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society from time to time, which is less likely with an elderly employer.”
    “If only your Earl had a younger sister that needed a chaperone, then you could fall in love and marry, once you’d found a good match for your charge, of course!” Sarah said with a wistful smile.
    “I’d forgotten just what an incurable romantic you are! He’s not my Earl, and he says that he’s no family, so I doubt there is a sister waiting for my help.”
    “That is such a shame. I suppose he could have an illegitimate child somewhere who you could chaperone, but that would not aid the situation in regards to your romance. We don’t need a jealous mistress in the background!”
    “Sarah! If your husband heard you speaking in such a way, I doubt he would ever let you read a book again!” Milly laughed.
    “It’s the papers that are the worst,” Sarah confessed. “You wouldn’t believe the scandal that’s reported in those pages. I have to wait until he’s gone out before I touch them; he would be horrified if he realised I pour over them!”
    “I’m not surprised!” Milly shook her head in amusement at her friend.
    “I need some excitement in my life!” Sarah said with a laugh. Both friends knew she was perfectly happy with her lot.
    “I could happily live without excitement,” Milly responded with feeling. “Excitement usually brings trouble.”

Chapter 7
    Joshua was handed the crumpled sheet of paper. He grasped it as if he wanted to tear it into tiny pieces, but he could not. His image stared back at him as he glowered at the drawing. The two others in the room watched with interest at Joshua’s reaction.
    “Where did you get this?” he growled at the young man.
    “It was in the pocket of one of them nosey-beaks,” the young man responded, hoping that his find would bring him a reward. Roaming the streets, trying to make use of an opportunity had kept him alive so far, and he was always looking for the next chance.
    “Nosey-beaks?”
    “Those ‘cise men.”
    “If the excise men have a picture of you, they’re definitely still out to get you; they’re going to a lot of trouble,” Mack said to his fellow criminal.
    Joshua’s mind raced. Life had been difficult since the foiled landing in Dorset. The goods that should have been brought ashore with the French saboteurs had been seized. No funds could be raised from selling goods that did not exist! The fact that a number of his acquaintances had either been hanged or transported meant that many of the older channels of smuggling and criminal activity had been broken. There had been a lot less activity over the past weeks, and Joshua had felt deprivation because of it.
    Forced to flee the Dorset coastline without any belongings and only the money he had in his pocket had meant a long hard journey back to the capital. He had managed to obtain a bed, but had been living on his wits until finally things seemed to be returning to normal. Other people had taken the place of the ones he lost, many willing to risk the fate of those gone before them in order to make money.
    Just as he thought there was going to be an improvement in his finances, he was faced with the problem that excise men and goodness knew who else were still actively looking for him. He looked at the skin-and-bone youth standing before him. He had been the same once upon a time, and he was determined he was not going to be forced to live like an animal again.
    “It has the printer’s name on the bottom of the page. He’s proud of his work,” Joshua sneered. “Find out who ordered these. Do that, and I’ll see you right.”
    “Aw, mister, I ain’t able to live off fresh air,” the youth moaned and, instead of receiving the clip around the ear that he expected, he saw Joshua smile for the first time. It was not a pleasant sight to witness; the scar that ran the length of his cheek seemed to open as a grotesque mouth on the side of his face.
    “Be off with you,” Joshua responded, flicking