Stormy Persuasion by Johanna Lindsey Page A

longboat. Now that the sky had
     brightened and the boat was closer, he could make out the occupants more clearly,
     but he looked no farther than the large man in the front of the boat. Blond, with
     broad shoulders under a greatcoat, he was the bruiser who’d rescued Nathan on a whim.
     And his dark-haired brother was in the boat, too.
    Nathan’s sinking feeling returned. He’d actually hoped when they hadn’t boarded last
     night that the owners weren’t going to sail with their ship. Many didn’t, merely hired
     captains for them. But it looked as if his luck had just taken a swing for the worse,
     and now he was going to have to make himself scarce, at least until they got out to
     sea where it would be less likely that they’d toss him overboard. Up in the rigging
     would suffice before they boarded, and he might even stay up there for the duration
     of the trip down the river.
    It didn’t matter which of the two was the captain. They were both nabobs and he’d
     struck one of them. And even if he could somehow make it right with them, he was still
     going to hate working for a lord no matter how long the trip took. The nobility had
     a whole different way of thinking compared to ordinary men. As different as night
     and day. They could take offense at the simplest thing that wouldn’t normally raise
     a brow. You wouldn’t even know you were insulting them until it was too late.
    Then the sun rose over a couple of buildings in the east to cast a beam along the
     water. Copper hair lit up like a flame in the sunlight and instantly drew his eyes.
     The young woman ought to have been wearing a bonnet to hide magnificent hair like
     that, but she wasn’t. She was old enough—eighteen, nineteen?—to have her hair done
     up fancy, but it was simply tied back at her nape. Because it was so long, the wind
     still tossed it over her shoulders. Her clothing, though, was clearly that of a young
     lady, a blue velvet coat tied at the waist, a white fur cape that merely capped her
     shoulders, ending only halfway down her arms. But it was her beautiful heart-shaped
     face that tugged at a memory that wouldn’t quite surface in his mind.
    “The red-haired wench, she looks familiar.”
    He didn’t realize he’d said it aloud until Walter admonished him, “I wouldn’t be calling
     that one a wench if you don’t want to end up in the ship’s brig or worse. The cap’n’s
     a fair man, but he can be a might touchy when it comes to family, and she’s probably
     a member of his. Never seen him take on passengers who weren’t related to him in one
     way or another.”
    A whole ship full of nabobs? Corky had been right. Bleedin’ hell. But he assured the
     sailor, “I meant no disrespect.”
    “Was just a friendly warning, mate. You know how that family is. Very, very protective of their own.”
    “I wouldn’t know. Never heard of the Malorys until I signed on and was told the captain’s
     name.”
    “Really? Thought everyone knew who they are.”
    “So they’re famous? Or notorious?”
    “A little of both.” Walter laughed as he walked away.
    Nathan hightailed it over to the rigging and started climbing, determined to postpone
     his next meeting with the Malorys for as long as possible.

Chapter Eleven

    “I hope you are no’ going tae prove as stubborn as your cousin,” Nettie MacDonald said
     as she entered Judith’s cabin to help her prepare for dinner.
    Roslynn had insisted on sending her own maid on the trip to see to both girls’ needs.
     Nettie was more a member of the family than a servant, so Judith was delighted that
     she was accompanying them. Nettie was the only maid aboard. Since The Maiden George didn’t have an abundance of cabins Georgina and Katey, Judith’s older sister, had
     elected to just hire maids when they reached Bridgeport, but then they both had husbands
     who could help them dress on the ship if they needed assistance.
    “Jack is always stubborn,” Judith replied