And then more.
Will’s breaths came quickly. He tried to move away. He didn’t want to die.
He wanted to live.
Suddenly, Hennison dropped to the ground at his feet.
Will’s mouth fell open and he smiled. “It’s about time you men showed up. I…” His words trailed off as he lifted his head.
It wasn’t Dutton and Morris staring back at him.
It was Mr. Trouble.
Noah Trouble.
The younger man held a brick in his hand. His gaze fell upon Hennison for a moment.
Will wondered if the boy planned to turn the brick on him. He didn’t relax until the brick hit the ground.
Noel lifted his dark gaze. “I’ve been looking for you.”
Husher was surprised. Very few men could track him, which was something he took pride in. That a seventeen-year-old had managed to discover his whereabouts was… humiliating.
Light caught the small gold hoop in Noel’s ear. It had been gifted to him by a woman the young man had once saved. That woman had married Noel’s uncle and became Noel’s aunt.
Lady Vita.
Will had saved Lady Vita as well and decided that moment a fine time to remind Noel of that fact. “How is Lady Vita? I pray she and the general are well?”
Noel approached him and grabbed the blade still sticking out of Will’s side.
Noel slowly withdrew the blade, and Will pressed his lips together to avoid crying out in pain.
Noel crossed his arms and tipped his head. “Well, well, well, this seems familiar.”
“No need to live in the past,” Husher said with a bright smile.
Noel ignored him. “Although, if I recall correctly, you didn’t find me tied up to a tree.” He pointed the blade at Husher. “You were the one who tied me up.”
“For your own good. I didn’t want you getting in the way.” In a lower tone, he added, “I didn’t want to kill you.”
“You stabbed me.”
“You stabbed me back.” Last year, while attending a dinner party given by the Duke of Van Dero, the duke had ordered Will be held down so that Noel could get his revenge. “We’re even.”
“I want my horse,” Noel said.
Will rolled his eyes. “This again? Listen, the horse is mine. You gave it to me in exchange for your aunt’s protection. I’m not giving it back.”
Noel narrowed his eyes. “Are you insane? You’re tied up. The man on the ground may wake up at any moment and kill you. I may very well be your only way out of this situation and still, you won’t give me the horse!”
“The horse is mine.”
“Midnight is mine! My uncle bought Midnight for me. It was a gift to me. A costly gift.”
Will gave the boy a look he hoped conveyed his pity. “Listen, Noel. I don’t know if anyone has ever told you this but… life isn’t fair. Get over it. The horse is mine. You should sleep well knowing I take fine care of her.”
“Him!” Noel said.
Will gasped. “Him, you say? No wonder he’s been prone to following mares.” He smiled. “Now, are you going to finish what that man started or…?”
Noel stepped back and then dropped the blade about a foot away from Will.
Will’s eyes dropped to the metal tool on the ground even as Noel continued to speak. “I already know where Midnight is. I’m taking her. I was just trying to give you the chance to redeem yourself, but everyone is right. You’re stubborn.”
Will tried to ignore Noel’s words, but they lingered even as the young man wandered deeper into the forest.
He sucked his teeth when he heard the neigh of the beautiful stallion right before it trotted away at full speed.
Husher tried the ropes. They wouldn’t give. He started to wiggle his foot out of his boot and felt some give there. He smiled.
Then he heard a groan and looked at Hennison. The man was waking up.
Will cursed again and fought down his growing fear even as he continued to work his foot out of the boot.
He freed his limb just as Hennison made it onto his hands and knees.
“I’m going to kill you,” his assailant groaned.
Husher closed his toes around the handle of the blade, fought down the smile that came with his jolt of happiness, and slipped the blade behind him.
Hennison stood, but he was weak on his feet.
Will had no clue what he was talking about and mostly ignored him as he managed to lift the blade behind him and meet his hands.
The moment he was free, he struck Hennison and didn’t relax until the man was tied up.
He laughed once he was on his feet again. “Got you,” he said to Hennison, giving the man back his own words.
Then something hit his head and everything went black.
∫ ∫ ∫
0 3
* * *
Will awoke with a start but didn’t move. He opened his eyes and took in the molding on the ceiling and then the scent of roses in the air. He turned his head and a blue Chinese vase displayed the source of the pleasant smell.
A look around the matching room told him where he was.
A man on the other side of the room hummed to himself as he looked through a black leather bag. The sound of glasses clinking together told him what was inside the bag.
Potions.
Will laid back down and closed his eyes. He was safe. Mostly.
He heard footsteps as they came closer and then the voice of Dr. Christian Sparrow. “Are you up? You’ve been sleeping for hours, which is a fact I find humor in since most people had begun to wonder if you slept at all.”
“I sleep.” Barely.
“You don’t look like it. You’re looking rather thin. Well, not thin like small. That would be impossible for a man your size but smaller than when I last saw you. Have you been missing meals? Been feeling ill as of late?”
“I haven’t missed your need to speak out your every thought.” Will opened his eyes.
