You Only Love Once by Caroline Linden Read Free Book Online Page A

appearance, whatever that appearance is. She’s Stafford’s agent, and I don’t trust him—or her—not to have other motives beyond serving Lord Selwyn’s directive.”
    â€œOf course not. Never trust the English devils.” Prince pointed the pestle at him. “So what are you to do, while she is off charming her way into Dixon’s confidence? That is what this Englishman intends for her to do, isn’t it?”
    Slowly Nate nodded. “But she didn’t seem happy about that. In fact, she doesn’t want to do this at all. I wonder how Stafford plans to persuade her…?”
    Prince watched him for a few minutes. “Bugger the lot of them,” he said finally. “We do not need them. One hundred dollars will hire a brace of investigators who can track the thief down. We can snatch him ourselves, exercise a little tender persuasion”—he tapped the variety of weapons spread on the table in front of him—“and be off.”
    â€œMonroe didn’t want that,” Nate said dryly. “You know I was willing enough, but when the president says no…” He shrugged. “Besides, we’re committed now; Selwyn and Stafford know all about our presence and purpose, to say nothing of this Martand woman. It’s the diplomatic way or no way, and I’m not going home without Jacob Dixon chained to the mast.”
    The other man cursed him good-naturedly. “I hardly know you anymore. When did rules and diplomacy matter to you?” He pointed his finger in accusation. “You want to work with this pretty French girl. Corrupted into propriety by a skirt!”
    Nate caught up one of his discarded boots and chucked it at Prince. “For Ben? Anything.”
    Prince ducked the flying boot. “Ah. Blame it on the general.” He shook his head and began sprinkling the dust from the mortar into the smoking pot.
    It all came down to Ben, who was the real victim here. General Benjamin Davies had been a hero of the American Revolution, leading his New England militiamen, including Nate’s father, through the woods and over mountains to fight the British. Ben lost his right arm at Saratoga but taught himself to swing the sword with his left arm, and was back in the saddle within a couple of months. After the war he had gone into business and politics, privately saying each would balance the deleterious effects of the other on his constitution, but age and infirmity finally caught up to the general. In thanks for his war service, Ben had been appointed Collector of the Port of New York, collecting tax duties on shipments through the harbor, a rather plum post of some standing. Since the loss of his arm, Ben had employed a secretary who handled much of his correspondence, and as collector he had needed even more assistance. Jacob Dixon had appeared theperfect candidate—capable, conscientious, modest. Before long Ben had left much of the actual collection to Dixon, until one day Dixon said he had inherited a fortune from an aunt in England and was returning home at once. The day after his ship sailed, a gaping discrepancy was discovered in the accounts of the port.
    A close examination of the books revealed Dixon’s deceit, and the theft of over four hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Ben was devastated. As collector, he was responsible; he pledged his every possession to the government to repay the debt. It was a terrible blow to a man who had already lost an arm in service to his country, especially now that he was old and in declining health. Nate, Ben’s godson, had been only one of the men who called upon President Monroe to ask for clemency for an old soldier.
    Monroe willingly believed that Ben had not stolen the money, but he was caught. The young country needed those funds desperately, and Ben had been responsible for their collection. The best the president could do was agree to let Nate go after Jacob Dixon in an