. “We are,” she insisted. “With Jeremy getting married, I don’t doubt he’ll make us grandparents soon, and I’m going to feel positively ancient when he does!”
    He burst out laughing. “What a silly chit you are, and I thought you only get that way when…you’re…pregnant. Good God, George, you aren’t pregnant again, are you?”
    She huffed.