Boston, Six Weeks Later
The taproom at the Red Lion Inn was crowded as Noah and Matthew made their way to the only vacant table in the establishment. Noah, deep in his own thoughts, paid little real attention to their surroundings, but Matt was alert, trying to absorb every facet of life in the colonies.
Since they’d arrived in port that morning, the younger man had become intrigued with Boston. Noah had left him to his own devices while he and Captain Russell had dealt with the port authorities, and Matt had taken the opportunity to tour the city on foot. He’d left the crowded wharf behind with its clog of merchandise and, steering clear of the tenement section of town as Russell had advised, had followed the narrow, winding streets through the multitude of small shops and businesses to the elegant area overlooking the Boston Common. Stately mansions stood in regal testimony to the type of life that could be had in the colonies, and Matt found himself becoming more and more impressed with America. There was a vitality in the air, a freshness of spirit that he’d never seen in London, and he marveled at it.
“You know, Noah, I could come to like this town,” Matt remarked as he slipped into the chair opposite his brother’s.
“It’s certainly different,” Noah answered unenthusiastically. He’d had little time to see the sights and, in fact, was unexcited about doing so. His business interests were foremost in his mind right now; that and returning to England.
Polly, the comely, well-endowed barmaid, sidled up to the table to take their order. “Good evening, gents. What can I get for you tonight?” She eyed both men with interest, for they were not only gentlemen of the highest caliber, but they were good-looking, too. Noah ordered succinctly, requesting that their ale be brought right away, and Polly hurried off to do his bidding, returning quickly with two brimming mugs of brew.
“Your meal will be ready soon,” she related as she placed their tankards on the table before them. They were handsome, these two, and she thought the resemblance between them startling. Though both men were tall and their dark coloring similar, she thought the older man more attractive. He seemed to have an innate animal magnetism in the firm slant of his lips and the steely depths of his gray eyes, and she found him irresistible.
“Thank you,” Noah replied as he tossed her a coin for her efforts, and she rewarded him with a wide smile that held more than a hint of an invitation.
“If you need anything else, just say the word. My name’s Polly.” She let her gaze meet Noah’s knowingly before hurrying away to her other duties, her heart beating wildly at the thought of what it would be like to share his bed and passion.
Had Noah been of a mind, he might have taken her up on her obvious offer, for she was a pretty enough girl, and clean-looking, too, but at the moment he was not so inclined. Instead he was thinking about his appointment the following afternoon with Edward Demorest, the British agent he was to deal with, and on the mission he’d assigned to Russell. He was growing concerned over the length of time the captain was taking and he wondered why he had heard nothing from him.
It was then, as he attempted to sit back and relax, that a man’s sharply worded protest rang out clearly above the din of conversation. The man’s tone was so outraged that both Noah and Matthew glanced concernedly in his direction.
“Damn it, Arthur! The world’s gone mad!” the man, fat and red-faced in his upset, bellowed at his companion, thumping the table in front of him as he spoke for even further emphasis. “What can they be thinking of?”
“I don’t know, Leland,” the man named Arthur commiserated. “It’s a bad situation.”
“The mobs seem to be controlling the town!” Leland complained worriedly. “Ever since word came about Parliament passing the Tea Act, things seem to have gone from bad to worse!” He paused and took a deep drink from his mug of rum before continuing. “The protesters are threatening me and all the other merchants who agreed to sell the tea! It doesn’t make sense! Our price here is lower than what Englishmen are paying at home! Drink the tea and enjoy it! Who cares if there’s a tax on it as long as the asking price is still cheap?”
“It’s this damned newspaper.” In disgust, Arthur tapped the copy of the Boston Gazette that lay on the table in front of him. “Agitators! The whole god-awful bunch!”
The shopkeeper nodded in agreement. “Everyone I talk to says they’re loyal to the king, but you can’t help but wonder when you hear of all the trouble. If everybody is loyal, then who are the rioters in the streets?” He shook his head in profound distress.
“Well, the men who write these articles in the Gazette certainly aren’t trying to help matters any.”
“That’s true,” Leland agreed solemnly. “There may be only a few of those hotheads, but they seem to know their business. They’re always trying to stir something up.”
