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"Resentsays youhavetaken hermen away"

Daniel rolled his eyesatthat "They are not toys, Mother I cannot ’take them away’ "

"They are her crew"

"How the hell wouldyou know they are her crew? " he askedin sudden realization It was her turn toroll her eyes

"Meg told me"

Daniel eyed her warily "And you do notot youbefore a e that is the perfect daughter-in-law forwoive her back her crew"

He shook his head"Ihavenot - "

"Daniel, Megsays thatthe men see Valoree astheir captain, but that the way they seeit, you, as the husband, are above her

Therefore, youareabovethem and herboth, so they listento you rather thanher Do younot see? You have taken all authority away froht it"

When he re athis lips, she added, "Meg also toldfor an audience"

His eyebrowsrose slightly "Aye"

"And thatyou have not mentioned it to Valoree"

"I do not wish to upset her, " he said dislared at him in exasperation

"This is what Imean, Daniel You must not treat her so She can handle a little upsetand land Feverish and weak, andshe is with child Iwill not have her upset"

LadyThurborne’seyes widened in amazement "With child? Valoreeis with child? Has she said so? "

"Nay" Hefrowned "She may not evenrealize it Henry isthe onewho told me"

"Henry? " she screeched"Henry told you thatValoreeiswith child? How onearth wouldhe knowand she not? "

Daniel grinned at heroutrage "Henry isthe one who tended to getting her what she needed aboard ship all these yearsas she pretended to be a man Heknew everytiular as the tide, but she hasIfthenextone does notarrive, then we can be pretty sure she is with child"

Lady Thurborne dropped weakly intothe chair in front of his desk "Andhe does notthink she knows? "

That question htly "He isnot sure No one has ever actually sather downand discussed the facts of lifewith her All sheknows shehas learned froht her a man"

Lady Thurborne hten things out If she is with child, she should know And you really cannot exclude her froain, then nodded"Aye Of course Iwill talk toher I - "

Acrash in the hall outside his library made Danielpause The screa to the door Throwing it open, he gaped atthe screa about on the marblefloor at the baseof the stairs

"It’sbroken! Youbroke my ankle! You - "

"That’s less than youdeserve, ye weasellybastard!" Valoree roared, starting down the stairs toward hi on here? " Daniel shouted, drawingthe attentionofbothhiswife and her dance instructor as he strode outof the library, his et down here! What did you do? "

"Oh,"She broke my ankle, my lord Look How canI teach with a brokenankle? She has ruinedhily while hismother knelt to examine the man’s injury He knew bloody well Valoree wouldn’t have thrown the fellonthe stairs without a good reason, and judging by her furious expression, itwas adoozy

"Beingtheignorant fee instructor sarcastically, pausingat the bottolare overHenderson at herhusband "Icannot besure, but mayhapyou canclear the matterup Is it norainst yours? "

"She islying! I was teaching her proper dancing"

"Or how about his lips slobbering over my neck? Is that proper? "she continued

"Lies!" hescreeched despairingly

"And is his handreallysupposed torest on - andsqueeze - my arse? "

"It is not broken, " Lady Thurbornefrom the instructor with distaste "Just sprained"

Eyes narrowing, Daniel bent towardtheman, only to pause and whirlasthe door suddenlycrashed open behind hiDaniel, he paused before Valoree, pantingheavily

"What is it? " Valoree asked sharply as Henry followed, Meg on hisheels

"Trouble, " Jasper said in a gasp, out ofbreath froin to describe what they found when Valoree, Daniel, Henry, and Jasperrowed thedinghyback out to the ship and climbed aboard Jasper had said that Richard had sent hihting But during the time it had taken for Jasper to row ashore and fetch theht hadturned into a free-for-allEvenRichard was nowbusy bangingheads

This, of course, was exactly the sort ofthing for which Valoree had been waiting But beforeshe couldact, Daniel had snatched Jasper’s flintlockpistol out of the waist of the man’s breeches and firedit into theair Theblast itto an abrupt halt, and the men turned slowly one after another to warily eye her husband

Valoree hadjust begun berating herselfforbeingtoo slow and letting Daniel take control, when he turnedtowardherandsaid quiteloudly - loudly enoughfor everyman present to hear - "I believe these men and their behavior are your responsibility, wife"

Valoree’s eyes widened at that, her jaw dropping slightly in aon today was all hisfault

Then he winked, a gentles at his mouth ashe added, just as loudly, "You are their captain"

He stepped to the side then, leavingher tostare at hercrew for a brief ht? " she askedatlast

Chepstepped forwardalmost at once "Me I threwthefirst punch"

"Nay, it wasme" Jackson elbowedhian to stepforward, claiated the whole affairValoree nearly smiled atthe loyalty hercrew had to each otherThey hadsi They needed to let off soiven theiving the her face stern "It is obvious you do nothave enoughto keep you occupied Since you all haveso roan wentup all around, but Valoreeignored it and glanced aroundfor her secondmate "Richard"

"Aye? "The ’sstrapped down, beach her, heave her over, and careen herI want everyonthis"