The Wolf Next Door

by Lydia Dare

  “And Aphrodite’s face doesn’t hurt either,” Lily added.

  “Heavens, Lily, I thought you’d finished with The Iliad months ago. Adonis and now Aphrodite. What shall you say next?” It was always embarrassing whenever anyone discussed her appearance. There was so much more to someone than outward beauty, but men always seemed to focus on that aspect of her. Rather shallow of them, really.

  “Is there no one,” Lady Elspeth began, breaking her reverie, “who ye would consider in marriage?”

  Prisca shook her head. “Much to my father’s and brothers’ dismay. I’m afraid I’m a bit difficult and haven’t met a man who can handle me yet.”

  “I’m sure that’s not true,” Lily insisted.

  But it might as well be true. Prisca tilted her head to one side. “I’m not complaining. Men are difficult creatures. How do you put up with Blackmoor? Some days I swear I can hear his bellowing all the way from Westfield Hall.”

  “He’s quite sweet in his own way,” Lily defended. Then she exchanged a look with her sister-in-law. “I think the Westfield men have the most redeeming qualities. And they are far from dull.”

  Lady Elspeth blushed at this pronouncement, and Prisca was certain she was missing some secret only married ladies knew.

  ———

  When Will rejoined the Hawthorne brothers in the yellow parlor, he realized immediately that blasted earl wasn’t among their numbers. Blaine and Darius were still playing chess. Garrick sat in a high-backed chair, flipping through a periodical of some sort. Emory and Pierce sat with their heads together whispering, which was maddening. Will could pick up a word here or there, but the hissing sound in between wreaked havoc on his ears.

  But where was that skirt-chaser Brimsworth? He most definitely required watching.

  Before Will could escape back into the corridor and search for the lost Lycan, Emory spotted him and rose from his seat. “Ah, there you are. Just the man I was hoping to talk to.” He crossed the room and clapped Will on the back. “Mind if I run something by you?”

  “By all means.”

  Emory gestured to the empty card table across the room and then proceeded to makes his way toward it. “I’m thinking about a mining investment in County Durham. Pierce thinks it’s sound.”

  “Well, if you’ve got Pierce’s opinion, why do you need mine?”

  Emory chuckled as he slid into a seat. “It’s true… No one knows business better than my brother, but he only sees the numbers on a page, the sort of return one can hope for.”

  Will frowned. “That’s what one usually wants in investments.” He took the spot across from his friend.

  “Human costs don’t generally enter Pierce’s mind,” Emory confessed. “And I’m concerned about the safety of the miners. It’s one thing to read about unfortunate accidents in The Times and quite another to be funding the venture. I was hoping you could get me in touch with your friend in Lord Sidmouth’s office.”

  “Albie Granger?”

  “The fellow you introduced me to at Madam Millish’s.”

  Will winced. He’d just made that bargain with Prissy, and even though he hadn’t been to Madam Millish’s in ages, he’d rather not have the place mentioned. He quickly glanced around the room. Thank God, there was no sign of her.

  “What is wrong?”

  Will shook his head. “You don’t have to go around bandying Madam Millish’s name about.”

  Emory broke into laughter. “Who do you think is going to hear it, Will?” He gestured around the room to his brothers. “Each of us has been there or someplace similar with you at one time or another—well, except for Garrick. I don’t think you’ll be upsetting anyone’s sensibilities.”

  “Lily or Elspeth could have overheard you,” he complained. Or Prisca. He didn’t need anyone planting such images in her mind right now.

  “I don’t think they’d be surprised to hear it either.” Emory smiled. “But I’ll refrain from mentioning all the places where you indulge in debauchery if it’ll make you more comfortable.”

  Will squirmed in his seat. “Wonderful. Can you stop mentioning them now, then?”

  Emory laughed again. “Are you feeling all right? You don’t seem like yourself at all.”

  “I’m fine,” he ground out. “Just didn’t get a lot of sleep last night. My brothers’ faults, I assure you.”