“Their latest rallying cry is completely foolhardy. Have you heard? Independence for the colonies…” Arthur snorted in derision. “Independence, indeed.”
“It’s ridiculous. Why would they want independence? We’re a part of the mightiest empire in the world,” Leland bragged to no one in particular.
“His Majesty’s troops are the most efficient fighting corps in the world. We just defeated the French, for God’s sake! If we turned our troops loose on the idiots who are stirring up all the trouble, they’d rid Boston of them in no time.” Arthur drained his mug with gusto. “It’d be quiet again then, the way it should be.”
“It’ll never happen, but I wish it would. Business would be normal again…” Leland partook of his own rum and suddenly became rather philosophical. “I’m just hoping that it’ll all blow over, like it did all those years ago when everybody was in an uproar over the damned stamp tax.”
“Me, too,” Arthur remarked, having no taste for confrontation or violence.
Noah and Matthew had been listening with interest to the colonists’ conversation, and Noah shot Matt a smug look. It looked like the risk he’d taken with the war materials shipment was about to pay off, and pay off big. He lifted his tankard in a silent salute.
“It seems, dear brother, that our shipment may be quite timely in its arrival.” Noah smiled in satisfaction. The news that there was trouble brewing pleased him tremendously, and if Russell could just manage to make the necessary contacts…
“All too,” Matthew agreed. “It looks like contracting the arms shipment for the Pride was a wise move. From the sound of their conversation, it seems our troops may be needing them soon.”
“It certainly does, doesn’t it?” Noah felt his old confidence return now that he knew his instincts had been proven correct, and mentally he rubbed his hands together in anticipation of the profit. He had not revealed to Matt his mysterious conversation with the stranger, and he had no intention to do so. This was business, and he was in charge.
“Still…” Matt began, a slight frown marring his handsome features, “it seems a shame that this trouble between the colonies and the Crown can’t be worked out in some other way.”
Noah shrugged his disinterest. “Pray that it doesn’t, my boy.”
Matt stiffened at Noah’s attitude. He had kept relatively quiet until now, trusting his brother to take charge of their lives without question, but he was finding that the changes in Noah’s personality were more far-reaching than he’d originally suspected after the duel and the loss of Kincade Hall. Noah seemed terribly patronizing, causing Matt to wonder if he had really become so obsessed with money that all else paled in importance. As his brother continued speaking, Matt was shocked to discover this was true.
“There’s a fortune to be made by being at the right place at the right time with the right product,” Noah continued, his thoughts on the money to be made, not the lives that would be lost.
“You seem almost eager for a war…” Matt frowned, verbalizing his thoughts.
With a slight lift of his shoulders, he answered, “I’m a businessman, Matthew, not a bleeding heart. It doesn’t matter to me who fights whom, or where. What matters is that I can provide the materials they need, when they need them. It’s a simple matter of profit and loss. Nothing more.”
Before Matt could reply, Polly returned with plates of steaming, appetizing food, and the moment to debate the issue with him was lost.
Polly was quite conspicuous in her desire to attract Noah’s attention and she flashed him her most charming smile as she bent over to place his platter before him, her action giving him an unrestricted view of her ample cleavage.
Noah’s smoky gaze darkened with sensual promise as he saw the tempting flesh. Though he was still concerned about Russell’s progress, his spirits had lifted considerably since hearing the rumbles of discontent from the two colonists, and the thought of bedding the winsome wench after his long weeks of celibacy was now most appealing. She read the invitation in his heated regard and was thrilled to know that he wanted her. Polly could hardly wait for the evening to pass so she could go to him.
“If you will be needing anything else, just let me know,” she told him flirtatiously as the barkeep’s impatient call drew her away.
Matthew couldn’t prevent a wry smile as she moved off to do her job. “You do have a way with women.”
“It’s a burden I’ve tried my best to live with,” Noah quipped dryly as he began to eat.
“I should be so burdened,” Matt grumbled good-humoredly, and Noah chuckled.
“Your day will come,” he assured him.
There was a moment of warmth between them then that had been rare during the past weeks, and Matt completely relaxed. “I’ve been quite impressed with what I’ve seen here.”
“Really,” Noah replied without enthusiasm.
“You don’t like Boston?” Matt asked, hoping that, after all the bitterness they’d suffered in leaving England, his brother might be open to an opportunity to change their lives.
