“A man is what he is and no fancy lodgings or fine clothes will change that (Daniel Brennan)”

“And in my private life I prefer not to pass myself off as what I'm not (Daniel Brennan)”

“You know, Silas shouldn’t have something so indecent like this lying about,” Ann said. “One of the children might see it.” She brightened. “I know! We should put some clothes on it! That would make it all right, don’t you think?”“Oh, by all means. Do clothe the woman,” Louisa said, laughter bubbling up from the back of her throat.Ann flitted around the room looking for something appropriate. “Ah, this’ll be fine,” she said, her back to Louisa. She fooled with the thing a bit, then turned and held it up for Louisa’s approval.It took Louisa a second to recognize what Ann had chosen to clothe the poor beleaguered fertility goddess in, but as soon as she did, she burst into laughter.Silas’s drawers. Ann had clothed the carving in Silas’s dirty drawers.After that, Louisa couldn’t stop laughing. Ann had tied the legs around the carving’s neck so that the back side of the unlaced drawers covered her front. It was truly a site to behold. And when Ann looked at her in all innocence, obviously unaware that the lady’s clothing was as indecent as the lady herself, Louisa laughed so hard her sides hurt.“Louisa, are you alright?” Ann asked as she went to her friend’s side. “I swear, you’re behaving strange today. Really strange.”Louisa couldn’t even speak. All she could do was laugh and point at the carving.“This?” Ann asked as she held the carving up. “What’s wrong? Don’t you like her fine woolen dress?”Louisa erupted in more peals of laughter.Unfortunately, it was just at that moment, when Louisa was laughing herself to death and Ann was waving the carving about in the air, that Silas chose to make his untimely entrance.“What are you females going in here?” his raspy male voice roared from the doorway, making them both jump.Ann dropped the carving at once, watching as it rolled across the wooden floor, losing its exotic gown in the process.Louisa managed to rein in her laughter, though a few chuckles still bubbled out of her.“We wasn’t doin’ nothin’, truly,” Ann began to babble. “Louisa said . . . I mean . . . we thought . . .”“It’s all right, Ann.” Louisa faced Silas, laughter still in her eyes. But when she saw his livid expression and reddened face, she sobered at once. “I’m sure Silas knows better than to blame you.”“We was just tryin’ to help.” Bending to pick up the carving, Ann held it out to Silas. “Honestly, Mr. Dumm—”Silas made a choking sound as he saw what Ann held in her hands. “Get out.” Snatching the carving from her, he tossed it across the room. “I said get out of here! Now!”

“She didn't want to think about how wrong this was or how foolish it was to give herself to a known seducer. Because tonight Oliver wasn't that man. Not to her. He was the boy who'd cried over his dead mother, the young man who'd lost himself in drink and women to forget the past, the marquess who'd vowed not to marry for money. He was the man to be her lover.”

“Must the women keep curtseying to me as if I were some deity?” he grumbled.“Yes. It’s due you because of your rank.” An impish smile crossed her face. “You didn’t even have to brandish your saber in front of them to get it. Fancy that. It must be a new experience for you.”He cast her a sidelong glance. “If you don’t show me some respect, my dear wife, I’ll have to brandish my . . . er . . . saber in front of you later when we’re alone.”

“Horns. The skull had horns His heart sank. Only one pirate ship bore that flag—the Satyr.To make sure, he looked for the figurehead. When he saw the telltale carving of the mythological half-goat, half-man, he groaned aloud. Then he lifted his glass, and saw the black-haired man standing in the bow. It was the Satyr, all right. And its demon owner Captain Gideon Horn.“Tis the Pirate Lord himself!”

“What are you doing here?" she asked."You forgot something when you left Halstead Hall," he said hoarsely."What?"Her heart lept into her throat as he strode purposefully toward her. "Me.”