  His friend leaned back in his chair, kicking his feet out in front of him. “Brothers are easy, Will. It’s sisters who are the chore. I thank God I only have one of those. But I do have a plan for that one, and it should make my life easier in the coming months.”

  Meaning what exactly? “A plan for Prisca?” He tried to sound nonchalant.

  Emory’s eyes twinkled, and a roguish grin played about his mouth. “It’s well past time she got married and became someone else’s problem.”

  “Well past?” Will scoffed. “She’s barely out of the schoolroom.”

  “She’s nineteen, Will. She’ll be twenty this spring. She’s refused every offer that’s come her way, but not any longer.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “And I’ve got just the man in mind for the position.”

  Will gulped. He wasn’t sure if he was more afraid to hear his own name or someone else’s. “Who?” he squeaked out.

  “Brimsworth, of course.” Emory shrugged. “He does seem quite enchanted by her, doesn’t he?”

  “He can un-enchant himself,” Will grumbled beneath his breath.

  “Beg your pardon?” Emory eyed him suspiciously.

  “I said, how much do you know about him?” Are you aware he sprouts fangs and a tail under a full moon? That he has an uncaged beast residing right beneath his surface?

  “Just what Blaine says. The man seems like an allright sort.”

  “I’d think you’d want to know a hell of a lot more than what Blaine says,” Will barked. “Have you looked into his past? His finances? What are his parents like? Does he have a history of beating small animals? Or—”

  “Beating small animals?” Emory chuckled. “Heavens, you must have formed a very different opinion of the man than I have.”

  What an understatement. “I just don’t think you can be too careful. She is your only sister. You don’t want her shackled for life to some man you know nothing about.” Will scrubbed a hand across his face. How had things gotten to this state? How could his friend force Prisca into the arms of some stranger? A dangerous one at that.

  “True,” Emory agreed. “But she doesn’t have an interest in any of the men locally. She’s too outspoken for the men in London. You should have seen the scene she caused at Lady Parkridge’s soiree last season. On second thought, I’m glad you didn’t see it. Bloody nightmare.”

  No, but he’d heard about it. Some foxed lordling had tried to coax her out onto the balcony, and she’d crashed her fist into his jaw, dropping him like a wet rug. Will actually loved that about her. The man had had it coming, in his opinion. Still, he didn’t think she could hold her own against Brimsworth. There was something wild about the earl, and he couldn’t see her saddled with him. Honestly, he didn’t want to see her saddled with anyone. Not when he…

  Will shook the thought from his mind. She’d let him kiss her and hold her, but she’d never settle for him.

  At that moment, Darius approached their table. “Bloody nightmare?” he echoed. “Are you complaining about tomorrow evening again?”

  “What’s tomorrow evening?” Will asked.

  Emory scowled. “Prissy has invited the entire Giddings’ brood to join us for dinner and parlor games.”

  Darius winked. “Our little matchmaker is under the impression that Lizzie Giddings has set her cap for Emory.”

  Will choked on a laugh. “Lizzie Giddings? Isn’t she the one who snorts when she laughs?”

  Emory shook his head, a sour expression on his face. “That’s Sarah Giddings, though she’ll be in attendance as well. Lizzie is the one who wheezes when she breathes.”

  Ah, ye
s. Will remembered the chit now. “Lucky fellow. Set her cap for you, has she?”

  Emory’s glare darkened. “You can go straight to hell.”

  Will couldn’t help but chortle. “You are in trouble, my friend. If Prisca has her mind set on something, she always gets it.”

  Something flashed in Emory’s eyes. “I’m well aware of that. Why don’t you join us tomorrow and keep her distracted? Help me out a bit, will you?”

  Which would allow him to keep an eye on Prisca and Brimsworth. Will cocked his head to one side as though he was considering the possibility. Then he shrugged. “Why not? It sounds enormously amusing. Word of advice, however.”

  “Please.” Emory rubbed his brow. “The whole idea makes my head hurt.”

  “Don’t go anywhere alone with the Giddings chit. Prissy successfully got Simon leg-shackled to Lily when she put her mind to it. He’s better for it, but he was wholly opposed to the idea in the beginning.”