“I don’t intend to be here long enough to find out whether I like it or not, Matthew,” Noah answered. There was only one thing he wanted to do, and that was to make as much as he could on this arms shipment and then return to England to reclaim what was rightfully theirs.
“But, Noah…think about it… This would be the perfect place to make a fresh start…”
Noah’s eyes narrowed as he turned a cold, silver regard upon his younger brother. “I had one reason and one reason only for coming here, and that is to make the most money possible in the least amount of time. You’ve heard the talk. There’s going to be trouble soon, and though I have every intention of making a profit off that trouble, I have no desire to get caught up in it. As soon as I’ve concluded our business dealings here, little brother, we’re going to be on our way back to England with our pockets well lined.”
Matthew’s usually mellow temper flared at his dictatorial manner. Noah had their entire future all planned out and yet had never bothered to discuss it with him. “I resent your making decisions that will affect both of us without consulting me. I will, after all, be eighteen before the month is out.”
Noah was surprised by his sudden show of defiance.
“I do believe I’m aware of your age, Matthew. I was, after all, a full eight years old when you were born,” Noah drawled derisively. “As for my decision making, I have done, and will continue to do, those things that I feel will be of benefit to the both of us. Right now our primary concern-as you well know-is money and, to be more specific, a lack of it.”
“I realize that but-”
Noah cut him off. “There are no ‘buts’ about our situation. We have lost nearly everything. Don’t you remember the humiliation we suffered when we departed Kincade Hall for the last time?”
“I haven’t forgotten,” he answered defensively, flushing at the painful memory.
“Then where is your pride? I intend to reclaim the heritage that was stripped from us, Matthew. That is my only purpose right now, and it should be yours, too…”
The sense of camaraderie that had existed between them ruined, Matt fell silent before Noah’s determined onslaught, for he could voice no convincing argument against his plans. Obviously, to Noah, his suggestion to start anew here in Boston had seemed cowardly, as if he were cutting and running, but Matt knew that wasn’t true. Feeling slightly bereft and not understanding why, Matt directed his attention to the meal before him, his appetite suddenly diminished.
The plaintive call of the night watch announcing the midnight hour echoed through the deserted streets of Boston as Noah stood, glass of wine in hand, at the window of his room. Though rum was the primary drink of the area, he had disdained the recommendation of the house and ordered a bottle of their best wine sent up to his room when he and Matthew had retired. He’d found the wine drinkable and had proceeded to imbibe most of the bottle to ease the tension that gripped him.
Matthew’s rare display of contentiousness had troubled Noah, and he wondered how his brother could dismiss their life in England so easily. Hadn’t Matt attended the best schools? And hadn’t every door opened for him at the mention of the Kincade name? Didn’t he miss their old lifestyle, and didn’t he long to return to Kincade Hall? With an imperceptible shake of his head, Noah drained his glass and then refilled it.
Matt’s attitude made no sense to him. The idea of them taking up permanent residency in the colonies was ludicrous. He counted on his brother coming to his senses and putting the ridiculous thought from him. Certainly it must have been just the throes of early manhood encouraging him to test his own independence against the powers that be.
A soft knock at the door disturbed his thoughts and he moved quickly to answer it, hoping that it was Russell finally returning with important news about the contacts he’d made. Noah was only mildly surprised to find Polly waiting outside in the semidarkness of the hall.
“Polly…”
“I was just wondering if there was anything more I could do for you before I left for the night…” she said boldly as her gaze roamed hungrily over his tall, broad-shouldered form. The knowing, sensual smile he gave her excited her.
“Come in.” Noah’s deep voice caressed her senses, and she felt hypnotized by his very presence.
“I was hoping you’d still be awake…” Polly smiled widely as he stepped back to allow her entry into his room. Striding forward, she made certain to brush suggestively against him, and the contact sent chills of expectation through her.
“Would you care for a bit of port, my dear?” He indicated the near-empty bottle.
“Wine was not what I had in mind,” she told him archly.
“Nor I.”
