"It is for the best," Tatiana said, pushing aside a stab of disappointment at the realization that they would spend this night in a carriage instead of a bed. And one of them would be sound asleep. Lord Stephen looked from his brother to Tatiana and back. "There is something far more interesting than a simple question of scandal here, isn't there?" Matthew chuckled. "Yes, I suppose you could say that." Lord Stephen's eyes narrowed. "Are you going to tell me what it is?" Matthew cast her a questioning glance and she nodded. "He is family, after all, my lord." Lord Stephen struck a lofty pose. "Indeed I am. You can scarcely be more family than I." "Very well, then." Matthew drew a deep breath. "Tatiana is actually a princess of the royal House of Pruzinsky of the Kingdom of Greater Avalonia. She is searching for the priceless jewels that symbolize the right of rule and were lost some fifty-odd years ago, but there is a wicked princess also searching for the jewels, and whoever finds them first may well ultimately rule the country." He huffed a short breath and glanced at Tatiana. "How was that?"

"Concise yet accurate." She grinned. "Well done."

Lord Stephen stared in obvious disbelief. "Your wife is a princess?"

"Born to the position." Matthew nodded.

"And there is a wicked princess as well?" Lord Stephen said slowly.

"She is unfailingly wicked." Tatiana nodded firmly. "It is her fault Matthew's balloon was destroyed, and

we barely escaped with our lives."

"I see." Lord Stephen's eyes widened slightly. "And there are jewels as well? Priceless, you say?"

"Oh, you can't put a value on such things." Matthew glanced at Tatiana. "Can you, my love?"

"No, indeed." She shook her head. "One can never put a price on heritage and tradition."

"Oh, and Stephen"-Matthew smiled at his brother-"did we mention Grandmother might well hold the

key to all this?"

Lord Stephen stared in obvious confusion. "Our grandmother?"

"The very one." Matthew nodded.

Lord Stephen stared suspiciously for a long moment, then a grin broke on his face. "Matthew, you

haven't changed a bit. That is an outstanding story." He laughed. "Good job, Brother. I daresay I didn't know you had it in you."

Matthew traded glances with Tatiana.

"You had me until that part about Grandmother." Lord Stephen shook his head and chuckled. "Imagine, that eminently proper lady involved in anything as absurd as missing jewels and wicked princesses."

"Imagine." Matthew grinned and accompanied Tatiana to the door. "However, we do need to be off. We can talk more about all of this in the carriage."

"Oh, certainly." Lord Stephen winked at Tatiana. "I can scarcely wait to hear more about the evil princess and the priceless jewels."

"It may well be even more amusing than you suspect," Tatiana said with a smile.

"I have no doubt of that. Princess." Lord Stephen snorted. "That is the best part. Matthew wed to a princess."

"Not at all, that's just the beginning. I suspect you'll be hearing all sorts of interesting things." Matthew opened the door and allowed Tatiana to proceed, then glanced back at his brother. "By the way, Stephen, do you recall ever hearing anything of a scandalous nature about Grandmother and Grandfather?"

Chapter 18.

The sun was still low in the sky when Matt at last caught sight of Weston Manor.

It hadn't, of course, changed at all. The manor sat precisely as it had sat for nearly a century and a half, sprawled at the end of a gravel drive like an overfed cat lounging in the warmth of the day. He had always seen it like this, even though he now recognized the design of the house was not at all sprawling but precise and formal, with its central portico flanked by symmetrical wings. The early morning light cast a warm glow upon the pale stone walls; the rows of many-paned windows stacked on top of one another for two soaring floors glittered in the sun. Still, regardless of his knowledge and appreciation of architecture and style, the manor struck him now, as it always had, as short and plump and comfortable.

Home.

The word echoed in the back of his mind, the sight of the manor itself evoking a rush of emotion he had not expected.

"You should probably awaken her." Stephen stretched and yawned on the seat across from Matt. "We will be at the door in a few minutes."

Matt glanced down at Tatiana and grinned. His wife was curled up at his side, asleep as always.

