Deception Read Free Page B

uncle. “I think we can dispense with a discussion of that subject. I do not intend to seduce Miss Wingfield or anyone else into telling me the secret of the diary.”
    Thaddeus scowled. “How will ye go about worming it out o’ her, then, lad?”
    “I shall offer to purchase the information,” Jared said.
    “Purchase it.”
Magnus looked shocked. “Ye think ye can buy a legendary secret like that with mere money?”
    “It has been my experience that one can purchase almost anything,” Jared said. “A straightforward, businesslikeapproach works wonders in virtually every conceivable situation.”
    “Lad, lad, what are we going to do with you?” Thaddeus moaned.
    “You are going to let me handle this my way,” Jared said. “Now then, let us understand each other. I will pursue the diary. In the meantime, I want your word that you will remember our agreement.”
    “What agreement?” Magnus asked blankly.
    Jared’s jaw tightened. “While I’m engaged in this undertaking you are not to interfere in any way in Flamecrest business matters.”
    “Bloody hell, son, Thaddeus and I were running the family business before you were even born.”
    “Yes, sir, I know. The two of you ran it straight into the ground.”
    Magnus’s mustache jumped in outrage. “Not our fault we had a bit of a bad spell there. Business was poor during those years.”
    Jared wisely decided not to pursue the point. They all knew that the earl’s lack of business sense coupled with the equally poor abilities of his brother, Thaddeus, had combined to destroy what little was left of the Flamecrest family fortune.
    It was Jared who had taken over at the age of nineteen, barely in time to salvage the one decrepit ship that the family had still owned. He had pawned his mother’s necklace to raise the money he had needed. No one in the family had ever really forgiven him for his shocking want of sentiment, including his mother. She had actually mentioned the matter for the last time on her deathbed two years ago. Jared had been too grief-stricken to remind her that she had enjoyed the fruits of the new Flamecrest fortune to the hilt, as had everyone else in the clan.
    Jared had rebuilt the Flamecrest empire from thatone ship. He sincerely hoped he would not have to repeat the feat when he returned from this crazed venture.
    “Hard to believe that at long last the missing Flamecrest fortune is nearly within our grasp.” Thaddeus squeezed his hand into a triumphant fist.
    “We already possess a fortune,” Jared pointed out. “We do not need the stolen treasure Captain Jack and his partner Edward Yorke buried on that damn island nearly a hundred years ago.”
    “It was not stolen treasure,” Magnus thundered.
    “If you will recall, sir, Great-grandfather was a pirate while he lived in the West Indies.” Jared’s brow rose. “It’s highly unlikely that he and Yorke came by that treasure in an honest fashion.”
    “Captain Jack was not a pirate,” Thaddeus said fiercely. “He was a loyal Englishman who sailed under a commission. That treasure was lawful spoils taken off a Spanish vessel, by God.”
    “It would be interesting to hear the Spaniards’ version of the story,” Jared remarked.
    “Bah.” Magnus glowered at him. “They’re to blame for this situation. If the blasted Spaniards hadn’t given chase, Captain Jack and Yorke wouldn’t have been obliged to bury the booty on that damned island and we wouldn’t be standin’ here tonight workin’ out a way to get it back.”
    “Yes, sir,” Jared said wearily. He had heard this many times before. It never failed to bore him.
    “The only real
pirate
around was Edward Yorke,” Magnus continued. “That lying, cheating, murderous knave who betrayed your great-grandfather to the Spanish. It was only by the grace of God that Captain Jack managed to escape the trap.”
    “It all happened nearly a hundred years ago. We do not know for certain that Yorke betrayed