Anthony gave a hoot of laughter. "When you've a bone to pick? Don't think so. I'll stick to the sparring partners Knighton supplies me, thank you."

"But they're no challenge a'tall, dear boy."

"Just the same, the wife likes my face the way it is. She wouldn't appreciate you altering the location of my nose with those hammers you liken to fists. And besides, I wouldn't want you to get rid of all that hostility before the Yanks arrived. I'm looking forward to the fireworks, indeed I am."

"You won't be welcome," James said

disagreeably.

"George will let me in," Anthony replied confidently. "She likes me."

"She tolerates you because you're my brother."

Anthony quirked a brow at that point. "And you won't return the favor where her brothers are concerned?"

"Already have. They're still living, aren't they?"

When James returned home later that day, he was surprised to have the door opened by Amy. He hadn't seen her since her first ball last week--the only one he'd been expected to attend, thank God--but Georgina had mentioned that Amy had visited her only a few days ago. And since he hadn't knocked, she'd obviously been waiting for him, a circumstance unusual enough to set off alarms in his head.

But because he wasn't a man who overreacted or jumped to conclusions, he simply asked, "Where's Henri? Or has Artie got the duty today? Didn't notice when I left."

Henri and Artie had been members of his crew during his pirating days. But those two had been with him for such a long time, they were more like family, and

when he'd decided to sell the Maiden 41 Anne, they'd elected to hire into his household instead of shipping out on an unfamiliar ship. Two more unlikely butlers you couldn't imagine, yet they shared the job and got a kick out of shocking any unsuspecting visitors with their coarse ways.

"It's Artie's turn today," Amy answered as she shut the door behind him. "But he's gone for the doctor."

She saw his back stiffen for a moment before he started running toward the stairs, so she quickly called after him, "She's in the parlor."

He stopped abruptly. "The parlor?"

"Having tea," she added.

"Having tea!" he exploded as he did an about-face and headed in that direction, stopping at the door when he spotted his wife inside. "Blister it, George, what the bloody hell d'you think you're doing? You ought to be in bed."

"I don't want to go to bed, and I'm having tea," Amy heard Georgina answer with commendable calm.

That answer brought James up short again, however. "Then you're not having the baby?"

"Yes, I am, but I'm having tea, too.

Would you like to join me?"

James was silent for a moment, digesting that. "Blister it, George, you're not doing this thing properly."

And then he entered the parlor. "You're going to bed."

"Devil take it, James, put me down," Amy heard next. "I'll be in that bed soon enough, and yelling my head off. You'll get your proper, but not until I'm ready. Now put me--was There was an abrupt silence. Amy, hesitant about intruding since she'd never seen her uncle James react this way, got up the nerve to move to the doorway. She was in time to see Georgina having another contraction and her husband quite undone by it. He'd sat down, though he hadn't released Georgina, was still holding her tight, and he was as pale as the ivory damask sofa he sat on.

"When did your pains start?" he got out when she was breathing normally again.

"This morning--was

"This morning!"

"If you're going to ask why I didn't mention it before you left, just listen to yourself and you'll have your

answer. Now do put me down, James, 43 so I can finish my tea. Amy's just poured it."

"Amy!" he bellowed in a new direction. "What the devil do you think you're doing, serving my wife--was

"Don't you dare take out your anxiety on Amy." Georgina blasted him with a punch to his shoulder. "I wanted to clean house, if you must know, but she convinced me to have tea instead. If you're not going to join us, have a drink, but do stop yelling at us."

James released her long enough to run a hand through his hair. Georgina took advantage of his lapse to scoot off his lap and reach for her tea, as if it were any day other than the one on which she was having a baby.

After a moment he said, to no one in particular, "I'm sorry. I didn't have to go through this with Jeremy. I think I'd rather have them pop up half grown and tell me I've sired them after the fact. I bloody well know I prefer it that way."

Amy took pity on him to explain. "Much as I'd like to be with her through it all, I know someone will raise hell about it afterward--my innocence, you know

--so I've sent for my mother and Aunt Roslynn, and Reggie, too. Between them, they'll make sure she does whatever she's supposed to do."

Georgina relented enough to add, "This really is the easy part, James. In fact, I would suggest you have that drink and get foxed before the hard part starts--or make yourself scarce. I will quite understand if you prefer to wait it out at your club."

"I'm sure you would. I'm sure I would, too, but I'll be right here if you need me."

Amy had guessed he would say that. Georgina must have, too, because she smiled and leaned over to kiss him. And then another knock came at the door.

"That will be the troops starting to arrive," Amy said.

"Hah!" James said with some relief. "Charlotte will get you in that bed, George, see if she don't."

"Charlotte has had two sons and three daughters of her own, James, so she'll understand my sentiments perfectly--and if you don't stop harping on that bed, I'll have this baby right here in the parlor, see if I

don't."

Amy left the room with a grin on her 45 lips. Uncle James had taken the entire pregnancy in stride, according to Georgina, so who would have thought he'd come undone at the end? She should have sent for Anthony as well, though he was likely to come with Roslynn anyway. But he'd taken some serious ribbing from James on the day of Judith's birth, when Anthony had sat more or less in a daze until it was over. He ought to be here to see how well his brother was holding up under the same circumstances.

But when she opened the door, it was none of her family on the stoop. It was all five of Georgina's brothers, and wouldn't you know it, Amy got tongue-tied again.

Chapter 5

"Well, hello there." It was Drew Anderson who'd done the original knocking, and so he was the one who stood directly in front of Amy now, giving her a quite dazzling smile. "Amy, wasn't it? No, wait, it was Lady Amy, since your father's an earl or some such. Derek said the old king bestowed the title on himyears ago for

some service he'd done him. Am I remembering that correctly?"