His wife. That too evoked emotions he did not expect.

He loved her, of course, that was no longer in question, if indeed it had ever been. Throughout the night, in those few moments when he and Stephen were not talking of the years apart, his thoughts turned from recollections of the past to speculation about the future.

A very uncertain future.

He could not live the kind of useless life her first husband had. Even if he were willing to try, he knew she would never allow it. He knew as well, from what she had said and what she had implied, she was willing to give up her crown for him.

How in the name of all that's holy could he ever allow that?

It wasn't a matter of forfeiting some insignificant title. She was a princess. A member of the royal family and third in line to rule Avalonia. She would not merely be giving up an office but her country. And her people. And her family.

She might well love him enough to sacrifice everything, but he loved her too much to let her.

"So she really is a princess?" Stephen said with a note of awe in his voice.

Matt pushed his thoughts aside for the moment and forced a light chuckle. "Indeed she is."

"And all the rest of it: the missing jewels, sabotage of your balloon, Grandmother's involvement-"

"Don't forget the wicked princess."

"I would never forget the wicked princess." Stephen smiled in a rather wicked manner of his own. "Is this wicked princess at all attractive?"

Matt laughed softly. "As far as I know."

"I wouldn't mind a princess of my own." Stephen wagged his brows in a lascivious manner. "I should be more than willing to take her off your hands should she make an appearance here."

"She has already had two husbands," Tatiana murmured. "Neither of whom survived the marriage."

"Ouch." Stephen winced. "Scarcely seems worth the effort."

Tatiana opened her eyes and gazed up at her husband. His breath caught.

"Oh, I don't know, Stephen," Matt said. "The right princess is well worth the effort."

She smiled and shifted to sit upright. She glanced at Stephen, who straightened in his seat at once. "And the wrong princess can be deadly."

"Sounds entirely too hazardous to suit me." Stephen shook his head. "I shall simply have to avoid princesses in the future as anything other than"-he thought for a moment, then grinned-"sisters."

The carriage rolled to a stop amid their laughter and the trio disembarked. Stephen and Tatiana started up the front steps but Matt lingered behind. For a long moment he stood before the house and gazed upward.

A myriad of childhood scenes flashed through his mind. At one time he would have thought all his memories would be bad. But here and now, the reminiscences that held him motionless were of happier times. He remembered how, even as a boy, Alec took the position of heir to the title somberly but still managed to run faster, ride harder and take more risks than anyone else. Or how James, with his nose always in a book, made use of his literary skills to convince his brothers there were fairies living in the garden and goblins in the woods. Or how Stephen delighted in turning James's stories into reality, and thus created tiny fairy footprints under the gardener's finest blooms and goblin dens under the stone creek bridge.

Then there was Matt, who took risks like Alec and spun stories like James and joked like Stephen. And ultimately rebelled against it all.

And there was his father, who was beloved when Matt was a child, detested when Matt was a youth and mourned when it was too late.

"It's not as daunting as you think," Stephen said softly.

"Probably not." Matt shook his head and grinned wryly. "It's probably worse."

For the second time in as many days, Matt was not only willing to admit he was wrong, but glad of it.

Alec and James greeted him like the long-lost brother he was, their welcome every bit as warm as Stephen's. There were no awkward moments between the brothers, no silence fraught with unsaid charges. No recriminations, no accusations, no censure. It was not as if they'd never parted; all had grown and changed with the years. But rather, having been apart, they could appreciate who they were now and the bond that joined them.

Tatiana had watched the reunion with obvious amusement, then excused herself, pleading a need to rest. A falsehood, of course. The woman never slept better than she did in a carriage with a glass of Avalonian brandy in her.

Now the brothers had gathered in the Weston library. It was a room designed by gentlemen for the comfort of gentlemen, and it too had not changed. A circle of well-worn leather chairs was arranged near the fireplace, each flanked on either side by small tables specifically placed to accommodate glasses or whatever else might be necessary. The chairs were extraordinarily comfortable and the company unequaled. It was not yet noon, but each brother held a glass of good brandy in one hand and a cigar in the other. A pale blue haze hung like a halo above them, distorting the light from the tall widows.