Noah knew that a night of unbridled sensual passion, free and clear of any involvement save the cost of her favors, was just what he needed. Following the sordid death of his relationship with Andrea, he had been far too involved with his other problems to give female companionship a thought. Now, his mood enlightened by the discovery that his instincts had once again proven accurate, he felt the need for a celebration of sorts, and Polly seemed just the thing. Closing the door, he turned to the serving wench and dragged her into his arms.
Polly needed no encouragement as she looped her arms about his neck and pulled him down for a long, passionate kiss. The feel of her lush, soft curves pressed so tightly to him stirred his long-denied desires, and Noah wasted no time in sweeping her up in his arms and carrying her to the bed. She was a willing female and he wanted her, and that was all that mattered. He released her long enough to shed his own clothing and he watched with hidden amusement as she eagerly began to strip off her own garments.
Polly finished undressing first and was ready and waiting for Noah in the center of his bed when he came to her. Her eyes rounded as she stared greedily at the magnificence of his broad chest and long, strongly muscled limbs. She thought him the most perfect man she’d ever encountered and she went into his arms without pause when he stretched out on the bed beside her.
Their animal passions flared hotly as they came together in a blaze of lusty need. Noah caressed her silken flesh with learned expertise until she was mindless in her craving for him, needing the satisfaction only he could give. Overwhelmed by his sensuality, Polly cried out for him to take her and he moved over her, parting her thighs and seeking out the hot depths of her aroused body.
They crested the peak of physical gratification quickly, and Polly held tightly to him as the pulsing waves of her pleasure surged through her. She was no innocent miss, having worked at the inn for several years now, yet she knew that this man was special. Never before had a lover excited her so much. He had seemed to anticipate her body’s every craving and had not hesitated to please her. She was still quivering as she lay passively in his arms, the ultimate joy he’d just given her having rocked her to the very center of her being.
Noah lay silently savoring the deliciousness of his release.
“You’re wonderful,” Polly sighed, gazing into his eyes when at last she was able to speak.
“So were you,” he countered with a smile that twisted her heart, and when he ran his hands down her back to cup her rounded buttocks and draw her closer, she gasped.
“Ooooh!” she exclaimed as she felt the heat of his hunger building again. She had never known a man to be so virile, and she wriggled against him already eager for more.
Noah needed no encouragement as he thrust avidly into her, seeking again the momentary thrill of physical forgetfulness. His rhythm was hard and steady as he strove for the pinnacle, and it was only the sound of the knock at the door that brought him crashing back to reality. Noah stopped, frowning at the interruption.
“Who is it?” he demanded curtly, his body still aching with unsated desire.
“It’s Lyle, Noah.”
“Just a minute,” he called out as he quickly extricated himself from Polly’s possessive arms.
Polly watched and pouted as he moved from the bed and began to pull on his clothing, for the evidence of his desire was still proud and full. “What about me?”
“This is business, wench,” he told her abruptly. “Get your clothes and be gone.”
“But I don’t mind waiting…” she cooed sweetly, not at all anxious to leave his bed.
“I mind.” He fixed a frosty silver glare upon her.
Experiencing Lord Noah Kincade’s displeasure for the first time, she scurried without further arguments to get her clothing.
“Shall I come back later?” she asked huskily as she adjusted her full, heavy breasts more comfortably in the confines of her gown. Her body was still alive with the need for completion, and she hoped he would want her to return.
“Not tonight.” Noah’s answer was brusque as he tossed her several coins. “Here.”
Polly stared down at the generous amount he’d given her with disbelieving eyes. “Thank you.” She gave him a wide smile as she started from the room.
Noah finished buttoning his shirt and strode forward to open the door for her, ushering her out.
Captain Lyle Russell, master of the Lorelei, was standing respectfully in the hall as Noah opened the portal, and he eyed the disheveled Polly with a seagoing man’s avid interest as she hurried off.
“Lyle.” Noah was both happy and relieved to see him, and his tone reflected his emotions. “Come in.”
“Pretty wench.” He nodded in Polly’s direction.
“Perfect to ease a man’s needs,” he answered with a quick grin as he ushered the captain into his room.
“Indeed.” Lyle smiled wryly as he saw the rumpled bed and he gave a hearty chuckle. “Sorry to interrupt.”
“You have news?” Noah asked, quickly changing the subject. He closed the door to ensure their privacy, and then crossed the room to light a candle, the flickering yellow light adding a shadowy intensity to their meeting.
