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Joss gave a lohistle "And?"

"And--" Gray grabbed the bars with both hands and pushed back "I don’t want to talk about it"

He didn’t want to think about it, either, but he could hardly keep frohtened her? For all her brave talk, Gray was certain he’d seen fear in her eyes Was it watching him put in chains that had spurred her to flee? Perhaps she had her own reasons to avoid arrest

"Her name isn’t even Jane Turner," he said bitterly "She’s not even a governess She’s so little thief with six hundred pounds beneath her stays"

"I thought you didn’t want to talk about it"

Gray shot his brother a look It was then that he noticed the haggard shadows on Joss’s face, and the bruise purpling beneath his left eye "No, let’s talk of other things How long have you been here?"

"Two days"

"The guards give you that?" Gray gestured toward his own eye Joss shrugged

Gray released a string of oaths "Which one was it? He’ll pay for it with his life, I swear to you"

"Settle down, Gray And for God’s sake, don’t go punching yourself in the eye just to even the score"

Gray shot hi, Joss"

"Oh yes, it is Give , Gray I’ve had worse You’ve given me worse And it’s no ed pirate"

"Piracy charges" Gray cracked his neck "What a joke" This was the voyage he’d finally gone respectable, and what had it gotten hiood deed went unpunished

A few hours later, the guard sauntered back down the corridor "You’ve a visitor, gentlee of hope rose up in Gray’s breast She came back, soht footfalls sounded on the stone floor, and a figure eed from the darkness Of course It was Bel

"Joss Dolly"

She clung to the bars, and the two of them joined her froht "How’s my son?"

"He’s fine, Joss A bit taller than he hen you saw hih and through He’s been asking for his papa" She sniffed back tears

"I’ve spoken with my friend, Mr Wilson," Bel continued "You’ll remember him, Joss He’s the one who used to be a solicitor in London, before he devoted his life to charity" Her gaze flitted toward the guard and she lowered her voice "He’s made soood"

"What does that e has the story froes"

"That’s just the probleainst Gray’s"

"And mine," Joss said "And every crewman’s aboard the Aphrodite and the Kestrel"

"Not every crewman There’s so Mallory’s side"

"Brackett" Gray released a groan "The bastard"

"And the other crewmen, Mr Wilson says their testiht face charges thees could they face?" Joss asked

"Piracy, for the crew of the Aphrodite Mutiny, for the Kestrel’s men"

Gray swore under his breath No, their situation did not look good "So we bribe the judge Every man has his price"

"We can’t" Bel shook her head

"Bel, this is no ti"

"I mean it won’t work," she continued "Mr Wilson knows soh He’s aer to make a name for hies on such slender evidence He means to make an example of Gray"

Joss turned to Gray "Why would he make an example of you?"

Gray clenched his jaw He knew precisely why "Not all privateers stopped seizing ships with the end of the war So, even without letters of iance to the Crown It’s a problem for honestlit his brother’s eyes "And the best way to discourage privateers fro pirate …"