“Perhaps they think that keeping them on hand is safest, and they aren’t taking jacket-stealing scoundrels into account?” Thomas suggested.
“I suppose that does make sense,” Evan said. He looked at the paper in his hand again before slipping it into a pocket in the lining of his cloak.
“So what do we do now?” Thomas asked.
“I’ll have another look around in here while you keep watch, and then we both go back to bed. In an hour or so I’ll make a terrible discovery on the back stairs, and someone will come and fetch you,” Evan said.
Thomas nodded and headed for the door. Just as he went to open it, Evan said quietly, “And Thomas?”
He paused, his heart beating faster. Was Evan going to mention the simmering attraction between them? Perhaps he was going to suggest a tryst later. “Yes?”
“If you feel the urge to share that you know who I am, rest assured I won’t hesitate to kill you, and whoever you’ve told as well.”
Or not.
Thomas was shocked at how easily people accepted the lie that the Viscount of Calthrope had slipped and fallen to his death. Of course, the story was greatly helped along by the absolute hysterics Evan pitched.
Thomas could only stare in admiration as Evan wrung his hands together, moaning and wailing to anyone who would listen about how he might never recover from the shock of finding one of his dearest new friends dead on the staircase and wasn’t anybody going to fetch him a large brandy?
The remaining guests had gathered at the top of the stairs and were staring wide-eyed as the body was carried away to wherever bodies went—Thomas didn’t know, and didn’t care tofind out. Since they had a convenient audience, Thomas cleared his throat and said, “I’m sorry to ask, Your Grace, but did you notice anything suspicious about the viscount’s death? Only, we’ll need to investigate.”
Evan turned to face him, dabbing at his eyes with a handkerchief he’d produced from his pocket. “I don’t think so,” he said. “To be fair I didn’t look very closely, what with all the blood from where he hit his poor head. But I don’t think Stephen would have been involved in anything unsavoury. He was mainly interested in wine.” His brow creased. “Perhaps it was the wine that caused him to take a tumble.”
“Possibly, Your Grace,” Thomas said. “He did like a drink.”
“That’s why we were friends,” Evan said with a nod. “Man after my own heart.” He stumbled slightly and steadied himself by clutching at Thomas’s sleeve. “I need to sit down. Perhaps you’d like to escort me to my chambers, Captain?”
“Of course, Your Grace.”
Evan leaned against his side and Thomas placed a careful arm around his shoulders as they walked slowly away from the staircase, and it seemed to act as a signal for the rest of the onlookers to disperse. Once they were inside Evan’s chambers, the duke straightened up and ran a hand over his jaw. “Right. Obviously, the ambassador for Falsmark is involved.”
“The ambassador for Falsmark is fifty if he’s a day!”
“And yet he was fully dressed in the middle of the night. Doesn’t that strike you as odd? I mean, most of the lookie-loos were yawning in their nightclothes, but this man was wide awake and dressed. I say he was up to no good.”
“You’re usually fully dressed at night,” Thomas stated.
“And I’m usually up to no good.”
“You make a fair point,” Thomas said, “but I don’t think it’s reason enough to start pointing fingers at the ambassador.”
“No, but it’s something, which is more than we had before.” He strode across the room and flung himself into the armchair next to the fireplace, hooking one long leg over the arm and sprawling sideways. “I need to think about this for a bit. And you need to sleep.”
“I’m fine,” Thomas protested, but his body chose that moment to make a liar out of him as an enormous yawn escaped. He placed his hands in the small of his back and arched backward to combat the stiffness there, fighting another yawn as a heavy cloak of weariness wrapped itself around him. So far this evening he’d witnessed an assassination, been drawn into a spy plot, been threatened with his own murder, and had to deal with the same dead body twice. It was starting to take its toll. But as tired as he was, the night wasn’t over yet. “What will you tell Their Majesties?” he asked, hoping they weren’t expected to have a meeting with the king at this late hour.
Evan let out a yawn of his own. “I’ll tell them nothing tonight. It’s too bloody late. Tomorrow I’ll meet with them and tell them that we’ve dealt with a potential assassin, that you’re assisting me, and that we have it all in hand.”
“But we don’t have it all in hand. We don’t haveanythingin hand!”
Impossibly, Evan grinned. “You forget that I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I’m very, very good at it. Go and get some sleep, and by the time I talk to Leo and Felix tomorrow, I’ll have more of an idea who’s behind this.”
And the thing was, despite all evidence to the contrary, Thomas believed him. After all, Evan Deverewasthe Rogue, and according to the stories Thomas had heard, he’d never failed yet.
Thomas just hoped the stories were true.
Chapter Five
Evan waited until Thomas had left to cast aside his casual demeanour and sit properly in his chair. Then he proceeded to drop his head in his hands and let out a low groan.
