And he would start tonight, by trying to make Sebastian happy.
He doused the light and let himself fall into a light sleep, distantly aware of the occasional noise in the hall, other guests talking in low tones or making midnight trips to the bathroom.
Finally, at three a.m., he let himself come fully awake. He dressed in the dark, in warm wools for outdoors with his heavy overcoat in his arms and, most importantly, his gloves.
As quietly as he could, he eased his door open and snuck down the hall.
First stop was the kitchens. Some poor young woman was awake, setting loaves of dough to rise at one end of the room, but it was easy enough to ask her to grab him a brandy to help him sleep. When she’d disappeared, Wesley ducked into the larder and helped himself to several choice cuts of meat.
From the kitchens, he found a servants’ door to the outside. The moor was silent as he walked on light feet from the house down to the kennels he and Sebastian had visited.
He could hear the warning growls of the hounds as he approached. Their kennel was chained closed for the night, but their barks would be loud. Before they could sound an alarm and wake the master, he began tossing the steaks over the fence and into their yard, and the growls quickly turned to slobbery chomping instead.
The hounds master had a small shed just past the kennels. Wesley slipped inside. Lighting a match, he studied the shelves until he found the label for what he was looking for.
Scent rags.
He pulled out the basket and nearly gagged. Christ, it smelled like the rags were soaked in—well, exactly what they were soaked in.
Fox piss.
Perfect for training the foxhounds to scent and trail a fox—and, with any luck, also perfect for confusing said hounds when they couldn’t find the real fox in a mess of scent.
Wesley gingerly picked up a rag in one gloved hand and held it up in disgust.
Ugh. He’d have to use them all for the best chance. Really rub them in too, on the stumps and empty trunksand rocks that’d he passed on his walk with Sebastian today.
Fox piss. Christ.
The things he did for Sebastian.
Chapter Twenty
Wearing Wesley’s robe did help. Sebastian made it through the night, not waking until the gray sunlight of winter dawn filled his room, the green robe still pulled tight and cozy around him. He touched the monogram on the chest. Wesley was never getting this back. Sebastian would have a new one made for him, but this one was his now, and Wesley could just tell himself thatno good deed goes unpunished.
In the pale light, Sebastian could see his tattoo, the black ink partially covered by the robe’s thick cuff.
Does it bother you, that he lost his color?Wesley had asked.
No. I like him like this, Sebastian had said.
Staring at the lion now, against the green of the robe Wesley had given him, Sebastian realized that wasn’t quite the truth.
Helovedthe lion like this.
What a gift he was, a scar from the battle that had saved someone as courageous and kind as Wesley. Sebastian was going to ask Isabel for another tattoo, in just the black ink, to match.
He dressed and headed down the stairs. A footman was standing at the bottom of the staircase, and deferentiallyled Sebastian to the morning room. He could hear Wesley’s voice as they approached.
“…simply makes sense to have him stay here,” Wesley was saying, “if you think Lady Nora wouldn’t mind.”
“I think she’d be delighted,” Lord Valemount’s voice boomed back. “And you think he’ll agree?”
“I feel certain of it,” Wesley said, head turning as Sebastian entered. “But here’s Don Sebastian himself, and we can ask.” He tilted his head. “The other women were planning an outing to the village today, but it would seem Lady Nora isn’t feeling well. I suggested to the duke that perhaps you would be willing to skip the morning’s hunt and remain at the manor in case she needs anything.”
“Oh.” Sebastian tried to school his face into an expression of surprise, like he wasn’t expecting an excuse for him to stay behind. “Should we call for her doctor?” he said pointedly. “We met Dr. Wright aboard theGastonwith Lady Nora.”
“Oh, no need for Dr. Wright, I shouldn’t think,” Valemount said, a little too quickly. “He’s probably making rounds in the village. If you’ll stay behind, Don Sebastian, I’m sure Nora would appreciate it.”
