They would be disembarking in short order, and with some luck, she would not cross paths with the disturbing Duke of Thornbury. Something occurred to her as she watched the maid flit around like a distracted bird.

“Cora? Did you tell Rawley that I would be on this ship?”

Wide eyes met hers. “No, my lady.” Bronwyn relaxed, seeing only earnestness in the girl’s stare, but then her stomach sank at her next words. “He already knew.”

Shit.

What else did he know? And if by default her brother also knew, which was obvious, then why did he not put a stop to it? Courtland might be coiled around the finger of his very daunting duchess, but he was exceedingly protective about family, which included Bronwyn.

Heavens, what if he told Rawley to forbid her from leaving the ship? He wouldn’t, would he? The answer was there on the heels of the denial. Courtland would, and could, given he was a duke and accustomed to being obeyed. And it wasn’t as though she could fight Rawley. The man was the size of a mountain, and in truth, he was just as protective and probably even more so than her elder brother.

She would have to tread carefully and quickly. As much as pushing the limits thrilled her in addition to doing what she could to make the difference in the world she so wanted, she did not want to lose the esteem of the brother she’d only just found.

How important could this message be?

Perhaps she should just tear it to pieces and dispose of it in the ocean.

The thought didn’t sit well with her. She’d come this far. She had to complete what she’d committed to for Wentworth’s sake. He believed in their cause of righting the wrongs that the British Empire had wrought through colonization. What they were doing would help those who remained oppressed and enslaved in the American states. Who knew what rested upon the delivery of this letter that she had been tasked with?

Wentworth hadn’t been sure to trust her, but her brother’s passenger liner had been the fastest way to get to Philadelphia, and he’d been trapped between the devil and a hard place. Bronwyn had sensed her handler’s indecision.

“Perhaps, I should go,” he’d said.

“No, you’re too well known,” Bronwyn had insisted. “I’ll do it. I’m Ashvale’s sister. No one will suspect me.”

“This is important.”

“I know, Wentworth.”

He’d scowled. “Sesily might be a better option. She’s American. This is America’s war, isn’t it?”

Bronwyn had blinked, frowning at the blunt, harsh reply. “It’s everyone’s war, Wentworth. We all have to live in this world. I want to go.”

He had scrubbed at his face. “I don’t need to explain to you what will happen if you’re caught with this.”

“I know.”