AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Perhaps my cousin would benefit from a bout of fisticuffs with you.”
“It wouldn’t be very much of a fight.”
“But it might knock some sense into him.”
“It would have to be a mighty big punch,” Guy joked as they stepped into the room. He assisted Miss Locke into her chair before claiming the one next to her.
Phineas glared at him from across the table, and Guy tried to give him no heed. No good would come from engaging with him at the moment. Unfortunately, Phineas had no intention of letting him be.
Phineas spoke up as a servant placed a bowl of soup in front of him. “How much longer do you intend to stay in Anmore?”
“I am not entirely sure.”
“Surely your report is done,” Phineas said, glancing between Guy and Miss Locke. “One must wonder if you are staying here for more pleasurable pursuits.”
“Phineas,” Lady Frances gasped as she shifted in her chair to face him, “that was entirely uncalled for.”
Guy raised his hand. “That is all right, my lady.” He met Phineas’ gaze. “If you must know, I have not finished my report. I want it to be thorough for the bank.”
“Your report will not change anything, you know,” Phineas said. “People get into business to make money.”
“That is true, but most people do have a conscience.”
“A conscience?” Phineas repeated. “You are hoping to appeal to their consciences?”
“I am.”
Phineas scoffed. “Then you are a bigger fool than I thought.”
“I am trying to make a difference wherever I can.”
“Spare me the theatrics,” Phineas declared. “You are not some noble crusader trying to stop injustice. You were hired by the bank to write up a report.”
“You are right, but that doesn’t mean I won’t complete my job to the fullest.”
Phineas shoved his chair back. “I’m afraid I have lost my appetite,” he said, rising.
He stormed out of the room, and Miss Locke turned to Guy. “Again, I must apologize for my cousin.”
“There is no need,” he replied. “Phineas took an immediate disliking to me the first time we met at Eton, and he was constantly tormenting me.”
“That is awful,” Lady Frances remarked.
“Until I started fighting back, I was left to fend for myself,” he explained. “Quite frequently, Phineas and his comrades stripped me down and tossed me outside. They wouldn’t let me back in for hours.” He huffed. “They said they wanted to remove the smell of rubbish off me.”
Miss Locke shook her head in disapproval. “Did no one help you?”
“One of the professors taught me how to box, and I was finally able to start defending myself,” he said. “That was my only saving grace.”
“Did you appeal to the headmaster?” Lady Frances asked.
“He chose to turn a deaf ear,” Guy replied. “I had no money or lineage connections to help me. I was treated as a nobody at Eton, which motivated me to rise up and take advantage of the education I was receiving.”
Miss Locke smiled at him. “You must feel immense pride at having made something of yourself.”
“Yes, I do.” Guy squashed the gnawing guilt he had for lying to Miss Locke and her grandmother, but he had no choice. He couldn’t reveal the truth, that he had dropped out of Cambridge to become a Bow Street Runner, or that he was now an agent of the Crown. No, he needed to continue the ruse until he completed his assignment.
Lady Frances picked up her spoon. “It would be best if we started eating before our soup gets cold.”
