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“Gillingham?” Christian asked.
“Dagger in his back and tossed into the Thames a sennight ago.”
“A dagger?” Gabe echoed. Sophie hadn’t mentioned that bit the night before. He’d just assumed Gillingham had stumbled into the river, deep in his cups and drowned. He would have never imagined the man could have gotten himself murdered.
“On my word,Ididn’t kill him,” Christian said.
Gabe hadn’t even thought about that being a possibility. Of course the Covent Guard was known for throwing daggers at pickpockets and brigands. But certainly Gillingham hadn’t been considered either.
“I didn’t suggest you did.” Chase breathed out a sigh. “I just meant, if you knew he was dead, I’d think you’d tell me.”
“This is the first I’ve heard of it,” Christian replied.
Chase slunk against his chair once more. “Now that Priscilla is gone, he’s demanded I move my things into Chatham House so he can train me to take over the dukedom after he’s gone, but—”
“Oh, good God!” Christian’s mouth fell open. “You’re his heir presumptive, now,” he said in surprise as he’d, apparently, just realized that bit.
“Indeed,” Chase agreed, dejectedly.
“What are the odds the three of us would each find ourselves in this same situation?” Christian asked quietly.
“The odds hardly matter,” Chase muttered, “as the three of usdofind ourselves in these situations.” Then he snorted. “At least your grandfather is reasonable.”
“Only in comparison to Chatham.”
Chase agreed with a nod. “And he’s having a dinner this evening, my grandfather. Demanding the presence of the entire family.” Then he leveled both Gabe and Christian with a look. “And you’ll both be there with me.”
Christian snorted in response. “I am otherwise engaged in the evenings. You know that.”
But Chase’s glare did not change. “You’re injured. The Covent Guard can take one evening off from his dagger throwing adventures.”
“I wouldn’t call them adventures—”
“I shall have to decline your generous invitation as well,” Gabe said.
“You’re not declining anything. Neither of you are.”
“I hardly think it’s a good idea for me to be in the same room as Beckbury.” Or Sophie. Their encounter at Pall Mall could hardly be called a success.
“Or perhaps it’s the best idea in the world,” Christian leveled Gabe with this most serious expression.
“Indeed,” Chase agreed. “Perhaps my uncle has had a change of heart since you last spoke.”
Which was more than ridiculous. Unless Beckbury had somehow forgotten the unfortunate truth he knew about Gabe’s father and the legitimacy of the Northwold earldom, the man would never have a change of heart.
“Chase,” Gabe began when it seemed his friend had no intention of being reasonable.
But Chase shook his head, most definitively. “I told my grandfather I couldn’t attend dinner, that I had plans with the two of you. So he demanded your presence as well. You’re both going.”
Chatham could go hang. Gabe didn’t care one way or the other about what the old duke had commanded or otherwise. Certainly Chase didn’t really expect Gabe to attend a dinner with Sophie’s family, and surely not her father. His friend had very clearly lost his mind.
“In that case,” Christian began as he heaved a sigh. “I find myself quite curious to see you all in the same room together.”
CHAPTER 10
As Sophie and her family arrived at Chatham House and were shown into the drawing room, it struck her, the blackness of it all. Until the last sennight, it had been some time since they’d lost anyone in the family, but there were all of her maternal relations – aunts, uncles, cousins – all shrouded in black while anxiety rolled off each of them in waves. They probably didn’t have any more of a clue than her family did about why they’d all been summoned for dinner. Well, except for the austere Count of Hellsburg. He was probably in the know.
In fact, Sophie’s more-than-intimidating Prussian cousin appeared rather bored with the entire affair. Of course, no one was talking to him, and he was all alone in the far corner. Everyone, it seemed, shared the same opinion of the man that Sophie did. Thank heavens neither her sisters nor her cousins would end up leg-shackled to him for all time and eternity. She could only hope that Hellsburg sailed with the morning tide and wouldn’t return to England in the foreseeable future.