Damnation, it was good to be home.

"I am sorry about your balloon," James said. "I was quite looking forward to taking flight with you."

Stephen nodded. "As was I."

"We all were. However, that's neither here nor there at the moment." Alec studied his youngest brother. "The real question is, what will you do now?"

"And an excellent question it is, too." Matt raised his glass in a toast.

"But do you have an excellent answer?" James asked.

"Or any answer at all?" Stephen chuckled. "I daresay I'm still looking for one."

Matt took a long sip and considered his plans. He wasn't entirely sure his brothers would appreciate having a clerk in the family. "I am seriously considering gainful employment."

"No." Stephen feigned a shocked gasp. "Not that."

"Yes, indeed." Matt nodded in mock solemnity. "When this business of Tatiana's is resolved, I plan to return to London and seek a job with a shipping firm."

"A shipping firm?" James said. "It doesn't sound terribly exciting, unless you're planning on returning to sea yourself."

"Not on a regular basis, James, although I shall not rule out an occasional voyage. Oddly enough, I do find the idea of commerce exciting." Matt blew a smoke ring into the air to drift lazily upward. "I have no idea why, mind you. There are no particular business skills running through the family."

Alec pointed his cigar. "Actually, Matt, Father was rather intrigued by business. He continually made investments, most of them sound. He seemed to have a gift for it and a bit of a passion as well."

Stephen nodded smugly. "See? Didn't I say you were just like him?"

Matt laughed. "If he had a gift for investment, then I do hope so. My plan at the moment, such as it is, is to earn a living beyond my pension for investment purposes while simultaneously learning the business of shipping. Admittedly, it will take some time. But"-he shrugged-"time is the one thing I have in abundance."

Alec frowned. "I certainly understand wanting to learn about the business that interests you. I find that admirable and quite wise. What I don't understand is why you don't simply start a firm yourself or purchase an existing firm."

"Money, dear brother. The only true purpose of my venture with balloons, if indeed I had a purpose at all, was to earn enough with my designs to invest in a ship and thereby make my fortune."

"That was a plan?" Disbelief rang in James's voice.

"Yes, well, it doesn't sound like much of a plan now, but it made a great deal of sense at the time." Matt thought for a moment. "Or perhaps it was unreasonable then too and was nothing more than an excuse. It was great fun, you know. Flying above the earth. Tinkering with machinery." He grinned at Stephen. "And women love balloons."

"I should get one myself, then." Stephen raised his glass to his brother.

"Stephen," Alex said firmly. "You didn't tell him everything you were instructed to, did you?"

"I didn't have the time." Stephen shrugged. "One minute we were being interrogated about the validity of Matt's marriage, and the next we were being shown the door. Add to that Matt's story about princesses and missing jewels and, well"-he shook his head-"everything else paled in significance."

Matt looked from one brother to the next. "What did he fail to mention?"

Alec and James traded glances. Alec's gaze met Matt's. "It's not necessary for you to find employment to supplement your income."

"Come, now, Alec," Matt said. "I knew you wouldn't be especially happy at the idea of a Weston as a lowly clerk, but I am the youngest and have always been well aware that I have no expectations."

"Matt," James said. "There is money available for you."

Matt shook his head firmly. "I am not going to take your money. I have long decided that I wanted to succeed on my own."

"There are moments, little brother, when our elders drive me quite mad." Stephen heaved a long-suffering sigh. "What they are trying to say-poorly, I might add-is that unbeknownst to us until long after you'd left, Father did indeed have a gift for investment in all kinds of things. Ships-"

"Far Eastern trade," Alec said.

"Plantations in the West Indies," James added.

"And any number of other interesting ventures. The point is, while the estate and Weston Manor are Alec's, Father made sure the rest of us were well provided for." Stephen grinned.

"Each of us has a substantial legacy." Alec smiled.