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“Please look at the postscript,” Livie said.

His eyes dropped to the bottom of the page. She watched closely as he read it once, blinked, then skimmed it again. “Rather more poetic than my usual vein, but certainly my own.”

“ ‘The dark shore of the heart may engender fornications, murders and thefts,’ ” Lord Devin quoted from memory. “You recall the words, Captain Sir Tyron?”

“Certainly.”

“Do you remember dictating that sentence specifically?”

“I agree with the sentiment,” her father said hotly. “These wretched novels consumed in the hundreds by young women must be condemned as inspiring lewdness—and yes, criminality as well.”

Livie couldn’t tell whether her father didn’t grasp the stakes of the conversation, or if he was bull-headedly intent on saving his would-be son.

“The hand that wrote the letter is that of Mr. Cassio,” Lord Devin stated. “This morning I compared it to a letter you sent to Admiralty, similarly scribed by your first mate.”

“Cassio faithfully transcribes my words,” the captain said sharply. “You hate him due to the enmity of your nature,” he said to Livie.

“I do not hate Mr. Cassio, Father.”

“Like Cain, you are jealous of him because I’ve deemed him worthy, and you are threatened by my pride in him. You hate the man who is as dear to me as a son..”

Livie cleared her throat. “No.”

“A woman instinctively rejoices in pride, avarice, and luxury. Therefore, you seek to cast blame upon the virtuous young man whom I have chosen to be your husband. Driven by the flippant impertinence of ambition, you want more. You think Mr. Cassio is not good enough for you?”

“Father …” His voice had risen to a bellow, and Livie couldn’t stop herself from shrinking back.

“You are naught compared to him!”

“Your daughter’s future is irrelevant at the moment,” Lord Devin said. “It is your own that is in question.”

The captain didn’t spare him a glance. “Unable to please me in any respect, you have set your sights on a title and fortune. You think that Mr. Cassio, despite his sober mind and steady attachment, is insufficient on the grounds that he isn’t wealthy enough to buy the fripperies you lust for!”

“It isn’t that!” Livie cried. “Father, whoever wrote that line committed treason—and framed you for their crimes!”

“Nonsense! The line is a mere bagatelle, an admonishment in my ongoing and endless attempt to steer you away from vanity and levity!”

“But there are ink blots—” Livie began.

Her father sprang from his seat. “I have spent my life trying to guide you toward chastity and dignity, only to fail again and again. Do you think that I don’t know your many crimes?” He crumpled the letter. “I wrote this after my sister revealed your love of novels!”

Livie blinked up at him. “ ‘Crimes?’ ” she repeated.

“My sister unwittingly revealed the way you got around my injunction by having your cousin read aloud works I had banned.” His mouth twisted with distaste.

Lord Devin folded his arms over his chest with the air of a man watching the fifth act of a tragedy he’d seen before.

“Father, won’t you please consider the situation?” Livie pleaded. “That final sentence is marked with ink blots that spell out the very plot for which you are imprisoned.”

The captain crumpled the letter in his hand and began to turn toward the burning fire when Lord Devin lunged forward and snatched it from his hand. “Evidence to be submitted in court,” he said calmly.

“Poppycock!” The captain leveled a long finger at Livie. “This so-called evidence is spun from a woman’s mind. From her shameful, pestiferous imagination!”

“Your daughter’s imagination had nothing to do with it,” Lord Devin stated. He folded the sheet, tucked into his coat, and reseated himself. “I have long been bothered by the fact that two years passed between the events on the shore and the trial you face.”

“I reported the event promptly, but I’d been at sea in His Majesty’s service,” the captain said impatiently. “I have had enough! I don’t want to hear another word from either of you.”

Out of nowhere, Livie realized that if her father had had enough, so had she. She came to her feet, proud to find that her knees were not shaking, and that her breath was even. To her side, Lord Devin automatically rose, as a gentleman must.