“Evidently so, and there was absolutely no reason for it.”

“But I thought…”

“You thought wrong, Matthew,” Noah cut him off sharply. “There’s only one woman I care about, and that woman isn’t the lovely widow Woodham.”

“She isn’t?” Matt asked, trying to subdue the lopsided grin that threatened.

Noah scowled blackly at his brother’s amusement. “You’ve known all along what it took me until tonight to realize.”

“You love CC?”

“Yes. I love CC,” he answered flatly, “very much.”

“That’s wonderful! I’m sure she cares about you, too. Why don’t you go to her and tell her how you feel?”

“I can’t,” Noah refused quickly.

“Why not?”

“The reason why I can’t is none of your business. Just believe me when I say that things are finished between us.” He remembered how terribly he’d humiliated her, and he knew he’d destroyed any chance they might have had for happiness.

“I’m sorry,” Matt said earnestly.

“So am I…more than I can ever say.”

There was a long, strained pause in the conversation before Matt brought up the subject of his encounter with Radcliffe again. “You didn’t say, but I want to know what you and Radcliffe argued about at the ball. Did you have words over Eve?”

“No. We didn’t openly argue over her.” Noah gave Matt a measured look as he offered, “The general discussion had turned to the raid on the tea ships, and Radcliffe had made the remark that a show of force was needed to teach the dissidents here in Boston a lesson.”

“He did?”

“Yes. He called the rebels fools, and I told him, in so many words, that the only fools were those who were so anxious to issue sanctions against the entire town of Boston.”

“You defended us… Thank you.” Matt paused in amazement and then frowned. “I can’t believe that Radcliffe didn’t call you out for that remark.”

“He did,” Noah answered.

“He did?” Again Matt was astounded by all that had happened.

“Yes, but I refused to take up his challenge.” Noah’s eyes solemnly met his brother’s as he searched there for understanding of his motive in turning down the duel.

“I’m glad.” Vivid memories of the bloody clash in England still lingered in his thoughts.

“Yes, well…so am I.” Noah was suddenly uncomfortable with all that he had revealed and he headed from the cabin. “Give me a few minutes to speak with Wells to make the arrangements for tonight, and then we can be on our way.”

“I’ll wait here for you.”

The two scurrilous-looking men crouched low behind the stack of barrels near the waterfront, watching the two men approach.

“Is that him, Pete?”

“Aye, Mick, that’s the bloke,” Pete replied in low tones as he glanced down the dimly lit wharf.

“You sure? I don’t want to go killin’ the wrong fella,” Mick told him nervously.

Pete gave him a derogatory look. “Whatsa matter with you? Ain’t you never done this before?”

“I ain’t never killed no one before…at least, not deliberately, anyhow,” Mick admitted.

“Well, just shut up and start swingin’. When they go past us, you take the one nearest you and hit him on the back of the head with your club. I’ll take care of the other one. With any luck at all, we can drop ’em and rob ’em without drawin’ any notice. We just gotta be fast. Remember, Mick…fast, quiet, and sure.”

“We gonna rob ’em, too?”

“Why not? Just ’cause we’re gettin’ paid to kill ’em don’t mean we can’t make an extra pound on the side. They look pretty well lined in the pockets, you know what I mean?”

“Yeah…I know what you mean,” Mick agreed, suddenly not feeling so skittish about the job they’d been hired to do. “But how come there’s two of ’em? I thought we were only hired to kill the one.”

Pete shrugged. “Who cares? One or two, makes no difference to me. All I want is the money that’s due me when the job is done.”

Noah and Matthew were deep in conversation as they strode along the street. They were completely unaware of the imminent threat until the two attackers launched themselves at them from behind.

“Matt! Watch out!” Noah shouted as he heard a stirring behind them and caught sight of their would-be assailants.

Matt was immediately alerted to the danger, and both brothers reacted much more quickly than the thugs had expected. The power of the killers’ first blows was deflected and caused little real injury. The ensuing fight was bloody and vicious as the men grappled in the darkness. In the end, despite the hired men’s dirty tactics, it was Noah and Matt who stood victoriously over their attackers’ prone figures.

“Who? Why?” Matt gasped as he rubbed his jaw, sore and discoloring from a well-landed punch.

Noah wiped at the blood that trickled from the corner of his mouth as he stared down at the two. “I don’t know, but I intend to find out.” Kneeling down beside Mick, who was just beginning to stir, Noah grabbed him up by his shirtfront and gave him a rough shake.

“What? Ouch! My head…”

“Your head’s going to be hurting a lot worse if I don’t get some answers out of you fast!” Noah snarled down at the shocked, battered cutthroat.

“What do you want to know?” Mick squealed in fright as he stared up at the man he’d tried to murder just moments before.

“I want to know why you attacked us?”

“We were hired…” he confessed hurriedly.

“Who hired you?”

“I don’t know the gent’s name, but Pete does! Pete’ll tell you! I swear!”

In disgust, Noah turned his attention to his now-groaning companion. Angrily, he moved to the other man and snatched him up in the same manner as Matt stood guard over Mick. “I want to know who was behind this, and I want to know right now!” he demanded threateningly of the stunned Pete.

Pete had never expected two such fine-looking gentlemen to be able to fight back so brutally, and he was still recovering from the shock of having failed in the attack. “Will you let us go if I tell you?”

Noah smiled coldly. “If you don’t tell me, I may not bother with the authorities at all.”

Pete swallowed nervously as he glanced to where Mick lay. He realized then that there was no hope for their situation, and he quickly told him everything. “The man’s name was Bartley, and he had an English accent, just like you.”

“That tells me nothing.” Noah spoke with little belief. “Does this Bartley work for someone else?”

“I don’t know…”

Noah tightened his grip on the thug, and the man squirmed nervously.

“But we can show you where he lives!” Pete continued. “We followed him home after we made the deal. We was wantin’ to know who was behind wantin’ you dead just in case they didn’t pay up when the time came.”

“Someone made a point of wanting me killed?”

Pete nodded. “The directions were to kill Lord Noah Kincade and to make no mistakes.”

“Well, your first mistake was thinking you could do it.” Noah stood and dragged the ruffian to his feet. “Bring that one along, Matt. We’re going to find out right now who’s behind all this.”

They reached the side of the street opposite Radcliffe’s home after a long trek through town, and Noah was not surprised. Glancing at Matt, he told him, “Either he’s completely furious over my refusing his challenge, or he must have learned of my duel with James.”

“I was afraid of something like this. What are you going to do, turn these two over to the authorities?”

Noah looked at Pete and Mick in disgust. “Yes, and then I’m going to meet with Radcliffe personally. Can you take care of our other business alone?”

“Yes,” Matt assured him.

“Good. Let’s find a constable. I’m most anxious to come back here and face him, man to man.” There was grim determination reflected in Noah’s voice as he headed away from the residential street with Pete in tow.