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knew he could land his brandy, he would be willing to trade free barrels,” Joshua said, looking to Bernard for confirmation.
    “As many free barrels as a young man like you could handle,” Bernard said, his tone friendly.
    “You want me to get involved with smuggling?” Charles asked, his tone serious. He was beginning to wish he was far away from the docks. He had just wanted to buy some brandy, to feel a little danger, not to actually become involved in criminal activity.
    “No, sir! Not at all. All I need is somewhere to land the goods; you don’t need to be there. In fact, the less you know the better. That way if there’s any problem with the excise men, you know nothing,” Bernard responded, his tone still kindly although it was clear he was a hard man, perfectly at ease in his surroundings.
    “I don’t know, Joshua. I think I’d rather pay for the brandy and leave it at that,” Charles said uncertainly. He hated going against Joshua, but he was wary of becoming embroiled in something that was completely out of his depth.
    “Come on, Charles, this is perfect. Free brandy and helping out a friend,” Joshua cajoled.
    “I didn’t know you were involved as well,” Charles said. It was obvious that Joshua knew the men, but Charles felt even more uneasy at the thought that his friend was actually involved with smuggling. Receiving smuggled goods was bad enough, what Joshua was hinting at went far deeper than that, and the consequences if caught would be severe. Charles might be naïve and easy-going, but he was not stupid. Associating himself with a smuggler would not do the family reputation any good if it became known, and he had personal reasons for wanting the family name to stay unblemished, something that he had not confided to his new friend.
    “I have to make money somehow!” Joshua snapped. “Not everyone has a fortune handed over to them as you have!”
    Charles hated when Joshua brought up his inheritance. There was nothing that Charles could argue in his defence; at the end of the day he had been handed his fortune, but he helped Joshua as much as he could.
    “Oh come, Joshua, we’re all friends; there’s no need to be like that,” Bernard soothed. He had sensed that Joshua was losing Charles. The young man looked concerned, and Bernard stepped in, more experienced than Joshua in dealing with foolish, young men. “Your friend here wants to help you as much as he can. Don’t you, sir?”
    “Of course,” Charles said, watching Joshua carefully. His friend had a temper, and he did not want to feel the brunt of it when there was no way he could walk out of the warehouse without his support. He felt completely backed into a corner with only one way out. He did not like what he was going to have to agree to; an image of Clara was enough to increase his discomfort further; if she ever found out she would be so disappointed in him. He had the choice of pacifying his friend or risking the censure of his sister. At this moment, there was only one way he could act and, in this at least, he would have excellent brandy for his trouble.
    “You don’t sound like you want to help,” Joshua replied, sounding like a spoiled child, but his eyes were watching Charles carefully.
    “I do, my friend, I do!” Charles reassured Joshua before turning to Bernard. “Let’s go over what you need from me.”

 

    Chapter 4
    Edmund sat in White’s exclusive gentleman’s club on St James’ Street, sipping his brandy and mulling over his conversation with Henry. Edmund was a few years younger than Henry, at twenty-eight to Henry’s thirty-four, but Edmund had experienced enough of life to be on an equal standing with his friend. Most of the time they got on well but, with some of the outrageous things Henry said, Edmund was thankful their outlooks were worlds apart. Away from society Henry was so cold and calculating; his whole focus was on getting the job done, no matter what the cost was to those around