ship, their crew, everything they valued to gain his own means.
And then he'd cast her away like rotting flotsam.
How dare he think his overplayed charm would save his neck now!
"I'm not the same green girl you chiseled with your sweet words and lies," she told him. "I'm here to see you hang."
"Hang?" He shook his head. "Now,
that
would be inconvenient."
His grin flashed only for her, and it struck at her traitorous heart.
Damn, why does he have to still be so handsome?
His hand cradled her elbow as he led her through the set, the warmth of his fingers coiling into her flesh like the same treasonous tendrils creeping around her heart.
Well, at least he'll look good enough hanging from a rope, she told herself, suddenly finding she needed more reasons to see him dead. "You've made quite a name for yourself since we last met," she managed to say.
He shrugged.
"Piracy, thievery, some might even say treason," she said lightly.
His eyes narrowed. "Be careful, Reenie. Have you forgotten there is a war on? There is always extra room at a hanging for one more pirate."
"Ah, yes, the war," she said. "Then they should have room to hang you twice. Once for piracy and a second time for spying. That is why you are here, isn't it? To spy?"
His hand closed around her arm with all the strength of a man used to the hard labors of the sea. He might be dressed in the frippery of a dandy, but the man underneath remained an untamed creature of the sea. "You would do well, madame, to hold your tongue."
"I've every right to see you get what you deserve," she shot back, freeing her arm with a quick twist. "And I vow I'll see justice done."
"Justice can be rather fickle these days," he told her. "Take your Lord Admiral, for instance."
She swung her gaze up. How did he know about the Lord Admiral? "I haven't the vaguest notion as to what you mean," she bluffed, using the same words and tone she'd heard Lady Mary use with a merchant who'd arrived to dun her for the unpaid grocery accounts.
"The Lord Admiral. Your good friend, your champion, your sponsor. Now, there's a fellow who could stand to see some justice."
"I don't know what you mean," she repeated, unwilling to say anything more, to give him any more information than what he had obviously already gathered.
"I don't suppose you do. Have you ever asked him about your father?"
"My father? What has he to do with the Lord Admiral?"
"They sailed together. As boys. And then in the same squadron as captains."
The music swelled, and they were separated by other couples. When they came back together, she shook her head at him. "My father never sailed with the British navy."
Julien studied her. "You don't know." His voice was a mixture of incredulity and wonder. "He never told you."
"Perhaps it was because you killed him before he had time to." For a second she could have sworn he flinched with something akin to guilt, but she told herself it was only a wild hope.
As if Julien de Ryes ever felt anything akin to guilt for his nefarious deeds.
"It's just that," he said, almost to himself, "I find it amazing no one ever told you."
She knew he was stalling, trying to distract her from carrying out her plans, but her curiosity prodded her to ask, "Told me what?"
"Your father was a captain in the British navy, long before you were born. He was betrayed by one of his fellow officers, charges were trumped up, and he was court-martialed."
Again she shook her head. "That isn't true. He would have told me."
"It is true. But what should concern you at the moment is who betrayed him."
She laughed, as if he'd just offered some outrageously flirtatious compliment. "First I'll deal with his murderer, then I'll worry about the minor offenses."
For a few more movements, they said nothing to each other. The dance was starting to wind down, and soon she would be rid of him.
In more ways than one.
Julien broke the silence by saying, "The Lord Admiral must have something on you. You wouldn't be
And then he'd cast her away like rotting flotsam.
How dare he think his overplayed charm would save his neck now!
"I'm not the same green girl you chiseled with your sweet words and lies," she told him. "I'm here to see you hang."
"Hang?" He shook his head. "Now,
that
would be inconvenient."
His grin flashed only for her, and it struck at her traitorous heart.
Damn, why does he have to still be so handsome?
His hand cradled her elbow as he led her through the set, the warmth of his fingers coiling into her flesh like the same treasonous tendrils creeping around her heart.
Well, at least he'll look good enough hanging from a rope, she told herself, suddenly finding she needed more reasons to see him dead. "You've made quite a name for yourself since we last met," she managed to say.
He shrugged.
"Piracy, thievery, some might even say treason," she said lightly.
His eyes narrowed. "Be careful, Reenie. Have you forgotten there is a war on? There is always extra room at a hanging for one more pirate."
"Ah, yes, the war," she said. "Then they should have room to hang you twice. Once for piracy and a second time for spying. That is why you are here, isn't it? To spy?"
His hand closed around her arm with all the strength of a man used to the hard labors of the sea. He might be dressed in the frippery of a dandy, but the man underneath remained an untamed creature of the sea. "You would do well, madame, to hold your tongue."
"I've every right to see you get what you deserve," she shot back, freeing her arm with a quick twist. "And I vow I'll see justice done."
"Justice can be rather fickle these days," he told her. "Take your Lord Admiral, for instance."
She swung her gaze up. How did he know about the Lord Admiral? "I haven't the vaguest notion as to what you mean," she bluffed, using the same words and tone she'd heard Lady Mary use with a merchant who'd arrived to dun her for the unpaid grocery accounts.
"The Lord Admiral. Your good friend, your champion, your sponsor. Now, there's a fellow who could stand to see some justice."
"I don't know what you mean," she repeated, unwilling to say anything more, to give him any more information than what he had obviously already gathered.
"I don't suppose you do. Have you ever asked him about your father?"
"My father? What has he to do with the Lord Admiral?"
"They sailed together. As boys. And then in the same squadron as captains."
The music swelled, and they were separated by other couples. When they came back together, she shook her head at him. "My father never sailed with the British navy."
Julien studied her. "You don't know." His voice was a mixture of incredulity and wonder. "He never told you."
"Perhaps it was because you killed him before he had time to." For a second she could have sworn he flinched with something akin to guilt, but she told herself it was only a wild hope.
As if Julien de Ryes ever felt anything akin to guilt for his nefarious deeds.
"It's just that," he said, almost to himself, "I find it amazing no one ever told you."
She knew he was stalling, trying to distract her from carrying out her plans, but her curiosity prodded her to ask, "Told me what?"
"Your father was a captain in the British navy, long before you were born. He was betrayed by one of his fellow officers, charges were trumped up, and he was court-martialed."
Again she shook her head. "That isn't true. He would have told me."
"It is true. But what should concern you at the moment is who betrayed him."
She laughed, as if he'd just offered some outrageously flirtatious compliment. "First I'll deal with his murderer, then I'll worry about the minor offenses."
For a few more movements, they said nothing to each other. The dance was starting to wind down, and soon she would be rid of him.
In more ways than one.
Julien broke the silence by saying, "The Lord Admiral must have something on you. You wouldn't be
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