Amy was amazed that he remembered her at all and merely blurted out, "Financial advice. My father has the golden touch when it comes to money." Amy suspected that she'd inherited that same ability from her father, which was why she never wagered with family and friends, because with her instincts, she rarely lost.

"We should all be so lucky," Drew continued, and as his black eyes moved slowly down her frame and then back again, he added with some delight, "But look at you, all grown up this time and pretty as a picture."

His flattery didn't embarrass or fluster her as it might have another girl her age. This was the brother who had a sweetheart in every port, after all, and wasn't to be taken the least bit seriously, according to his sister. But he was making Amy the center of attention just now, including his attention, and that was not how she had imagined their next meeting would go.

Her eyes touched on her chosen husband briefly, but she detected only impatience, which was proved as he snapped, "For God's sake,

Drew, kindly remember that you're not 47 alone and save your wooing for when you are."

"Good idea, Drew," Boyd said, only to add dryly, "I'd like to see Georgie--as long as we're here."

Drew, true to his nature, wasn't the least bit repentant. Amy, however, was definitely embarrassed now as she recalled the reason for this visit, and that she was standing there barring their way. And worse and worse, his irritation with his brother was carrying over to her, if the scowl he turned on her was any indication. That was so unfair, she decided not to mention the irony of their timing, that they wouldn't have very long to visit with their sister before she had to excuse herself to go and have her baby.

With as much dignity as she could muster under the circumstances, Amy stepped to the side and said,

"Do come in, gentlemen. You will be most welcome." By at least one member of the household.

They did come inside, a veritable mountain of men filing past her. Two of them were just short of six feet, but the other three topped six feet by a good four inches. Two of them had Georgina's dark brown hair, while the other brothers' was more golden in color. Two had dark brown eyes; two had eyes so light a green they reminded one of fresh-picked limes. Only Drew had eyes so dark they were black. And all of them were too handsome for a young girl's composure to remain steady for very long.

Once they were inside the entryway, Drew yelled exuberantly in his best captain's bellow, "Georgie girl, where are you?"

At which point, "What bloody rotten luck" drifted out of the parlor to their left in a near growl from James, while Georgina called out cheerfully, "In here, Drew--and behave yourself, James."

The Andersons headed for the parlor and the sound of their sister's voice. Amy, completely forgotten for the moment and glad of it, slipped in behind them and found a chair from which she could watch inconspicuously while the reunion commenced with laughter, hugs, and kisses--at least among the Andersons. James got out of the way also, moving to stand near the hearth with his arms crossed and his expression growing blacker by the moment. But, amazingly, he held his peace, loath to put an end to his wife's obvious

pleasure. Not one of the brothers greeted 49 him. Several looked as if they would like to, but were put off by his apparent disgruntlement.

Amy watched Georgina closely. Her contractions came and went, but she gave no indication of them other than a slight stiffening and a brief pause if she was speaking. James didn't notice, thank God, or all hell would have broken loose. The brothers didn't notice either, and Georgina clearly didn't want them to, not yet anyway. She'd missed them too much to desert them when they'd only just arrived.

Amy watched the brothers, too, something she couldn't help doing, as they vied for Georgina's attention.

Amy had been told that it wasn't often that all five were together when in Georgina's presence, since they

were all seafaring men, all captains of their own ships, except Boyd, who wasn't ready for that responsibility yet. They teased her outrageously about her size and how English she was sounding these days, while she gave some back to Warren and Boyd for not cutting their hair since she'd last seen them.

And they showed, in so many ways, how much they cared. Even the taciturn Warren was caught with a tender look on his face when he gazed at his sister.

Twice James interrupted, saying Georgina's name, or at least his version of it, and putting a wealth of warning into that single word. But she just cut him off each time with a "Not yet, James" and went on with whatever she'd been saying. Only Thomas, the middle brother, was beginning to look concerned over James's behavior. The others were doing their best to simply ignore him.

And then another knock came at the front door, this one guaranteed to put an end to the reunion. At least James thought so, since he was suddenly looking relieved.

Georgina wasn't, and she caught Amy's eye to say, "I'm not ready yet, Amy. Would you mind?"

Those cryptic-sounding words had a few of the brothers frowning, and the intuitive Thomas asking his sister, "Not ready for what?"

Georgina evaded the question and went on to a new subject. But Amy had understood perfectly and gave Georgina a reassuring smile that said she'd do her best. Three of the brothers watched her leave, but not the one she would have liked to take

such simple notice of her. 51

The newcomer turned out to be Roslynn, and since Anthony was with her when the summons had arrived, he was with her now. Considering who it was, Amy knew it was pointless to mention Georgina's wishes.

She still had to try, whispering, "Aunt George's brothers have just arrived, but she doesn't want them to know yet that her pains have started. So if you could refrain from mentioning it until she does ...?was Roslynn nodded, but Anthony just grinned, and anyone who knew Anthony Malory knew he wouldn't keep his mouth shut, not if what he had to say was guaranteed to cause an uproar that he could sit back and laugh over. Amy sighed and led them into the parlor anyway, since she wasn't up to barring her uncle from the house. She'd tried, and the wince she gave Georgina as she reentered the room said as much.

But by now Georgina knew Anthony as well as the rest of the family did, and so she wasn't surprised by the first words out of his mouth.

"So, George, you mean to start a new fashion, do you? Delivering babies with the whole family gathered around, and in the parlor, no less."

Georgina gave her most irritating brother-in-law a fulminating glare and said, "That isn't what I mean to do a'tall, you jackass."

She might have been able to explain away his remark as the jest of a demented man and was about to try. But her brother Thomas was adept at reading between the lines and he got the point immediately.