“Well, you’re a brave woman, Jacqueline Malory. I’m glad you’re all right. Still, I’d like to get my hands on those pirates!”

“Don’t worry, Brand. My father will take care of them. You should come to London for the rest of the Season. You certainly look like you’re old enough to be there.” He did, too. Already as tall as his father, Derek, strapping of build, he looked several years older than seventeen.

“Wish I could. But the title causes too much of a stir.”

She grinned. “So don’t mention it. It’s not like the ton knows you by sight yet. And there are so many Malorys, who can keep track of all of us? Sneak in, have some fun, sneak back home.”

“I can’t be like our fathers, so don’t even suggest that, Jack. Dukes can’t be rakes.”

“Who says they can’t?”

At the party, James and his four conspirators got ribbed quite a bit for thinking Anthony might ruin his daughter’s special day. A pact was made not to let Judy find out about it, though Tony was quite annoyed when he heard.

Anthony even cornered James to promise, “We’ll be meeting at Knighton’s as soon as we get back to London, and it’s going to be a particularly grueling round in the ring.”

James, feeling a tad guilty by then for doubting his brother’s professed acquiescence to his daughter’s marriage, still said drily, “Does this mean I’m going to have to let you win?”

Nicholas Eden heard that and started laughing, which provoked glares from both brothers and had Regina, Nick’s wife, rushing in to whisk her husband out of harm’s way. Usually, the brothers’ long-standing dislike of the man who had married their favorite niece was merely expressed in disdainful remarks, but with Anthony currently annoyed, Regina wasn’t taking any chances.

And Jack was told one time too many at the party that her “special day” would be next. Not bloody likely, but she smiled anyway, determined not to do or say anything that might ruin the happy occasion. But the moment she caught sight of Judith slipping away from the party to run upstairs to change into traveling clothes for her wedding trip, Jacqueline followed, wanting a last few private moments with her best friend.

Judith, turning to see who closed the door behind her, asked, “Are you here to call me a traitor again?”

It wasn’t an unfounded question, though Jack had stopped calling Judy a traitor a while back, and she had only said it in jest a few times anyway. They had sworn to each other that they would have fun together this Season without its ending in matrimony. But so many of their family members had assured them both that love happens when it happens, insisting Jack’s intention to hold it off was quite unreasonable. But Jack was stubborn, whereas Judy wasn’t. Besides, there was also the simple fact that Jack’s interest wasn’t getting piqued this Season, not enough for it to matter. Nor would she be stuck on a ship with a handsome young man as Judy had been. Actually, Jack had been stuck on a different ship with a handsome young man, but all she’d wanted to do with Bastard was kill him, so that didn’t count.

So she smiled at her dearest friend. “No, I’m here to tell you how incredibly happy I am for you.”

“Oh, Jack!”

They both started crying and hugging each other at once, which had Jacqueline saying gruffly after a moment, “Stop it, really. You don’t want red eyes when you’ll soon be using them to ogle your husband.”

Judith stepped back with a grin. “Do I really do that?”

“Course you do. Everyone has noticed—even your father.”

Judy laughed. “Maybe that’s why he gave in so graciously and allowed the wedding to take place.”

“Was it gracious? Thought it was kicking and growling.”

“There were only a few threats in the end; yes, that was definitely gracious behavior for him.”

“I’ll trust your word on it, since I didn’t get to see it.”

Jack wasn’t going to get to see much more of her cousin either after today. Judy was going to be living in Hampshire with her husband in the house he’d inherited from his grandmother, and Jack would be living miles away in London. She could visit, but she couldn’t visit year-round!

“I’m going to miss you so much!” Jack suddenly burst out.

“We’re not going to be on different sides of the world, Jack.”

“I know.” It was just going to feel like it!

“What you need is a distraction.”

“I have one. My father will be sailing to the Caribbean on The Maiden George after we return to London, and I haven’t been thinking about much else.”

“I heard, but I meant a romantic distraction. Not one of your beaus has caught your fancy yet?”

“No, but I do like them all. I just don’t love any of them.”

“Maybe because you haven’t tried to.”

Jacqueline laughed as she started helping Judith out of her gown. “I didn’t know I was supposed to work at it!”

“You know what I mean. If you’d just put that nasty kidnapping behind you, the anger will go away, then your heart might open to new possibilities.”

With Judith’s back to her, Jack rolled her eyes. She understood that Judith was happy and wanted everyone to be as happy as she was. It even made Judith forget that Jack would be happiest if she didn’t find love this year.

But rather than remind her of that, Jacqueline said, “I’m still worried about my father, now that he’s sailing this week to take care of Bastard and his boss.” In fact, she was sure a Malory family meeting to plan the attack would be taking place soon, maybe even there in Haverston tonight, since both Warren and Boyd were here for the wedding. But, of course, she wouldn’t be included!

“So he knows who is responsible now?”

“I don’t know!” Jack complained angrily. “They won’t tell me anything!”

Judith turned around, frowning. “But you were sure Uncle James would know exactly who the culprit was as soon as you gave him—oh, Jack, tell me you’re not still keeping it a secret! You have to tell him about the original, more goading ransom note you found on the pirate ship.”

“Since he’s sailing to the Caribbean anyway, there was no point in keeping it from him. I gave him the copy I made of the note the same day he got Drew’s letter.”