"They are all family, so yes," he said.

"Fine. Join me in my room for a nightcap, and we'll make this call tonight. Maybe we can figure a few things out before they emerge in the morning."

*********

Sydney, Australia

1811

I watched the ship disappear over the horizon, taking the last of the family I'd worked for and protected for almost a decade out to sea. Neil Baillieu was a shrewd businessman, and he'd made a killing providing sheep for the burgeoning city. His political contacts with the Governor and the Military helped cement his fortune; his eldest daughter, Laura, married a Commander in the Royal Navy, an assistant...