Page 61 of The Dangerous Lord

Ian straightened. “Then whoever repairs your carriage is cheating you. Let me do you a favor. Take your coach to Wallace’s on Chandler Street, and tell him I want the entire door replaced at my expense. For two guineas, you should at least get something decent.” He drew out his calling card and presented it to the driver.

The man took it reluctantly, then blanched when he saw the name on the card. With a nervous glance at his friends, he muttered, “I only want the hinge repaired.”

“Whatever you wish. Wallace will take care of you. Fair enough?”

“Fair enough, milord.” He scowled at Felicity. “But I ain’t comin’ back for her and her lot like I said I would.”

Feeling Felicity swell up beside him, Ian laid a hand on her arm. “There’s no need. I’ll take the lady and her family home.”

Her muscles tensed beneath his hand and didn’t relax until the hack pulled away. Then she faced him with typical Felicity impertinence. “Well, well. It seems you understand the ‘principle of the thing’ after all. At least when it’s your money.”

A smile tugged at his mouth. “I admit it—I couldn’t countenance paying off a rascal. Especially one who enjoys fleecing young women.”

Awareness of him flickered in her gaze. It sizzled the icy winter air, making him instantly glad he’d come. “Thank you for your help,” she said softly.

That was the only conversation they managed before a whirling dervish of arms and legs and eager young males stampeded up to them with all the delicacy of bull elephants. Cries of “’Odsfish!” and “Aren’t you the man from the paper?” and “Why did he call you milord?” tumbled from the triplets’ mouths as they circled him. He suddenly felt like the bear at a baiting, prodded with sticks borne by creatures a third his size.

Creatures with worn coats and tattered hose. How strange that their sister would dress them so poorly. His gaze shot to her. Come to think of it, where was the elegant, fashionable attire she’d worn at the Worthings? Her clothing today was serviceable, but he couldn’t miss the fraying edges of the woolen cloak and the faded color of her simple black bonnet, which had clearly spent too many days in the sun.

“Stop that, boys,” Felicity said sternly. “It’s rude for all of you to speak at once.”

He tore himself from musings about her attire. “They aren’t bothering me, Miss Taylor, but it might be better if we were properly introduced.” Ian smiled at the nearest urchin. “What is your name, young man?”

“I’m William.”

The boy had barely gotten the words out before the one next to him piped up, “This here’s my brother Ansel, and I’m George. But everybody calls me Georgie. And that’s James over there. He’s the eldest.”

“I see.” He used his observational skills to catalog identifying marks for the triplets, quickly registering Ansel’s mole, the scar on Georgie’s chin, and William’s missing tooth. “I’m pleased to meet you all. I’m⁠—”

“—the Viscount St. Clair,” James broke in testily. When Ian cast him a quizzical look, the older boy shrugged his bony shoulders. “I asked Mrs. Box about you that day you came to our house.” He looked defiant. “The day Lissy shouted at you. I thought maybe you’d ... that is⁠—”

“I understand,” Ian interrupted. “It’s good you’re looking out for your sister.” He shot Felicity a meaningful glance. “She needs someone to do so.”

Felicity rolled her eyes. “We’ve kept his lordship long enough, boys. I’m sure he has more important matters to attend to.”

Before he could protest, Georgie cut in. “Can’t he come with us to the exhibit?”

Nervously straightening Georgie’s collar, Felicity said, “Lord St. Clair has a meeting and no time to waste with us.”

“The meeting isn’t urgent,” he said. When her gaze shot to his, he added, “And I’ve never seen a waxworks exhibit. Besides, I promised to take you home in my coach.”

“He did. I heard him.” James assessed Ian a moment with eyes as green and sharp as his sister’s. “And it’ll save us half a shilling.”

Ian began to wonder if the Taylor finances were as secure as he’d been told.

Felicity’s anxious laughter only heightened his suspicions. “Don’t be silly, James. Who cares about half a shilling?” She faced Ian. “Truly, Lord St. Clair, there’s no need for you to bother. I’m sure a day with us would bore you terribly.”

“Not as much as a day with my man of affairs, who considers tallying figures great entertainment. Take pity on me, and don’t sentence me to a morning of arithmetic.” When she still hesitated and glanced from him to her brothers, he added, “I tell you what. Let me come along, and I’ll buy tea and mutton pies for everyone’s supper afterward.”

The shameless bribery worked perfectly, making the boys clamor for him until Felicity sighed. “Very well, but you’ll regret it. These four can be very wearying.”

“I’m sure I’ll survive.” Oh, yes. He planned to ingratiate himself so well with the Taylor boys that their sister would be forced to reconsider his proposal of marriage.

As the six of them headed for the entrance of the rented exhibit hall, Felicity pulled James aside and whispered in his ear. He nodded, then hurried ahead to catch his brothers and whisper in their ears.

It was all very mysterious and made him struggle to keep from laughing. So they had secrets, did they? Felicity was a fool to think a few words of admonishment could prevent him from prying a secret out of her brothers. Even the Terrors of Taylor Hall were no match for a man who’d once loosened the tongue of Napoleon’s senior advisor.

By the end of the day, he’d know everything. Then he’d use it to make her marry him. Most assuredly.