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"Well, and goats I did buy a few goats--the boatman will have thee the subject Crew and passengers are supposed to be my responsibility Am I captain of this ship or not?"
"Yes, Joss, you’re the captain But I’o, and I’d like at least one paying passenger on this voyage, if I can get one I didn’t have that steerage compartment converted to cabins for a lark, you realize"
"If you think I’ll believe your interest in that girl lies solely in her six pounds sterling …"
Gray shrugged "Since you mention it, I quite admired her brass as well"
"You know da lady, unescorted …" He looked askance at Gray "It’s asking for trouble"
"Asking for trouble?" Gray echoed, hoping to lighten the conversation
"Since when does the Aphrodite need to go asking for trouble? We’ve stowed o on this ship" He leaned back, propping both elbows on the ship’s rail "And as trouble goes, Miss Turner’s variety looks a daht better than most alternatives Perhaps you could do with a bit of trouble yourself It’s been a year, you know"
Joss’s face drew tight "It’s been a year, two h offor more"
He turned and stared out over the harbor
Damn Gray knew he shouldn’t have said that It was just--well, he missed the old, piss-at-the-devil Joss Hethe old Joss would surface so him down But the chances of that seemed even less likely, now that Gray hadthe sea would be the least of Joss’s worries on this, his first voyage in coreen captain and fifteenit--now that was treacherous going Here there bean attractive, un lady aboard would cock it all up
"I’ll keep the girl out of trouble," Gray said, in what seeesture "I’ll watch out for her"
"Oh, I’ve no doubt you will But who’s going to watch out for you?"
Gray’s nerves prickled So, it wasn’t the girl Joss was concerned about No, he expected Gray to cock it all up
"Right, Joss I’ for his brother to argue otherwise
He didn’t
Gray protested, "She’s a governess, for the love of gold Priht in counterpoint Delicate, sweet Intriguing
"Ah So you’ll dally with any cha wench who’ll lift her skirts, but you’d draw the line at seducing a governess?"
"Yes Have a look at estured upward at the banners tri
"Look at this ship I’one respectable"
"It’s easy to change your coat It’s a great deal harder to change your ways"
Gray sighed heavily He’d never been a model brother, and God knew he’d never be a saint But whether Joss believed it or not, he’d worked damn hard to launch this business He’d worked daether family of theirs some security, the place in society their father had forfeited de cades ago He’d talked investors into entrusting him with thousands of pounds; he’d promised the insurers he could be trusted to safely deliver the cargo
Yet his own brother didn’t trust hiirl’s skirts The irony would have struck him as humorous, had it wounded him any less Had it been any less deserved Gray rubbed his face with one hand and tried again, all trace of joking gone from his voice "Listen, Joss I won’t pursue her"
"She’s beautiful"
"I won’t pursue her," Gray repeated slowly "And I thought that you weren’t looking"
Joss stared back out at the water "I ed, Gray I didn’t go blind"
No, not blind, Gray thought Just … nu, Gray just sht, you know We both have his ears" He pushed off the rail and straightened, pulling a hand through his hair
His uncovered, wind-mussed hair
"Witch’s tit," he muttered "When did that happen?"
Joss raised an eyebrow "What’s that?"
Gray wheeled about, searching the deck and glancing over the rail "I’ve lost hter
"It’s not funny I just bought that hat I liked that hat Cost ain, and this tihed with him Yes, that hat had cost him a bloody fortune And now that hat had purchased hihter with his brother, on the deck of the Aphrodite An echo, somehow, from a happier tiood bargain