Of course, now that Nicholas was a member of the family, and had been for several years, they no longer tried to kill each other at each meeting. It was quite possible they even liked each other now, though neither one of them would ever admit it, and listening to them, you'd certainly never guess it. Mortal enemies is more what they sounded like when they were together. And Reggie didn't doubt for a minute that they both enjoyed baiting each other. But that did run in the family, leastwise with the men in the family.

It was a known fact that the four Malory brothers were happiest when they were arguing among themselves, though they would stand united against any other opposition. The bridegroom and his four brothers were a prime example of that, at least where Tony and James were concerned.

It was James who had been at complete odds with them because of his unorthodox courtship of their sister Georgina-and that he had previously disabled a couple of their Skylark ships when he'd been known as the Hawk didn't help. They'd beat James soundly and were going to turn him over for hanging, but he'd escaped and stole Georgina right out from under their noses.

However, tenacious Americans that they were, they'd followed him back to England to retrieve their sister, only to find that she was quite in love with him by then. But it had been an uncomfortable beginning. When the two families had finally met socially every one of the Malorys had stood firm behind James until he himself had made an overture of welcome to the American Andersons-albeit grudgingly and at Georgina's prompting. Reggie's cousins Derek and Jeremy had, in fact, taken the younger two Andersons under their wing, but Drew Anderson, the fourth youngest brother, was a devil-may-care flirt just like Jeremy, and Boyd, the youngest and much more serious, was still more inclined toward frivolous pursuits, so he enjoyed himself with them as well.

Reggie sighed. Now that it had been decided that Warren would remain in England to run the Skylark Lines shipping office, for the large fleet of merchant ships owned by the Anderson family, Reggie didn't doubt that her husband would become quite chummy with Warren. They had so much in common, after all, both disliking James Malory so intensely. And Reggie would have worried about Nicholas's becoming friends with the Yank if Anderson hadn't changed so drastically after he'd finally asked Amy to marry him.

Before that, Reggie had never met a man with such a chip on his shoulder. It was as if Warren carried a grudge against the entire world. And that grudge came part and parcel with a very explosive temper. But you'd never guess that to look at the man now. Happy was what he was, and Amy Malory was responsible for that.

Reggie became uneasy when she noticed that Derek had left her husband alone with her uncles. Nicholas usually always ended up quite annoyed whenever he crossed words with those two, always coming out the loser under Uncle James's sardonic barbs. She was about to go rescue him when he walked away himself, and he was smiling.

She smiled herself. Much as she loved her two youngest uncles, they having always been her favorites, she loved her husband even more. And if he had just managed to Come out ahead in one of their many verbal spats, she was pleased for him. But, then, the very reason they were all gathered together that day gave him all the ammunition he needed to annoy James. After all, James couldn't be very pleased that another of his prime adversaries had just become a member of the family. No, not very pleased at all.

"This makes it official," Anthony Malory remarked to his brother as they both gazed at the newly married couple. "He's definitely part of the family now. 'Course, he was already your brother-in-law, more's the pity, but at least he wasn't related to the rest of us-until now." "Brother-in-laws can be'ignored. My George does a good job of ignoring you, don't she?" James replied.

Anthony chuckled. "That dear girl is quite fond of me and you know it."

James snorted. "'Bout as fond of you, Tony, as I am of her family."

Anthony grinned. "When are you going to stop blaming the Yank for trying to hang you, when you instigated the whole silly debacle?" "Don't blame him for that a'tall," James admitted "It was threatening to hang my crew along with me that earned him my everlasting ire." "Yes, I suppose that would do it." Anthony nodded.

James had captained the Maiden Anne for a good ten years, and during that time his crew had become like a second family to him-or a first family, as it were, since back then his own family had disowned him. But he was reinstated into the Malory fold now, having retired from his unsavory career of gentleman pirate years before, when he'd discovered he had a sixteen-year-old son who needed taking in hand.

“You think he'll make her happy?" Anthony asked, still staring at the newlyweds.

