“My, isn’t this a sight?” He opened his arms, as if greeting them in a ballroom. “Look at the three of us together again.” Duke Kendall sighed. “And like last time, Lord Blackmoor has proven useless.”
Blackmoor’s eyes narrowed and his jaw firmed.
Matthew crossed his arms. “Why are you here?”
“I’m here to free you, of course.” Duke Kendall placed a hand on his heart. “All for the price of an uninterrupted conversation. You left with such haste the last time we spoke, with so much left unsaid between us.”
“I have nothing to say to you.”
“No, but I have much to say, and you’ll hear me out. Sit, Lord Lincolnshire.”
“No.”
Duke Kendall laughed.
“What do you want?” Matthew growled.
“The same thing everyone wants,” he mused. “Friendship. Family. Even Lord Blackmoor craves it, or he wouldn’t constantly be around.” He sneered at Blackmoor. “Unless there’s somethingelsekeeping you near? No. I believe we desire the exact same thing.” He narrowed his eyes at Matthew. “Now tell your dog to wait outside.”
Blackmoor’s eyes met his, and Matthew nodded.
“It’s all right, you may leave us. He won’t be here for long.”
Blackmoor hesitated briefly before leaving the cell. The door closed behind him. He remained close enough that his shadow slipped beneath the crack at the bottom. A key grated in the lock, echoing in the small space.
“Here we are again, Lord Lincolnshire—with me as your only salvation.” The Duke sat on one chair and pointed to the other. “Sit.”
Matthew didn’t. “I don’t need your saving, I’ll be out of here in the morning.”
“Not with attempted murder.” Duke Kendall tsked. “You assaulted an unarmed peer with a deadly weapon, and this time there is evidence.” He held an empty brass cartridge between his finger and thumb. “And it has your signature written all over it.”
The blood drained from Matthew’s face.
“You were right about the pistol. It isn’t perfectly accurate, but so close.” From an inner pocket of his cloak, Duke Kendall brought forth the pistol and placed it on the table. Its emeralds and rubies flickered as if on fire. “The round only grazed Lord Rothwell’s shoulder. A pity. Do you know how ardently he wished for your death? Hebeggedme for it. All over a petty feud, could you imagine?”
Matthew lunged for him. Duke Kendall held up one finger. “Ah-ah. Remember yourself, or my good friends out there will be forced to fetch the shackles for you and your pet.”
Duke Kendall’s eyes shifted to the door, where two other shadows had joined Blackmoor’s. Matthew gritted his teeth and backed away.
“You fall for the same tricks every time.” Duke Kendall sighed. “It’s almost boring at this point how predictable you are. Fooling you twice is shame onyou,isn’t it?”
“I’ll kill you,” Matthew hissed. “I swear to you, one day, I am going to kill you.”
“I’d rather younotmake this difficult. I can make all of this go away, and in fact, I would like to do so. For my efforts, I have a fewsmall requests.” His glare became as sharp as glass. “Sit.”
Matthew sat down in the chair opposite Duke Kendall.
“Good boy. See how simple this is?” Duke Kendall smiled and pushed the pistol across the table. “As you’ll recall, my birthday is this Friday. You promised me a perfect pistol. With some tinkering, I’m sure you’ll iron out the accuracy problem in no time.”
“I can’t make it better,” Matthew argued. “You’re asking for the impossible.”
“Genius as you are, you’ll think of something. It’s in your best interest, I assure you. I have quite the evening planned, and you’re the opening act!” He waved his hand in the air. “Picture it—a ballroom covered in rubies, a blindfolded display of power in the backyard, and afterward, I will propose to my future duchess.” Duke Kendall grinned, the edge of his mouth lifting with lethal sharpness. “Yourlovelysister, Miss Caroline.”
Blood boiling, Matthew’s first instinct was to reach for the gun. “I will never allow you to marry Caroline.”
“You’ll have no say in it with a noose around your neck. Your wife will have even less. One way or another, you will dance, Lord Lincolnshire. Will it be at the end of a rope, or at your sister’s wedding?”
“You can’t hang me. Rothwell is alive.”
