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"Nope"

"Please, sir" Aurora's words eed of their own accord "My husband and I have searched everywhere for you We lost a faht on the situation Won't you please give us just a quarter hour of your time? I promise we mean you no harm" Gently she touched his arm "It could make a world of difference"

Barnes scratched his gray head "Ye two are married?"

"Yes, sir"

"And ye need to know somethin' about yer family?"

Aurora nodded "About a relative of my husband's—someone you sailed with We need your help; you're our only hope"

Shoving back his chair, Barnes stood "In that case, I'll go" He glared at his friends "Ye best not forget which part I was up to"

Judging from their blank expressions, Aurora noted with an inner smile, they already had

"Over there?" Barnes asked, pointed a wrinkled forefinger

"Yes That would be perfect" Aurora glanced up at Julian, grinning at how impressed he looked at her accomplishment "You're not the only man who succumbs to my charm," she teased under her breath

"Evidently not" He guided them over to a corner that was as close to quiet and deserted as one could get in this pub "Have a seat, Barnes; I'll get you another ale"

"Don't need it" The old felloaved away the offer "Just tell me what's on yer mind For a minute I was afraid ye were another one of them pirates wantin' information on the black diamond Lots of fellas used to ask me about it Now it's just sometimes But like I always tell them, I don't know nothin' about it They was all just wastin' their time"

"Our questions aren't about the diamond," Aurora inserted with quiet candor "But they are about the men who found it"

Barnes's shaggy brows shot up "I thought ye said this was about yer family"

"It is"