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leg-shackled and still have Considérant refuse to let me aboard that boat.”
    “He couldn’t do that,” Madeline stressed, placing her hand on his knee to emphasize her point. “Don’t you see, he’s testing the bounds of his power as it is. My lack of a husband was his lone justification for denying me my place among the colonists. As long as I provide the husband—along with marriage papers to prove my point—he could not in good faith refuse to allow us to join them.”
    Sinclair lifted his gaze from where her hand rested on his thigh, and Madeline recognized the gleam in his eye. She snatched her hand back. He said, “Don’t you worry about your reputation? What do you think the other colonists will say when you show up with a brand-new husband so soon after burying the old?”
    “Mr. Sinclair, La Réunion will be a colony based upon the philosophy of Charles Fourier. The Phalansterians are freethinkers, libertarians. They won’t—“
    His brows lifted in shock, he interrupted, “Phallus what?”
    Madeline sighed disgustedly. “Phalansterians. It’s another name for the followers of Fourier. Although this particular colony has voted to retain the institution of marriage, they won’t think ill of me for using the tradition to suit my needs. Besides, it will be a simple marriage of convenience. Everyone will accept that.”
    “No marriage is ever convenient,” he absently observed as he tossed his ball and considered her argument. “Freethinkers, huh? And these folks are moving to Texas?” His shoulders shook with a silent chuckle. “Hell, it’d almost be worth getting hitched just to be around to watch.”
    “Well?” she asked.
    “What about once we reach Galveston? What’s your lover gonna have to say about you tagging a husband along from home?”
    “Oh,” Madeline said, waving a hand, “I’m sure we will work around that when the time comes. We’ll obtain an immediate annulment; then you can conveniently disappear.”
    “Conveniently disappear,” he echoed as he studied the woman at his side and attempted to see past the beauty of her face into her mind. All right, so maybe he was a bit disappointed in her story. A virtuous widow was much more appealing than a promiscuous miss, but what else could you expect from these Europeans?
    Still, her idea did have merit, and at this point, he’d do damn near anything to get aboard the Uriel. Sleeping with a beauty like Madeline Christophe was a helluva lot better way to cross the Atlantic than hiding in the ship’s hold. Except she wasn’t actually proposing to sleep with him, was she?
    “Annulment, huh?” he asked. “Based on what grounds?”
    The woman’s spine went stiff as a fence post as she replied, “Nonconsummation, of course.”
    “Of course.” It would have to be that way. Brazos recognized that if he agreed to her proposal, procuring an annulment the moment they reached Texas would be a necessity. Not only was he unwilling to get stuck with a light-skirt for a wife, he couldn’t afford to waste any time before trying to help Juanita and the kids. Too, there was no telling what Salezan might do were he to learn that Brazos had taken a wife.
    That could be dangerous for them all, Madeline Christophe included.
    Still, a little company on the voyage home sounded nice. Who are you trying to fool ? his inner voice scorned. Brazos scowled and dropped his ball. He couldn’t spend his nights in the woman’s private cabin even if she’d let him.
    Brazos couldn’t bear to go below a ship’s deck.
    Madeline cleared her throat nervously before saying, “The staterooms aboard the Uriel have but a single bunk. I’m certain we could secure enough bedding, however, to make a comfortable pallet for you on the floor.”
    Sitting up, he eyed Madeline Christophe, and in a dry tone of voice said, “You are too kind.” He returned his leather ball to his pocket and withdrew another peppermint stick. This time he didn’t bother to offer