Christian smiled. “Hello, old friend. I’ve bandaged you up. Remarkable that the man stabbed you in the same spot that you stabbed young Mr. Trouble. Some would say the heavens are at work, but I think…”
Will sat up and nearly fainted but then pain struck him in the head and his side. He looked down at the bandage that was wrapped around his torso.
“You’ve another around your head,” Christian said. “Someone hit you pretty hard.”
“Noel.”
“No, not Noel. It was one of Mr. Hennison’s friends. The duke told me what he had on the gentlemen in his files. I can’t understand why you’d go after someone so terrible.”
“That’s kind of what I do, go after terrible people.” Will closed his eyes and took deep breaths to fight down his nausea. “Where is Hennison?”
“Van Dero is holding him in the cellar.” The cellar was the duke’s personal prison. “You can take him when you leave, whenever that is.”
He was surprised Van Dero would help him but didn’t say as much. “Why am I here?”
“A thank you would do.” Will lifted his brow.
Will bit the inside of his cheek. “Thank you. I believe I know how you found me—Noel —but why am I in the duke’s London manor?”
“Van Dero wishes to speak to you. I believe he has a job for you.”
“I no longer work for the duke.” Will moved to get up, but Christian placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Stay. Rest. I’ll get the duke. Take this while I’m gone.”
Will took the blue bottle from Christian’s hand. “What’s this going to make me do?”
“Keep your accounts should the urge to empty your belly present itself.”
Will stood the moment Christian closed the door and, having no desire to vomit, he swallowed down the doctor’s concoction. He frowned when he noticed he was in nothing but his smallclothes. A look around the room proved all his other possessions were gone.
He cursed and turned as the door opened.
The duke strolled in, wa
lked right past him, and sat down.
Will cautiously turned to face him. “Where are my clothes?”
“You’ve been mighty reckless as of late,” Van Dero said. “Since leaving my employ, you’ve taken on some very risky jobs. I know. I’ve been watching you.” The duke had hazel eyes. His expression was stern enough to make Will want to shift his stance.
He didn’t like to be addressed this way. He was a grown man and Van Dero had no right. “Why would you bother watching over me? It’s a waste of good money.” But he was glad to know Noel hadn’t found him on his own. His embarrassment vanished.
“I watch you for Raven, because he asked me to.”
Gabriel Raven was Will’s best friend, but they’d rarely spoke since Will left Van Dero’s service. The man Will worked for didn’t want his secrets in the duke’s hands.
“Do you wish for death?” the duke asked. “Because Noel’s account of yesterday’s events says that you do.”
Yesterday?
Will looked out the window. The sun was setting. He’d thought it was the same day but apparently not.
“I’ll grab Hennison and be on my way.” And then, because he knew he had to say it, he whispered, “Thank you.” He turned to leave but then remembered he wasn’t wearing any clothes.
“Your clothes will be returned to you in a few days,” the duke said. “For now, you’ll rest.”
“But...” Will whipped around—too quickly—and groaned.
“You need to rest,” Cassius said. “And I still require an answer to my question.”
Cassius was the duke’s name. Most of the people close to him called him that.
Will didn’t. He’d tried it once and Van Dero had given him a foreboding look.
He could probably beat the duke at a fight. The man was in his late thirties and built like a brute. He’d grown up fighting for his life, but Will was confident he’d still win.
Van Dero nodded. “Well, that answers that.”
“What answers what?”
“That look. Your gaze was disrespectful.”
“I have plenty of respect for you. I respect you more than most.” And he did. Will actually liked the duke. Much of the ton didn’t because of his humble beginnings, but since he’d inherited the title, he’d done a wealth of good for the citizens of Britain.
Will was a former soldier. He’d earned his knighthood in battle along with Raven. He could easily take orders from a good leader and the duke had a great team. But Will also needed to do things his way and for himself. Working for Van Dero got in the way of his own goals.
“I’m glad to hear you respect me,” Van Dero said. “So, I’ll respect you by not asking the name of the gentleman you work for.”
Will narrowed his eyes. He’d led everyone close to Van Dero to believe he was taking assassin jobs from anyone who could afford him. He didn’t like Van Dero’s assumption that Will was only working for one man. Because that was true, or at least close to the truth. “Why am I here?”
“I need you to do something for me,” the duke said.
“You’ve nearly a hundred people working with you and under you,” Will said. “You’ve soldiers, peers, and most of the staff are trained to put a man down were he to attempt to hurt your family.”
“And you were once one of them.”
Will turned his gaze to the fireplace. Once he turned Mr. Hennison over, his superior would give him a few weeks off. That was the case for every mission.
And he did respect the duke.
“I might have time for you,” Will eventually said. “But why me?”
“I would ask someone else, but… it’s dangerous and you seem to be leaning toward that kind of work at the moment.”
“So, you’re saying I’m expendable.” Will chuckled. He’d just been thinking the same thing about himself the other day. He was a good soldier and nothing more. And the one time he’d tried to be more, it had been too late.
Van Dero told Will what he would be paid if he took the assignment. Will didn’t care for money, but only a fool would turn down that much money. Or someone who had very few reasons to live.
“The other men I trust with this assignment all have something to live for,” the duke said. “They have families that depend on them.”