“Yes, and I think you’ll be pleased. I made the inquiries, as you instructed. It wasn’t easy, but I finally was able to make contact with Joshua Smith,” Lyle supplied.
“Go on.” He was anxious to hear it all.
“Smith was reluctant to speak openly at first, but once I showed him that note and explained to him your reason for wanting to make contact, he agreed to try to gain you admittance to the next meeting of the dissenters.”
“When is it?”
“He didn’t say, and I don’t believe he really knew himself,” he answered truthfully. “Evidently, these men are very serious about their cause, for everything is carried out with the utmost secrecy.”
“I see. Do you have any idea how soon we’ll be hearing from him?”
“I told him where you were staying, and Smith said he’d get in contact with you directly when he had an answer, one way or the other.”
“How will I recognize him?”
“He’s about fifty, I guess, tall and thin. His hair was gray, he didn’t bother with a wig, and the most prominent feature about him was his arm…”
“What about it?”
“He’s lost use of his left arm,” Lyle explained.
Noah nodded and reached for the warm bottle of wine. “You’ve done well, Lyle, and I only wish I had something more suitable to celebrate your success.” He offered the bottle to Russell, and the captain took a deep swig, emptying the contents.
“Thanks.” He handed the empty bottle back.
“Matt and I dined here at the inn. Judging from the general tone of the conversation we managed to overhear, there is definitely unrest stirring in Boston.”
“If that’s the case,” Lyle said thoughtfully, “I think your timing in this matter may prove impeccable, just as you’d originally hoped.”
“We shall see,” he said quietly. “As you know, my meeting with Demorest is set for late tomorrow afternoon, so I’ll be getting in touch with you regarding the Lorelei’s shipment as soon as I’ve completed dealings with him.”
“Good.” The captain would be glad to get at least that much settled. “I think I’ll be heading back to the ship now. If you need anything before tomorrow, just send word.”
“I will.” Noah saw the captain out.
He felt most pleased with himself as he locked the door behind Lyle. Things were progressing nicely. After his meeting with Demorest the following day, during which he planned to close the sale of the Lorelei’s goods, he hoped to have a tidy sum that would keep both Matthew and him in the style to which they were accustomed well into the new year. That would take care of all the more pressing matters. Then he could devote himself entirely to his concerns with the radicals, so that by the time the slower-paced Pride arrived, he would have everything under control.
Noah was about to prepare for bed when another knock sounded at his door. Giving a rueful shake of his head, he answered it quickly, for he was certain it was Polly returning to pick up where they’d left off. He was amazed to find Matthew standing there, fully dressed.
“Noah? What’s going on?” Matt’s expression was worried as he moved into his brother’s room.
“What do you mean?” Noah tried to play the innocent, not wanting to involve Matt in the seamier side of his wheelings and dealings.
“I mean”-Matt flashed him a strained look-“what was Russell doing here in the middle of the night? It’s well after midnight.”
“Just a business matter, that’s all,” he replied nonchalantly.
“Business at after one in the morning? Surely it was something out of the ordinary or he would have waited until morning. Besides…I heard…” As he started to confess to overhearing a bit of their conversation, Noah turned on him.
“Just exactly what did you hear, little brother?” His tone was deadly serious. “And why were you eavesdropping?”
His reaction honestly startled Matt, and he stared at Noah as if seeing him for the first time.
“I wasn’t eavesdropping!” he denied heatedly. “I woke up when I heard Lyle’s knock. I thought he might have important news of some kind, so I got dressed and started over to see what the problem was.”
“Go on.”
“I was about to knock when I heard him mention something about a Joshua Smith and secret meetings. It was then I realized that you had no intention of coming for me, so I went back to my room,” he finished angrily. “I want to know what’s going on, and don’t try to hedge.”
“It’s a business matter. Nothing to concern yourself with.” Noah tried to pass over his inquiries, but Matthew was not about to let the matter slide.
“On the contrary, I think there is every reason to concern myself. I told you how I felt about your excluding me. Obviously you’re planning something, and I want to know what it is.” He was greatly irritated by the fact that, again, his brother had not consulted with him.
