Page 73 of The Captain Claims His Temptress

Stephen glared at his sister. Since they shared a spiritual bond, words were not always needed. This secret look said:Do not tell her embarrassing stories from our childhood.

She grinned back letting him know his evil eye was wasted and she would delight in mortifying him. However, she would also sing his praises. Georgie was quite a sweet pickle.

Stephen cleared his throat and changed the subject. “I have been contemplating my future.”

“Oh?” Georgie asked.

How to phrase his possible ruin positively? And how not to sound insane when discussing his instincts? “I do not know exactly what was in that book, but I am certain it would have proven my case against Dupont to the secretary of state. And I fear Sir Saxton will continue to have his ships pirated if I cannot convince him of Dupont’s treachery.”

God forbid if some of those ships carried weapons.

“Undoubtedly,” William said.

“The problem is, without it, I cannot clear my name. Dupont sent a letter to the secretary of state in which he complained that I was harassing him. Meanwhile, he may have framed me for piracy.”

“But you have not been at sea,” Georgie said.

“Nay. But I was missing from my post at the same time that ships were pirated, so Dupont is trying to prove that I orchestrated the thievery. Of course, he can never prove it. I am simply a convenient dupe because to defend myself I must confess I was not where I was assigned.”

“Well, that is insane,” Georgie said. “You are never missing from your post. You bloody bleed duty. Moreover, we are not currently at war.”

“Unfortunately, I abandoned my post a couple of times.” Stephen sighed. “My men and country were not in danger those days, but my siblings were.”

Georgie brought her hand to her mouth and gasped. “Oh, no.” She ran to his side, flung herself onto his lap, and rested her head in the crook of his neck. “I am so sorry.”

“What is it?” William asked.

Georgie lifted her head from his shoulder to look at her husband. “The times he was helping me last winter.”

“And Alistair and Evangeline this past spring,” Stephen added.

William sat forward. “Bloody hell.” His fists balled at his side. “I will petition His Royal Highness on your behalf and explain that you were helping your family. He has influence over Lord Fudgie, so I am certain he will come to your aid.”

If only it were that easy.

“I plan to admit what I did to the secretary of state and beg for leniency.” That way he could spend his days with Madalene and perchance, dare he think it—their children? “I will offer to resign my post. I am at peace with this, but I had hoped to be able to prove Dupont’s wavering loyalties as my last mission for the Crown. However, I have lost the proof with the destruction of the book.”

Georgie chuckled.

“Sister, I find no humor in my current situation.”

“Oh, you will in a moment.” She leaped from her seat and bounced on her toes.

Millie entered the room carrying a leather-bound journal embossed with gold lettering. She presented it to Stephen with a curtsey.

Nay, it couldn’t be. He searched his twin’s sparkling eyes and realization dawned. This was the information he sought.

“Well, open it,” Georgie demanded.

Madalene rushed to his side and sat beside him. Together, they opened the book.

“Oh, my,” Madalene mumbled.

“I dug up the original and then copied every single word and number as it appeared,” Georgie said. “Unfortunately, since I do not read French, I have no idea what it says.”

“Me either. I had no interest in my French lessons. Alistair and I spent that semester playing cards, smoking Cheroots, and trying to get under the headmaster’s daughter’s skirts.” As Georgie glared at her husband, he rubbed the back of her neck. “Darling, I wondered what you had been scribbling so intently. I knew you were up to something. Especially after you sneaked from my bed, returning an hour later smelling like decomposing leaves and shite.” He grinned at Stephen. “Always up to something, this sister of yours. I stopped asking. Sometimes ’tis better not to know.”

Stephen understood all too well what a force his twin was. “So, you dug it up, copied it, and buried it again?”