  His old friend snorted. “That’s why you’ll be there to keep Prissy’s Machiavellian mind off me.” He sighed. “And I’ll be sure to have a brother on either side of me all night.”

  If Emory thought that would stop his sister from dreaming up some scheme, Will was certain he was mistaken. What an entertaining way to spend an evening and keep an eye on Prisca at the same time.

  Six

  Will stalked into Westfield Hall with a single-minded purpose. “Have you seen my brothers?” he barked at the aging butler. “Quickly, man,” he urged as Billings took his coat.

  “In His Grace’s study, my lord,” he finally replied.

  “Thank you,” Will clipped out as he started down the corridor.

  “We’ll forgive your lack of manners this time, Will,” Lily called to his retreating back.

  Will winced as he realized he’d barely helped them alight from the coach, much less escorted them inside. He’d make it up to them later.

  “Miss Hawthorne has a way of rattling his cage, does she no’?” he heard Elspeth remark quietly. “I’ve never seen him so out of sorts.”

  “That’s because you’d never seen him with Prisca,” Lily said, her words nearly concealed behind a giggle. Nearly, but not quite. Fine. It was just dandy that they all knew how he felt about her. At that moment, he didn’t particularly care.

  Will stomped into Simon’s study without knocking and crossed the room quickly.

  Simon jumped to his feet. “What is it?” he asked. But then he covered his nose with his hand and scrunched up his face. “Have you been rolling around with Emory’s hounds?”

  “What?” Will sputtered. How could Simon discuss hounds when so much more needed to be said? There was a strange Lycan about, for God’s sake.

  Ben got to his feet as well and leaned close to sniff him. Will growled low in his throat. “That’s not a smell I know.” Then Ben’s eyes glimmered with mirth. “The lilacs, I can place. But not the hound.”

  “Lycan,” Will clarified. Then he dropped into a seat across from his brother’s desk and waited for them to speak.

  “You say Lycan like it’s an expletive, all of a sudden,” Simon remarked. “And I hope you weren’t dallying with Miss Hawthorne after seeing the hounds. That would be bad form.”

  Ben chuckled, and Will shot him a look that nearly quelled it.

  “What you smell on me, dear brother, is another Lycan. He was at the Hawthornes’.”

  Simon’s eyebrows drew together.

  “And, no,” Will continued, “I didn’t dally with him, either.”

  “Oh, there was definitely some dallying going on,” Ben murmured. “Otherwise, you’d not come home smelling like a flower shop. A randy one.”

  Will banged his forehead with the heel of his hand. They were insufferable.

  Simon held up a finger, which immediately quelled Ben’s laughter.

  “Thank you,” Will grunted.

  “What’s this about a Lycan?”

  “There’s one at the Hawthornes’. He’s a friend of Blaine’s. Visiting for the holiday.”

  “Someone you know from The Society?” Simon tinkered with his quill and inkwell.

  “If I knew him, I wouldn’t have rushed home to tell you about him, would I?”

  From the doorway, someone cleared his throat. Will glanced over his shoulder to find Major Forster, Elspeth’s father. The old officer stepped into Simon’s study. “What’s this about a strange Lycan?” he asked.

  “Finally!” Will groaned, coming to his feet. “A voice of reason.”

  “Tell your Lycan he needs to wear sandalwood instead of lilac oil,” the major said, finally allowing a smile to cross his old, weathered face. “Congratulations, by the way.”

  “For what?” The muscle above Will’s right eye began to twitch.

  “For getting her in your arms. A man doesn’t wear a scent that strong unless…” He let his voice trail off.

  Will sighed and stalked toward the door. “I don’t know why I bother talking to any of you,” he grunted.

  “Oh, come back,” Ben urged. “We’ll stop.” He motioned with his hands for Will to reclaim his seat. “With your work at The Society, you’re well aware there are others of our kind. So why are you so surprised to find another one living within polite society? We only chase the moon one night per month. The rest of the time, we’re quite honorable.”

  “No one is aware of what he is.”