-I'll w,ait patiently for the day he don't." Anthony laughed. "Hate to admit it, but ol' Nick was right. being so fond of our nieces does tie our hands where their husbands are concerned." "Doesn't it though?" James sighed. "Although I tend to adhere to 'What one don't know don't hurt 'em.' Leaves a bit of leeway." "Hmmm, it does, don't it? I wonder if the Yank would like to continue his lessons in the ring." "Was thinking of asking him that myself."

Anthony chuckled, but then he caught sight of a new arrival and nudged his brother. "Will you look at that? Frances actually showed up."

James followed his brother's gaze to the small, painfully thin woman standing in the doorway. "That surprises you?" he asked his brother, then, "Good God, you don't mean to say Jason and Frances still don't live together?" "You thought that fence might've mended while you were away to sea?" Anthony shook his head. "If anything, it toppled the rest of the way down and got burned for kindling. They don't even bother to make excuses anymore, and the family wisely stopped asking. She lives the year 'round now in that cottage she bought in Bath, and he stays out at Haverston. Actually, I believe this is the first time I've seen them in the same room in more'n five years."

James gave a look of disgust. "Always thought it was stupid of Jason to marry her for the reason he did."

Anthony raised a black brow. "Really? Thought it was rather noble m'self. Self-sacrificing and all that, typical of something one of the elders would do." "The elders" was how these two younger Malory brothers referred to the older two, there being such a wide difference in their ages, Anthony and James only a year apart, Jason and Edward only a year apart, but nine years separating James and Edward. Melissa, their only sister, who had died when her daughter, Regina, was only two, had come along in the middle. "The children weren't desperate for a mother, not when the four of us each had a hand in raising them. Besides, Frances was never around to be a mother for them." "True," Anthony agreed. "The plan did backfire on Jason. Makes you feel sorry for him, don't it?" "Sorry for Jason?" James snorted. "Not bloody likely." "Oh, come now, old chap. You know you love the elders just as I do. Jason might be a stiff-necked, hot-tempered tyrant, but he means well. And he's made such a muck of his personal life, you have to feel sorry for him-especially when you and I've got two of the most charming, adorable, wonderful wives this side of creation." "Hmmm, when you put it that way, I suppose I can dredge up a wee bit of pity. But if you ever tell that blockhead I said so” "Not to worry." Anthony grinned. "Ros likes my face just the way it is. Claims your fists ain't healthy for it. By the by, what was Derek chewing your ear off about?"

James shrugged. "Said he needed some advice, but this wasn't the place to discuss it." "You think he's got himself into some kind of trouble?" Anthony speculated. "Wouldn't be surprised, with him following in our footsteps." "And dragging Jeremy down the same path," James grumbled.

Anthony hooted. "That's rich. That youngun of yours was out wenching with your crew when he was but sixteen, prob'ly sooner. If Derek's doing anything, he's teaching him ,-o about it." the proper way to g "Or Jererny's teaching him the improper way-bloody hell, now you've got me spouting that drivel. There ain't no such thing as an improper way to go about wenching."

ACROSS THE Room, LADY FRANCES APPROACHED HER husband. She was so nervous she was nearly trembling, but she didn't hesitate. She'd made the decision, with her dear Oscar's help, to finally make a full confession to Jason-or, at least, fess up to what he hadn't already guessed on his own.

It was high time their farce of a marriage came to an end. She had never wanted to marry him to begin with, had been horrified at the very idea of it, and originally had flatly re-

fused. He was a great bull of a man, after all, austere, hottempered, disgustingly physical-frightening. And she'd known very well they wouldn't suit. But her father had forced her to marry him anyway. He'd wanted the connection with the Malorys, then he hadn't lived long enough to enjoy it.

