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"I don’t know," Andrew ht actually be worth one hundred pounds to watch the two of you kill each other"

"Don’t be an ass," George said, flicking a furious look at him

"You wouldn’t even inherit," Billie pointed out, not that Andrew had ever wished to succeed his father as Earl of Manston He was far too enamored of his footloose life for that sort of responsibility

"Ah, yes, Edward," Andrew said with an exaggerated sigh, referring to the second Rokesby son, o years his senior "That does throw a fly in the ointment It’d look deuced suspicious if both of you perish in curious circumstances"

There was a moment of aard silence as they all realized that Andrew had, perhaps,far too heavy for offhand quips Edward Rokesby had taken the proudest route of second sons and was a captain in His Majesty’s 54th Regiment of Foot He’d been sent to the American colonies over a year earlier and had served bravely in the Battle of Quaker Hill He’d re transferred to British Headquarters in New York Town News of his health and welfare came far too infrequently for anyone’s coe said stiffly, "I do not believe that the circumstances would ever be described as ‘curious’"

"Oh, co his eyes at his older brother, "stop being so bloody serious all the ti and Country," George said, and truly, Billie thought, his voice was clipped and tense, even for him

"As do I," Andrew said with a cool smile He tipped his injured ar at the shoulder "Or at least a bone or two"

Billie sed and looked hesitantly over at George, trying to gauge his reaction As was coone straight into the Royal Navy as a midshipman He had been raised to the rank of lieutenant a year earlier Andrew didn’t find himself in harm’s way nearly so often as Edward, but still, he wore his unifore, on the other hand, had not been permitted to take a commission; as the heir to the earldom, he had been deemed far too valuable to throw himself in front of American musket balls And Billie wondered… did that bother him? That his brothers served their country and he did not? Had he even wanted to fight?

Then she wondered… why had she never wondered about this? True, she did not devotein front of her, but the lives of the Rokesbys and Bridgertons were thoroughly intertwined It seemed odd that she did not know this

Her eyes moved slowly from brother to brother They had not spoken for severalup with a e was looking right back doith… well, it wasn’t anger exactly At least not any longer But nor was it regret Or pride Or anything she could identify

There was far more to this conversation than rose to the surface

"Well, I have risked life and lier to direct the conversation back to less controversial topics Namely, her rescue

"Is that what happened?" Andrew ht you didn’t like cats"

George turned to her with an expression that went somewhere beyond exasperation "You don’t even like cats?"