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.