It had been intolerable though, the eighteen years of their marriage, just as she'd known it would be. Whenever Frances was around her husband, she lived in a constant state of apprehension. Not that he'd ever physically hurt her. It was just that she knew how capable of violence he was, that he was actually prone to it, and that was enough to keep her nerves raw. And he was always blustering about something that had displeased him, whether it was one of his brothers, or some political issue he didn't agree with, or just the weather. Little wonder she'd invented excuses to avoid him.

Her main excuse had been ill health, which had led Jason to believe she was sickly. In fact, his whole family thought so. That she was on the thin side helped, as did the color of her very fair skin, which could easily be mistaken for paleness. But in actuality, she enjoyed perfect health. You could even go so far as to say she had the constitution of a horse. She'd just never let Jason know that.

But she was done with hiding the truth. She was tired of being married to a man she couldn't tolerate, especially now that she'd found one whom she could.

Oscar Adams was the exact opposite of Jason Malory. He wasn't very tall-was short, actually-and he wasn't the least bit muscular. He was a dear, sweet, soft-spoken man who enjoyed scholarly pursuits rather than things of a physical nature.

They had so very much in common, and they had discovered their love for each other nearly three years before. It had taken that long for Frances to finally gather the nerve to face Jason with that truth. And what better time to end a bad marriage than on the very day that another, happier marriage was just beginning? "Jason?"

He hadn't noticed her arrival, was talking with his son, Derek. They both turned to her, both smiled as they offered her a greeting. Derek's smile was genuine. She had little doubt that Jason's was not. In fact, she had no doubt at all that he desired her company about as much as she did his. He ought to be damned pleased with what she'd come here to tell him. And she wasn't going to put it off with idle chitchat first. "Might I have a word with you, Jason-in private?" "Certainly, Frances. Will Edward's study do?"

She nodded and allowed him to escort her from the room. Her nervousness increased. Actually, that had been a foolish suggestion on her part. She should have just asked him to step aside. They could have discussed the matter in whispers. No one would have been the wiser, and at least others would have been about, to keep Jason from losing his temper.

But it was too late now. He was already closing the door to his brother's study. The best Frances could do was hurry across the room and put one of the large stuffed chairs between them. However, when she faced him, the words stuck in her throat because he was lifting a sardonic brow. And although he ought to be pleased by what she was going to say, Jason Malory's reactions were never predictable.

She had to take a deep breath before she could get the words out. "I want a divorce." "A what?"

She stiffened. "Your hearing is excellent, Jason. Don't make me repeat it just because I have managed to surprise you, though heaven knows you shouldn't be surprised. It's not as if we ever had a real marriage." "What we have, madam, is redundant. What I am feeling is not surprise, but pure disbelief that you would even suggest such a thing."

At least he wasn't shouting-yet. And his face was only slightly red. "It wasn't a suggestion," she told him, and braced herself for the fireworks. "It was a demand."

She caught him off guard again. He just stared for a moment, incredulous. And then the frown came, the stern one that usually twisted her stomach into knots. This time was no different. "You know as well as I that divorce is out of the question. You come from good family, Frances. You know bloody well that divorce is unheard of in our circle-" "Not unheard of," she corrected. "Merely scandalous. And scandal is nothing new to your family. Your younger brothers used to create one after another, year after year, when they first descended upon London. You even set the tongues wagging yourself when you announced that your illegitimate son was going to be your heir."

His face was now much redder. He didn't take well to criticism about his family, he never had. And saying that the Malorys had been embroiled in so many scandals could be considered criticism. "There will be no divorce, Frances. You may continue to hide yourself in Bath away from me, if that is your preference, but you will remain my wife."

That infuriated her, because it was so typical of him. "You are the most inconsiderate brute I have ever had the misfortune of knowing, Jason Malory. I wish to get on with my life! But what do you care? You have your mistress living under your roof, a woman of low birth whom you couldn't marry, even if you were free to do so, without causing an even bigger scandal than a divorce would. So it doesn't matter to you if nothing changes ... and what is that look for? Did you honestly think I didn't know about Molly?" "Did you expect me to remain celibate when you have never once shared my bed?"