“I get it. I have no one. What do you want me to do? I’m not killing anyone.”
Van Dero frowned but then shook his head and sighed. “I’m sure you’re aware that my people no longer kill, at least not intentionally. Your friend Raven runs my prison. Don’t pretend you didn’t know and that you haven’t been there. I know you’ve visited him on occasion. I take no issue with your friendship. I know you can keep your mouth shut, otherwise, I wouldn’t be hiring you now.”
Will settled his heart. He’d been prepared to lie. It was a relief that he didn’t have to.
Van Dero stood. “This is an assignment that had to be set aside while we cleared up that mess with The Circle.” The Circle had been a brotherhood determined to exploit the weak in favor of wealth. “It’s top priority now.”
Will braced.
“I’m looking for the Queen of Poisons.”
His mouth fell open. This was a dangerous mission.
Will shook his head. “Anyone who goes after her dies.” Poison was hard to detect even when you were being careful. A little splash into your cup at a party of your stew at a tavern could be the end of you. “She’ll try to kill me.”
“I know, which is why you will reside here during this assignment.”
“You put everyone in danger.” Will ran a hand through his hair. “You put your family in danger just speaking it aloud.”
“My staff is loyal.”
“I told you I have no intention of killing anyone.” And that was if he could get close enough.
“I’m not asking you to kill her. I want her brought here alive. I wish to speak to her. I will make that known. Perhaps she won’t get violent.”
Will’s eyes widened. “You want her alive?” This was suicide. “I don’t know.”
Van Dero sighed and rubbed his face. “Very well. I knew it was too much to ask, but I thought out of all the brave men I knew, you’d be capable of getting this done. But I see I was wrong about you. You’re just like everyone else.” The duke smiled. “But I suppose it’s not too terrible... being average. Average people do... average things. They likely won’t be remembered after they die, but who cares about that?”
Will’s tightened his jaw and pinched his lips together. His nostrils flared. “I could care less if I’m remembered, but I’ll do it.”
“Excellent! You start tomorrow. I’ve some papers for you to read. That should occupy you while you heal up. There is a party I wish you to attend next week and a man I want you to follow or see what he knows. You’ll be given a team. I’ll have your clothes brought in once they’ve been properly measured by my tailor, along with what I want you to wear for the party.”
“You’re making me clothes? I’ve my own money, and I can pick out my own clothes. I’m twenty-nine years old.”
“As though it was my idea to dress you.” The duke shook his head. “No, that’s Milly’s doing.” Milly was his wife and only slightly more civil than her husband. “If you want the bill for the clothes, you’ll have to speak to her.”
Husher glared. He was starting to feel lightheaded. He grabbed the bedpost.
They both knew he’d be asking Milly for nothing.
Van Dero paused over the threshold and chuckled. “Twenty-nine,” he mocked. “Never bother to tell me information I already know, my lord. I never forget anything.”
“I’m not a lord,” Will told him. “Did you forget that?”
The duke’s hazel eyes held Will’s for a time and then he closed the door.
Will fisted his hands and then relaxed. His anger vanished and then suddenly, his head was heavy. He sat down on the bed and felt himself beginning to drift. He fought to keep his eyes open but couldn’t.
> He groaned. “Christian…” The medicine he’d given him did more than keep his stomach settled.
Deciding to not fight the potion, he fell back and drifted into a dreamless state of rest.
∫ ∫ ∫
0 4
* * *
Inspire me.
Camilla breathed through her nose as Lord Anthony Lund kissed her. He was very good at it; this was one of the best kisses she’d ever experienced. Her head felt light and the tingling sensation between her legs grew to an ache. She gripped his hair as his mouth moved to her throat. She giggled and stroked his hair.
Dark locks. Nearly black.
Nowhere near the shade of the man she’d been imagining since she began to write her novel.
He’d shifted and changed over the last week. At first he’d been gentle. Sweet. But Camilla had quickly grown tired of that. What she truly craved was passion. And naughtiness.
A forbidden love.
What started out as an affair like that of Romeo and Juliet changed to something along the lines of Hades and Persephone.
She wanted a hero who toed the line with being bad. A man who wouldn’t allow the heroine to fall for him. He’d drag her down kicking and screaming.
And Anthony simply wasn’t enough.
Very quickly, the warmth she’d felt cooled. His mouth felt more clammy than anything.
She pushed Anthony away. “I believe I’m done. We should go back inside before someone realizes you’re missing.” No one would miss her. She’d come with her grandmother, who tried desperately to chaperone Camilla but never managed to stay awake for long.
Anthony’s breath brushed her face. “Come on, Cammie. Stop teasing me. I’ve wanted to kiss you since the first moment I saw you.”
When he made a grab for her, she swatted his hands away and took a step back into the house.
Anthony grabbed her hips and pulled her back out into the garden. She gasped quietly as she was thrust into the dark. His head moved, dipping in and out of the light from the lantern by the servants’ door. Then he settled in the shadows.
He slapped a hand on the brick wall on either side of her body and gave her a severe look. “I’m not done with you.”
The Exception of an Earl Page 2