  “Well, I would hope not.” Simon frowned. “It’s not something one goes around discussing.”

  “Of course not,” Will growled. “But they don’t know the danger they’ve put themselves in.” Then he faced the major. “His name is Dashiel Thorpe. The Earl of Brimsworth, heir to the Marquess of Eynsford.”

  “Eynsford, you say?” the major asked as he stroked his chin and appeared deep in thought.

  Major Forster headed The Lycanian Society and was privy to more information about those of their kind than the average Lycan. It was quite possible he knew something helpful about the earl’s family. “You know of him?” Will asked.

  But the major shook his head. “I vaguely remember some sort of scandal years back. But it has been a very long time.”

  “Eynsford is a powerful force in the Lords. One doesn’t go up against him easily,” Simon informed him. “Didn’t know the man was a Lycan, though. I don’t think I’ve ever caught his scent.”

  The major shook his head as though the information was new to him too. That didn’t bode well.

  “What about Lord Brimsworth bothers you?” Ben asked, breaking Will from his thoughts.

  “He’s got his eye on Prisca,” he blurted out before thinking the better of it.

  “Ohhhh,” Simon and Ben both said at the same time, shooting loaded looks at one another.

  Will wanted to shout. Actually, he wanted to strangle them both. “Don’t say it like that. There’s something about him. He seems a bit wild to me. And dangerous.”

  Benjamin leaned forward across Simon’s desk, looking their oldest brother square in the eyes. “What are we going to do?” he asked quietly.

  “It’s not our concern,” Simon replied with a frown.

  Ben shook his head as his father-in-law patted him on the back. “I know you’re worried about her, my boy, but—”

  Ben looked over his shoulder at Major Forster. “Of course, I’m worried about her. Prissy is like a little sister to me. And Will—”

  “Made his decision years ago,” Simon added.

  “My decision has changed,” Will declared. One could have heard a pin drop, it became so quiet at the pronouncement.

  Simon’s shrewd silver eyes narrowed. “Are you quite certain?”

  “Quite,” Will clipped out.

  “Why the sudden change of heart?” the duke asked, folding his arms across his chest.

  “In part, I’ve stayed away from her all these years because I didn’t want her to end up with one of our kind,” Will hedged. No reason to tell them he’d have leapt at the chance to have
Prissy long before now if she’d given him any sort of encouragement.

  “Understandable.” Simon nodded. After all he’d gone through with Lily, he would be the last one to refute a statement such as Will’s. “But how has that changed?”

  Will shrugged, hoping he appeared more at ease than he actually felt. “Emory’s prepared to push her in Brimsworth’s direction. So if she’s to marry one of our kind, it will be me.”

  Ben chuckled. “How selfless of you.”

  Simon scowled at their younger brother. “No one needs your quips just now.” Then he turned his attention back to Will. “So, the pursuit begins in earnest?”

  “I don’t think it’ll be that easy,” Ben began.

  “Nothing with Prissy is ever easy.” Then Will faced each of the three Lycans in turn. “I’d like for you all to meet Brimsworth. Lily said in the coach we’ve all been invited for a night of games. I believe she and Elspeth accepted for the rest of us.”

  Simon’s growl was menacing. If Will wasn’t used to it, he would scurry from the room with his tail between his legs.

  “Tell me if I’m overreacting,” Will pleaded.

  “Would it change your direction?”

  Not now that he’d held her in his arms. And kissed those sweet lips. And seen that her one true love was… him. “No. It wouldn’t.” His heart skipped a beat at that confession. “I plan to win her hand no matter what.”

  “God love you,” Simon grunted as he settled back in his seat. “Now about this Lycan—”

  A wracking cough from above them stopped the conversation, and all four men glanced up at the sound. Ben sighed. “She’s getting worse.”

  Their mother. How could Will have forgotten? “At breakfast, Elspeth said she’d heal her.”

  Ben snorted. “Over my dead body.”

  At that statement, Will gaped at his brother. Of the three of them, Ben was the mama’s boy. “I beg your pardon.”