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"I a year Miss Turner"

"From whence do you hail?"

Gray eased back in his chair "I was born and raised on Tortola, as you know The Grayson faentle, and my father was his typically ard second son For his sins, which were legion, my father was exiled to Clarendon--that was the name of our plantation--to mend his dissolute ways"

"And did he?"

"What do you think?" He reclined in his seat, propping one boot on the table between thes have you, Mr Grayson?"

"In truth, I could not say My father’s acknowledged children number three I have one brother, whom you have met, and one sister, whom you have not We are all of different mothers So to answer your earlier question, it would seem the West Indies proved an ineffective rens of shock or displeasure Her broever, reodforsaken sea

"I know your father is …"

"Dead"

She cleared her throat "Yes, dead Is your ?"

"No She died when I was an infant I’ve no le crease scored her forehead "I’ue, uttered with no particular inflection or intent But Miss Turner snapped to attention Gray fought the urge to fidget under her scrutiny

"Yes," she said, a note of defiance in her voice "I a, to have noso the pain of the loss"

"Do you truly believe it’s better?"

He frowned and tugged at his ear

"I didn’t think so"

Gray put a hand on the aration hadn’t been such a brilliant idea after all Miss Turner was supposed to be the one growing uncomfortable, not him

"Brown or white?" She propped her chin in one hand and stared at him

"Excuse me?"

"Bread, Mr Grayson Given a choice, do you take brown bread or white?"

He chuckled "Brown, if there’s butter If not, white"

"Ale or grog?"

"Ale Chased with brandy" Not a bad idea, he thought, reaching into his coat for his flask He unscrewed the cap and lifted it to his lips

"Have you ever stolen anything, Mr Grayson?"

He froze, looking at her over the flask With deliberate slowness, he tipped it back until the fiery liquor spread down his throat Then he wiped his mouth, recapped the flask, and replaced it carefully in his breast pocket

"Of course"

She tilted her head and raised one eyebrow, inviting hiin? With the typical childhood petty thievery?

Pineapples, chickens, o on for several minutes there Shall I detail for you all the dozens of ships I’ve boarded, the boatloads of precious cargo I’ve seized? Privateering is sanctioned thievery, perhaps, but theft nonetheless" He dru a way of life, Miss Turner I could go on about it for hours How much elaboration do you care to hear?"

She paused a"You’re not ashamed to own to it, then Your thievery"

"In most cases, no I’m not"

"Then in so, Mr Grayson?"

Gray wrestled with her clear, unwavering gaze Dare he make the confession? It would serve his purpose well, expose hiht to know just what sort ofat his of his he had no way or aze to the floor, he rubbed a thumb across his lower lip "I stole e, oddly hollow His whole body felt oddly holloice"

"Well," she said He glanced up to find that her expression held not disdain or shock, as he ht have expected As such an adued

"The pineapples and chickens, the dozens of ships …" She traced a groove in the tabletop with her finger "All these I can easily i an inheritance … twice? However did you e in Wiltshire at randfather’s estate We received word that randfather took the news hard I think the old al son would one day uished …" Gray cleared his throat "He suffered an apoplexy within the week and never recovered"

Shenoise in the back of her throat "You lost your father and your grandfather in the space of one week?"

"No My father had already been dead for two months"

"Yes, but still You’d only just learned of it" She hugged herself Gray frowned as she stroked her shoulder, infla-buried hurt even as she soothed herself Da hi with him "Do you want me to finish the story or not?"

"I’ a business transaction "My grandfather left Clarendon to , the lands were to be divided between my father’s male children"

"You and Captain Grayson"