The China Bride by Mary Jo Putney

idea. Did you find some local criminal willing to take you there? That could be dangerous."
    "Not a criminal. Jin Kang."
    Gavin clinked his cup down. "Damnation, I thought the boy had more sense!"
    Kyle had discussed with Troth how much to tell Gavin. "There's nothing wrong with his sense. When I asked if he knew someone who would take me to the temple, he offered to do it himself. He's half-Scottish and wants my help in relocating to England."
    "Good Lord. The way he hides his face, I had no idea he had mixed blood," Gavin said blankly. "His father was a trader?"
    "Yes, a man called Hugh Montgomery."
    Gavin frowned. "I never met him—Montgomery died in a shipwreck a couple of seasons before I came East. There was some kind of scandal attached to him, but I never heard the details. I didn't know he'd left a son, either."
    A scandal? Kyle hoped that Troth never heard that suggested. Her fierce loyalty to her father had been obvious. "Jin left Macao after Montgomery's death. Chenqua gave him a home and found uses for his language skills. He speaks with a rather nice Scottish accent when he isn't pretending to be a simpleminded interpreter."
    "Hell. If he was raised by a Scottish father, he must understand every word he hears." Gavin gave a wry smile. "That wily old devil Chenqua had an even better spy than I realized. A good thing I've had nothing to hide."
    "Young Jin is a most remarkable character." Kyle smiled to himself. "What I'm telling you is confidential, but I wanted you to know in case something happens to me and he needs your help."
    "Of course. I'd have been happy to help him if I'd known he had Scottish blood." Gavin looked hopeful. "If I send him to England, will he drop this absurd plan to take you inland? "
    "No. I made the same offer. He refused. Jin Kang has his share of pride."
    "If he's half-Scottish and half-Chinese, his pride must rival Lucifer's." Gavin chuckled. "He certainly had me fooled. Since I'm planning to set up a London office, I'll offer him a job. With his language and clerical skills, he should prove useful."
    Would the offer stand if Gavin knew Jin Kang was actually a striking young woman? Possibly—he'd been in America long enough to acquire some radical notions. Kyle hoped he was there to see Gavin's face when Troth revealed the truth.
    In the past weeks, they'd worked out their plans in swift, secretive meetings in corners of the hong warehouse. All of the details had fallen into place easily once the decision had been made to go to Hoshan. He was eating only Chinese food, and in his bedroom in the evening he wore Chinese clothing that Troth had supplied. The garments felt natural now, and were more comfortable than European clothes.
    Troth had been busy, too, quietly winding up the threads of her life in Canton. She'd researched the road to Hoshan, purchased the supplies they'd need, and arranged for a boatman to take them from Canton to Macao after they returned. In Macao, it would be easy to find a ship for England, and his last adventure would be over.
    "When are you leaving?" Gavin asked.
    "Next week, the same day you and the other members of Elliott House sail for Canton. I'm to be disguised as a crippled, bandaged invalid."
    "Clever." Gavin gave a wry smile. "I must admit that I rather envy you. Over the years, I've toyed with the idea of taking this sort of trip, but I'd be thrown out of Canton if I was discovered, and I can't afford that."
    "China should eventually open up more to foreigners, so you'll have your chance. But I may not have another one." Kyle's pang at returning to England was mitigated by the knowledge that he and Troth would be on the same ship for months when they sailed for England. He'd have ample time to learn more about China from her. She could teach him some of the language and give him calligraphy lessons. Her company would make the long voyage pass quickly.
    It was a nuisance that he found her so attractive. Usually his response to a pretty woman was