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you have guardianship of your two remaining relatives.
     I would hate to see your nieces end up paying for their uncle’s crimes. So do you
     agree to my terms?”
    “For my freedom, did you even need to ask?”

Chapter Six

    I n Grosvenor Square, at the home of Edward and Charlotte Malory, most of the extensive
     Malory family in England and a few close friends were gathered for a send-off party
     for Jack and Judy, who would be sailing in the morning for America. The crew was already
     aboard The Maiden George , the trunks had already been delivered. It only remained for the seven members of
     the family bound for America to row out to the ship at dawn, too early to expect good-byes
     at the dock, thus the party tonight.
    Glancing about the room, Judith was looking for Brandon so she could ask him what
     had happened with the vagrant. She’d told him that she suspected the vagrant was a
     smuggler, and Brandon had assured her he and his father would send the man packing.
     But it appeared her cousins from Hampshire weren’t going to make it tonight. She wasn’t
     surprised, when she and Jacqueline had visited them so recently and they had already
     given Jack their good wishes for the trip.
    Derek had even told Judith, “I bet your mum will change her mind, so I’m going to
     wish you a wonderful voyage, too.”
    “I wish Amy were saying that,” Judith had replied, and she hadn’t been joking.
    Derek had laughed. “Yes, that would guarantee your sailing to America, wouldn’t it?”
    It would indeed. Amy never lost a wager. Judith realized she should have asked Amy
     to bet on it before she’d sailed with Warren. Maybe Amy had and that’s why Judith was going now.
    Jacqueline came up beside her and said in an annoyed tone, “ He shouldn’t be here when he’s not a close friend of the family and only your mother
     knows him.”
    Judith followed her cousin’s gaze and saw Roslynn fussing over Lord Cullen. “But now
     we all know him, and besides, my mother is right. It was quite thoughtful and gallant
     of him to come here tonight to wish me well on my voyage when he must be in pain from
     his injury.”
    “He’s here because he’s got his heart set on you and your mother’s got her heart set
     on him for you. Tell me your heart’s not getting set here, too, when you and I swore not to
     marry this year.”
    Judith grinned and teased, “Now that I’ve met him again after all these years, I have
     to admit he turned out rather handsome, don’t you think?”
    “If you like dark red hair and pretty blue eyes. Flirt all you want, just no falling
     in love yet.”
    “Stop fretting. I’m not eager to get back here because of him when we haven’t even
     left yet.”
    In a corner of the room, Boyd joined James and Anthony, who were looking at the Scotsman,
     too. Anthony was saying, “Ros should’ve confessed what she was up to, trying to match
     him with Judy. But I’m not complaining when he managed to bring peace to the family
     by getting himself laid up. But if it weren’t so obvious that my baby ain’t interested
     in him, I bloody well would.”
    “Noticed that,” James agreed.
    “He’s head over heels for her, though,” Boyd put in.
    “And how would you know anything about it, Yank?” Anthony asked.
    “Because as a last resort, Jack and I tracked him down and asked him to feign an injury
     to help Judy convince her mother to let her go to America.”
    “That splint on his leg is wrapped up rather tight for a fake,” James remarked.
    “It’s not a fake,” Boyd said with a grin. “The man is as clumsy as an ox. He got so
     excited by the scheme he really did fall off his horse and break his leg.”
    James rolled his eyes.
    Anthony said, “I see I’m going to have to have a word or two with Roslynn, after all.
     What the deuce could she be thinking, matchmaking our daughter with such a bungler?”
    “It was a brilliant plan, though, you have to admit,” James said. “The