He had hoped coming out of the shadows would frighten her, therefore scaring the truth out of her before he decided whether he should help his brother win her or warn him off. Jack wasn’t aware of all her sins but he knew the criminal element when he saw it. The lads she’d been with were bad news. What he had not expected was for her to break down weeping, and he had absolutely no idea of what to do. He’d never been good with female tears. He avoided them as much as possible. She stood on the street, dressed like a young buck, her head bowed, and sobbed. The sounds grew stronger with each passing second until she was hiccupping. Worse, she was gaining the attention of passersby. Jack tried to quiet her. “My lady—” he started, and then realized he did not want to give away her sex. Not with a band of unruly sailors standing by a public house’s door, tossing back one ale after another.
