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Scotland, even now there are places still covered in snow Though I cannot imagine why you would ever travel to such a heathen place as that.”
    “She could possibly pay a visit to your Aunt Hedwig,” Lady Pembroke said, “as you did last year, son.”
    “I do suppose the part of Scotland Lady MacDougall lives in is a somewhat better clime and landscape than some places in England, like the northwestern shore.” Drake leaned closer to Julia as if to share a secret. “I had the misfortune of staying a fortnight just outside Liverpool and found it to be the most dreadfully dull spot in England.”
    Julia glanced across the table at William, curious to see his reaction to Drake’s words. If she hadn’t known him as well as she did, the suddenly precise movement of lowering his fork to rest on the edge of his plate wouldn’t have meant anything to her. The lines around his icy-blue eyes became more pronounced.
    “It is farming country, so perhaps not to your liking.” William’s clipped words betrayed little of his native regional accent. “The Ransome family has lived in that part of the country for many generations.”
    Lady Pembroke, seated beside him, gave William a pitying look. “Then you must resent the fact that the Royal Navy has kept you from it.”
    “A man of honor never resents doing his sacred duty” Sir Edward’s voice took on a hard edge. One thing Lady Pembroke had not learned in her three months in the Witherington household was to hold her tongue when it came to her disapproval of the Royal Navy.
    Julia dropped her gaze to her plate to hide the smile trying to overtake her lips. If her aunt continued making snide comments like that about the navy, perhaps Julia would be free from her sooner rather than later.

    William resented aristocrats who felt they had the right to belittle anyone not fortunate enough to have been born with a title. At least the admiral had not changed since receiving his knighthood.
    “Oh, Sir Edward,” Lady Pembroke’s coy tone rasped across William’s skin like splintered wood. “You know I had no intention of insulting Captain Rutherford’s honor.”
    “Ransome, m’lady,” William corrected her. Unbidden, he looked across the table. The slight smile playing around Julia’s mouth added fuel to the building fire of annoyance inside him. She had just cause to carry hard feelings toward him, but she did not have to take such obvious pleasure in her aunt’s disparaging remarks.
    Julia’s mirth vanished, however, when Sir Drake leaned closer to her, his arm brushing hers, to insist she take a serving of asparagus. William almost smiled before he could stop himself. One thing he would never forget about Julia: she hated asparagus.
    When Julia didn’t respond to Pembroke’s overbearing attempts to engage her in intimate conversation, the baronet returned his attention across the table. “What will you do to keep yourself occupied now we’re at peace with France, Captain Ransome?”
    William forced a polite expression. “I am blessed to remain captain of Alexandra.”
    “But the war is over these three months. How has your ship been put to use?” The tone of contempt in Lady Pembroke’s voice was punctuated by Admiral Witherington’s fork hitting his plate with an unusually hard clank.
    William cleared his throat. “We’ve seen mostly home service since the Peace.”
    “In other words, they’ve all but recommissioned your boat as a cargo transport.” Pembroke’s expression came close to a sneer.
    William called upon years of experience at hiding his reactions to keep the baronet from seeing his anger. “As a ship of the Royal Navy, we see to whatever duty the Admiralty requires of us.”
    Julia coughed lightly, looking at her father with concern. Indeed, the admiral’s face showed signs of his rising temper. “You came to Portsmouth to receive new orders, did you not, Captain?” she asked in a rush when Sir Edward opened his mouth to