“The only thing I’m planning is the fastest way for us to make money,” Noah bit out, finding his younger sibling’s growing habit of challenging him most annoying. “In detail, if you must know, when we made port I instructed Lyle to try to make contact with Joshua Smith in hopes that the group he represents might be interested in purchasing the Sea Pride’s arms shipment.”
“I see. And what group is it this Smith represents that you have to conduct your business with him in secrecy meetings?”
Noah answered coolly, “I was given Smith’s name by a contact in London.”
“What contact?”
“I don’t know. It was all done very furtively. He did not give me his name, nor did I ask for it. It seems Smith is a middleman for a very active rebel group here in the colonies, and that his group is definitely interested in purchasing the Pride’s arms shipment.”
Matthew’s expression was aghast. “You’re not serious?”
“I am most serious. I have the goods that, hopefully, these people want, and I intend to get the best possible price for them. As I said, it’s a simple business matter,” Noah dismissed easily.
“There’s nothing simple about betraying your own country!” Matt was suddenly outraged.
“Matthew”-Noah’s voice was icy-“weren’t you the one who earlier today was ready to forsake our dear old homeland and settle here?”
“There’s nothing treacherous about my wanting to remain here and begin life anew. These colonies are a part of the Empire. But, Noah…” His confusion over the changes in his brother’s personality was very real. “I don’t understand what’s happened to you. You’ve become so cold-blooded…so mercenary. It started with the damned duel, and now…”
At the mention of the duel, Noah’s piercing silver gaze glittered dangerously, but he didn’t speak as Matt continued.
“How can you even consider selling the weapons to the highest bidder regardless of affiliation? Where is your conscience? If you sell those arms to the men who are advocating independence for the colonies, they might be used against soldiers of the Crown. You already heard that merchant in the taproom saying how dangerous things have become.”
Noah shrugged coolly. “It’s not my concern who uses the weapons or for what cause they’re used. All that matters is that we get the best price for our merchandise. Whoever pays the top price will get the goods.” The steely edge to his tone left no doubt in Matt’s mind that he was very serious.
“It seems to me that you’re selling your soul,” Matthew disparaged.
“I have been forced by circumstances to become a businessman. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“There’s more to this than business.”
Noah’s stance was rigid. “I’m sure I don’t know what you mean.”
“Making money has become your obsession! Damn the cost! You won’t be satisfied until you’ve made enough to return to England and resume our previous social status!” Matthew had never before spoken so openly or so critically to his older brother, and he surprised even himself by his outburst.
“And as much as you have the audacity to argue the point, you will be a direct beneficiary of what you call my ‘obsession,’” Noah returned sarcastically. “If we are to return home and reestablish ourselves-”
“You’re the one who’s so intent on returning to England! I never said that I wanted to go back, let alone ‘reestablish’ myself!” he declared furiously.
“We will be going back. Never doubt that for a moment.” The fierce determination of Noah’s words chilled Matthew. “Now, if you don’t mind, it’s late and I would like to get ready for bed.” The rebuff in his tone clear, Matt knew it was useless to continue the confrontation.
“Of course.” Stiffly, he excused himself and then stalked across the room, closing the door firmly behind him as he made his exit.
As he entered his room, Matt was still angry and frustrated as he bitterly pondered the fate that had changed his once easygoing brother into a man so totally obsessed with wealth. Allowing his thoughts to wander, he tried to come to grips with the man his brother had become.
Striding to the window, he parted the curtains and stared out across the night-shrouded city. How had it all come about? Just a few months ago they had been happy. Their father had been alive and the lucrative Kincade Shipping firm had been flourishing. Now he and Noah were at the brink of financial ruin, the strain of which was tearing them apart.
Matt shook his head sorrowfully as he remembered the trauma of the duel with Radcliffe. It seemed to him now, as he pondered it, that the changes in Noah had already occurred by then, but he had been just too naive to realize it. Though Noah had never related exactly what had been said by Radcliffe the night before their fateful encounter, the insult that was issued had stirred a cold, deadly resolve within Noah and sealed, possibly forever, the transformation of his very being.
Sighing in resignation, Matt turned from the window. He knew he would get little rest this night. As he stretched out, still dressed, on the comfort of the wide bed, he couldn’t help but wonder if Noah would ever be the same again.