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demanded, his patience coming to an end, and the look on Deverell’s face belatedly telling him that this is exactly the reaction he’d been hoping for. 
    “Why, nothing my dear man, nothing at all.  What would I be implying other than the fact that you and Lord Buckingham were dear friends?  You spent much time in his rooms discussing state business, a very bonding experience, I imagine.  I’m sure your wife was quite proud, knowing you helped shape the foreign policy of our great nation, working so intimately with one of our country’s leaders.”  Deverell smiled, stressing the word “intimately” as he held Kit’s gaze. 
    “I must go,” Kit said tersely, rising from his seat , “I have business to attend to.”
    “It was a pleasure to see you, Lord Sheridan, a pleasure indeed.  We’ll see each other soon, I think.  Very soon.  As a matter of fact, I would relish the pleasure of having you and dear Lady Sheridan to supper once we’ve settled, my wife and I.  I’ll send a note, shall I?” 
    “I’ ll look forward to it,” replied Kit, bowing stiffly and fleeing the tavern.  Was he being overly suspicious, or was the man hinting at his knowledge of Kit’s relationship with Buckingham?  Was this spawn of the devil merely having a bit of fun with him, or did he have something more practical in mind?  Kit dug his heels into the flanks of his horse, harder than he should have perhaps, and the horse took off at a gallop toward Rosewood Manor.  Damn it all to hell, Kit thought, why can’t the past ever stay in the past?

 
    June 177 9
    Virginia
     

Chapter 5
     
    “Come on, little man,” Sam whispered as he lifted the solid little body of his son out of the cot and tiptoed toward the door.  “Let’s let mama sleep for a while longer.”  He smiled at Susanna’s face, relaxed in sleep and slightly more rounded now that she was in the last months of pregnancy.  Her stomach looked like a mound under the covers, moving of its own accord as the baby kicked and frolicked in its cushy world. 
    “Want mama,” Ben screamed, pushing at Sam with his hands and straining to catch a last look of Susanna.  “Want mama,” he repeated again.
    “Why don’t we go up to the big house and visit with everyone?  I think they might just be sitting down to breakfast, and Grandma always has bacon on Sunday mornings.  Hmm, what do you think?” Sam asked, knowing of his son’s legendary love of bacon.  Ben only started eating table food two months ago, and bacon had been the one thing that seemed to appeal to his finicky palate; he was indifferent to everything else.  Ben nodded happily and stopped fighting as Sam deftly changed his clout, washed his face and hands with water from the barrel outside the door, and ran a hand through Ben’s hair in an effort to get it to actually lie down for a change.  It always stood on end when he woke up, making him look slightly wild, but oh-so-adorable. 
    Sam covered the distance to the house in record time, eager for some bacon, porridge and a cup of real tea, not the swill he made over a campfire.  He’d just come back from his latest mission last night, climbing into bed just as Susanna was falling asleep, Ben curled up at her side with his thumb in his mouth.  Susanna mumbled words of love and welcome and was out before he even had a chance to give her a proper kiss.  She was tired, which was natural in her condition, and he would give her a chance to rest while spending an agreeable hour with his family.  He hadn’t seen them since Ben’s first birthday two weeks ago, and besides, he had information for his father.
    Ben nearly fell out of Sam’s arms as he let out a squeal of joy at seeing Diana.  She was already being fed; porridge smeared over her little face, and her hands sticky with honey dripping from the piece of bread she was holding on to for dear life.  She got equally excited to see Ben, so Sam sat them next to each other and let them