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Chapter Twenty-Five
Anger is like a full-hot horse, who being allow’d his way, self-mettle tireshim.
—Shakespeare,Henry VIII
Nicholas was dumbfounded.He’d just been threatened by a maid. Was this to be Daniel’s legacy? Surely Daniel had not been so indiscreet as that? His letters indicated he’d chosen to abide by his father’s wishes and not live beyond the pale. The chit was guessing. Or simply grasping at straws. Nicholas felt sure of it. The audacity! He ran a hand through his hair.Damn.
He swung his legs around and slipped off the bed but stopped short of going through the sitting room door. What had Catherine seen? Stupid question. Enough. Enough for her to fumble and leave. He could easily imagine what the scene had appeared to be. Why had the chit chosen now? Chosen him? He doubted Daniel had ever encouraged it. His father? Nicholas cringed at the thought. The man might be many things, but a lecher he was not.
Nicholas slipped his arms into his robe and jerked at the line of loops. He should go to Catherine, but what was he to say? “I’m sorry you saw a maid fondling my cock”? “I’m sorry you have not been doing the same thing”? He groaned and sat back down on the edge of the bed. “I’m sorry you did not trust me enough to share Daniel’s truth”? His head ached. He didn’t know how to fix it. Any of it.
A rap sounded on the hall door. Surely the girl was not so bold as to try to come back? Well, she would not regain entrance into his chambers. He jumped off the bed and marched to the door before opening it abruptly.
Fredericks lowered his hand, obviously about to knock again. “My lord, I do apologize for disturbing you—”
Fredericks suddenly stumbled to the side. “My good sir! You were to—you cannot just—”
“Langdon!” Nicholas cut off Fredericks’s angry sputtering, his own grin reflected on the face of the stout man who had just boldly shoved Fredericks to the side.
“Sinclair!” Langdon reached out and grabbed Nicholas’s hand, pumping his arm up and down. “It’s right good to see you, Sinclair, that it is!”
The weight of the last twenty-four hours slipped from Nicholas’s shoulders. An ally at last.
A not-so-discreet cough interrupted his elation.
“Fredericks. All is well. This is my man, Langdon.” Nicholas turned to the ruddy, freckle-faced, red-haired man, who beamed in pleasure. “Langdon. This is Fredericks.”
Langdon stuck out a hand. “Ah, the man who taught Sinclair how to be one. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He grinned toward Nicholas, then back at Fredericks. “You did a good job, old man. That you did.”
Fredericks blushed at the praise. The man actually flushed a bright red, but his milky blues twinkled, and he surely fought a smile. “A pleasure to meet you…Langdon. I will leave you two to your reminiscence.”
“Come, come.” Nicholas ushered Langdon into the room.
His friend shuffled in a circle, whistling slowly through his teeth. “Well, Sinclair, you’ve not done badly for yourself. Thought I’d die of exhaustion coming up that grand staircase.” He chuckled, throwing his cap on the table. “The old man wanted me to wait downstairs, but I declined his fine offer. Told him I’d seen you in your clothes as well as out of them and did not care what state you might be in.” His expression grew serious. “That was unless you were otherwise occupied.” He held out his hand again. “I understand congratulations are in order. You waited a long time, sir.”
Nicholas’s newfound elation burst, a balloon deflated. He had waited a long time and, after this day’s events, may remain forever in the wings of his own life. Things were certainly not unfolding as he’d planned. But then, neither had the road been smooth for Langdon. The man’s lower sleeve was pinned up neatly, hiding the stump beneath the rumpled jacket.
“So you fought the devil and won.” Nicholas could not resist a grin, despite the drag of personal despair. This man had stood at his side during the foulest of times, cleaning his clothes, tending his wounds, talking him back to sanity.
Langdon waved his stump, sparring like a pirate. “The fiend did not stand a chance.” He chuckled, then suddenly sobered, his hazel eyes darkening. “Badajoz took all the devil’s energy. He had none left to chase me down.”
Nicholas’s rising spirit was now fully dampened. Badajoz had taken its toll on all good men. War was a burden to bear, but what had happened after the success of conquering that town was too dark for a man’s soul to hold. He pushed it away. “Langdon, I am glad to see you whole.”
The man waved his vacant sleeve again.
“Well, almost whole,” Nicholas amended, throwing his arm around Langdon’s shoulder in a quick embrace, glad to feel solid flesh beneath his arm. Langdon had surely won his health back. It was too warm to light the fire, but Nicholas lit a few more candles on the mantel after pushing Langdon into a chair. Moving to the side table, Nicholas poured two hearty glasses of cognac. Tonight why pretend in increments?
Langdon sniffed appreciatively, then threw back half the contents, sighing in response. “Fine stuff, Sinclair. Mighty fine.”
Nicholas sipped, the fiery liquid burning a smooth path. He had never shared a drink with Langdon. Until Badajoz. Then they had obliterated reality together. Langdon waiting for someone to tend to his wound, and Nicholas trying to block out the grotesque injustice happening all around them. They had toasted each other, believing they would never sit together again.
He shook his head. That was then; this was now.
“I’m happy to see you well, my friend,” Nicholas said.
Langdon looked at him over the brim of his glass, then lowered it. “Yet I sense it is not happiness you are feeling.” The glass rested in his lap as he eyed Nicholas. “Tell me, Sinclair. My lord,” he corrected with a crooked grin. “What has you so down in the mouth when the world has unrolled at your feet?”
Where to begin? Should he begin? Langdon had pulled him from carnage when others had seen him as a forfeit of war. Langdon had nursed Nicholas back to health, had stood by him through each and every skirmish. They had shared their childhood memories, their dreams. Langdon was here not because he had to rejoin his officer but because he wanted to be here. Nicholas pushed aside doubt and shared everything that had happened since returning to Woodfield. Everything, including the debacle an hour ago. It felt good to tell someone the naked truth.
