Matthew had rejected that ill-begotten wealth when he—driven to help others instead of taking from them—had become a physician. But his efforts had always felt paltry in the face of all theharm that his relatives had caused. Then Tavish had offered him a more concrete way to counteract his family’s sins.
“When I arrived in the New World,” Tavish continued, “I was purchased by a Marylander with a tobacco plantation—or rather, he paid for my passage and in return I was obliged to serve his whims for fourteen years. But being an indentured servant was better than what the Black people toiling alongside me faced. They were and are trapped for their entire lives, and so are their children and their children’s children. Laws give some protection to white indentured servants, not that my master paid any attention to them. I managed to escape the horrors. With my education, I made my fortune and invested in my own shipping company. When I returned to London, I decided to save boys in similar situations.”
“Not only did he help free them, but he set up living quarters here on his premises,” Matthew explained, feeling a rush of fierce pride and affection. “The printing shop was originally started as a way to teach the lads a useful trade.”
“That’s why there are so many people and outbuildings!” Charlotte practically bounced in her chair—an exuberant reaction that reminded Matthew of the girl she’d been when she’d run wild on her parents’ northern estate. “I knew something was unique about them!”
“I have also established a more formal school that includes university-level learning but with a focus on practical skills rather than philosophical. There is more math and science than Greek plays studied here,” Tavish added.
“He also accepts students who my mother and her crew save from slaver ships,” Sophia added.
“Is that how you know each other?” Charlotte asked.
“No,” Tavish chuckled. “I first met Sophia and Hannah when Brave Mary captured my flagship. I was on it at the time.”
“Mother quickly discovered that Tavish not only had a policyof refusing to transport slaves or indentured servants but also sugar and tobacco,” Sophia added. “He had several escapees from tobacco plantations aboard whom he was taking to England for their safety.”
“She immediately saw that our interests aligned. Her pirating operation focuses on freeing Africans, but she also saves white indentured servants like her husband and brother-in-law. Brave Mary settled an island for freed slaves in the Caribbean, but some of the residents wish to earn their fortunes in big cities. She was already considering establishing a place in London that could serve as a safe haven for all peoples to gather.”
“The Black Sheep!” Alexander gave his cane a thump. He swung toward Matthew, his usual jovial smile replaced by perfectly straight lips that did little to mask his hurt. “I cannot believe that you never breathed a word of this to me.”
Guilt wormed through Matthew. “I wanted to tell you so many times.”
“I forbade him,” Tavish broke in with firm surety. “It was my first condition of hiring him on as a physician.”
“What exactly did you do on those voyages?” Charlotte asked.
“I was the ship’s surgeon, and I did conduct scientific expeditions into the interior, but I wasn’t only gathering information on flora and fauna but the plantations as well.” Matthew spoke carefully, loath to paint himself as some sort of valiant Robin Hood–esque hero.
“Where he helped free slaves and abused indentured servants,” Tavish said.
“There were many locals who assisted,” Matthew said stiffly. “I was merely a messenger.”
Sophia snorted. “That is an understatement. Charlotte witnessed you practically flying through the sky last night. She is bright enough to realize you have a great deal of experience at evading danger.”
Matthew really was a scholar. His occasional forays into subterfuge were the aberration. He didn’t want Charlotte hoodwinked into seeing him as a romantic storybook hero. Fortunately, he knew the perfect way to divert the conversation.
“Why was Lady Charlotte with you and Hannah last night?” There had been no time for Matthew to ask the question when he’d been stitching Charlotte’s wound. And last evening and this morning in the hothouse, there were other more tantalizing concerns occupying Matthew’s mind.
Sophia and Hannah quickly launched into the tale of how they’d rescued Charlotte from ruffians. Matthew was horrified to discover that she’d been trailing two of Hawley’s minions through a rough section of Covent Garden.
“Why would you do something so bloody dangerous?” The question tore from Matthew’s very being before he had a chance to temper his language.
“It is the only way to stop the betrothal. Your father is due back in little over a week, and I had to act,” Charlotte explained, her voice laced with desperation.
Hannah made a harsh sound. “With the way you’re investigating, you’re more likely to avoid the wedding by being dead.”
“Hannah!” Sophia admonished. “You needn’t be so harsh!”
Matthew flinched as he imagined Charlotte’s lifeless body. He wanted to reach for her—to hold her, to reassure himself that she hadn’t been harmed by the miscreants.
“My cousin is only telling the truth—although perhaps more colorfully than my nerves would like,” Alexander broke in and then addressed his sister. “You need the frankness, Lottie. I told you not to approach Hawley. I promised I would look into it.”
Matthew tried to wrestle back his fear. Logic. He needed to employ logic.
“Why are either of you endangering yourselves? Alexanderknows that I’ve been trying to find proof of Hawley’s crimes for years. He is my brother. There may not be a lot of kinship lost between us, but I did grow up with him. I have the best chance of ferreting out his secrets.”
To Matthew’s shock, guilt flashed over the countenances of both Lovett siblings. The two immediately shared one of those “twin” looks that Matthew recalled from his summers at their parents’ estate. The exchange had never made him feel so much like an outsider as it did now.
