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“What did you do?” Fergus’ voice disturbed him.
“If you excuse me, gentlemen, I think my luck has finished for tonight.” Antony nodded his head to the others at the card table in turn before he stood to greet his brother. The two of them walked a little distance away from the card table. “I wagered my jacket and lost.”
“It’s a cold night outside! You’ll freeze,” Fergus said. “You are getting more and more reckless here.”
“Hardly, it is just a jacket,” Antony shrugged. “It is not a big deal. How was your evening?” he asked Fergus, watching as his younger brother smiled. Fergus possessed the same chestnut brown hair he had, but where Antony had piercing blue eyes and angular features, Fergus had softer brown eyes and more rounded features. The result was a man who always seemed to have a smile on his face.
“Particularly enjoyable,” Fergus chuckled as he glanced back at a young lady who passed by him, lingering with a hand on his arm before she disappeared. “And yours?”
“It was fine,” Antony said, holding back what he truly felt. Despite his attempts, Fergus looked sharply at him.
“If you do not like it here anymore, why do you come?” Fergus said with raised eyebrows.
“I will never marry, Fergus,” Antony repeated the words he had said so many times over the last three years. “Where else am I supposed to find what I need?”
“You could find a wife?”
“No, I will not. Rest assured, I will stay true to my promise to you.” He pointed at his brother, watching as Fergus’ smile grew.
He had made the promise to Fergus three years ago, when his outlook on life had flipped completely. He intended never to marry, so that Fergus would inherit the dukedom from him.
“Well, I can’t pretend I don’t look forward to being Duke,” Fergus said with laughter. “I’ll be old and grey by the time it comes though.”
“Your Grace.” A lady appeared at his side, a different one to earlier that evening. “A message has arrived for you.” She passed a folded piece of parchment into his hands and walked on.
Pulling the parchment open, he was dismayed to find his mother’s handwriting.
“Who is it from?” Fergus asked.
“It seems, our mother knows exactly where we have been tonight,” Antony said slowly, watching as Fergus shifted in his chair, clearly as uncomfortable with the idea as he was. He turned his attention to the rest of the note.
My dear Antony,
I must request both your company and your brother’s home at once, for we have guests. Please return so I can introduce them to you.
Love, Your Mother
“We have guests,” Antony said, folding up the parchment sharply with some frustration. “It seems, we must return home.”
“You can’t go home like that,” Fergus said, pointing at his lack of a jacket. “One minute.” As they both stood to their feet, Fergus hurried off in the direction of the entrance hall, returning a moment later with what was a very scruffy jacket in his hand.
“Where did you find that?” Antony laughed at the garment. It appeared to have been dragged through mud at least twice in its lifetime and was ripped too, several times over.
“Someone left it behind one night. At least it will keep you warm,” Fergus said. “Or would you like to suffer the chill tonight?”
Antony took the jacket from his brother’s hands and pulled it on over his shoulders before the two of them walked outside toward the carriage that awaited them. Once inside, Fergus started talking at length of the good evening he’d had, but Antony could not join in. As a naval officer, Fergus was often away on long trips, and his time at the gentleman’s club was always much looked forward to. Antony did not have the same feelings about it.
“Was the lady you were with so incapable of drawing a single smile from you?” Fergus asked when they were halfway back to the house, drawing Antony from his thoughts. “I wonder if you are choosing the right woman for you. Maybe you should stop going to such clubs and join the events of the ton instead.”
“The right woman?” Antony laughed. “The right woman does not exist!”
“How do you know that?” Fergus said kindly, but despite the soft tone, Antony felt his anger tense his body.
“I have seen the right woman doesn’t exist, Fergus. I do not wish to go down that route again.”
