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Prologue

“Perfect courage is to do without witnesses

what one would be capable of doing

with the world looking on”

—François, Duc de la Rochefoucauld, 1613–1680

HAVERSHAM HOUSE

Spring 1813

He had wanted to be a Free Fellow since he was seven years old He had wanted to join their ranks and be a member from the first ue and how it had come to be

He had listened in rapt silence as Manners had confided his secret knowledge of the little band of blood brothers—all students at the Knightsguild School for Gentlelorious purpose The Free Fellows—Griffin, Viscount Abernathy, Colin, Viscount Grantham, and Jarrod, Earl of West as possible in order to preserve their freedoainst Napoleon and becoreatest heroes He had listened to his cousin recount the League’s adventures, and Daniel, ninth Duke of Sussex, had vowed to beco it took

And Daniel had kept the proo He had sat alone in his roolorious circle of heroes-in-the- no heed to the fact that the Free Fellows League was closed to all but the founding members He bribed Manners for every scrap of inforue the other boy could uncover, ulti to train for his first mission

Daniel shteen years, but he had finally earned the Free Fellows’ trust and becoranted provisional ue, he was about to assume coular lers he, Jarrod, and Colin had put together to cover vital operations

That lish Channel

Unfortunately, thathours in a boat And Daniel hated boats He didn’t mind water And he truly enjoyed the seashore But he hated boats Any boat Every boat With a passion usually reserved for defilers of small children and animals

But he hated weakness more—especially his oeakness Daniel had yet to conquer the queasiness that assailed him each time he set foot in a boat

Which hy he was about to spend the afternoon sailing the lake at his country estate

He had becoue, but he had one last fear to conquer before he could think of himself as a true Free Fellow, or a true hero …

Chapter One

“But screw your courage to the sticking-place

And we’ll not fail”

—William Shakespeare, 1564–1616

Macbeth

ENGLISH CHANNEL

A fortnight later