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“Kit told me three instances. The first encounter involved both of you vying for the same woman’s affection. Her name was Amanda Smitherton, and she was the daughter of the Earl of Cambridge. Kit claimed she was a pretty thing. But he explained the only reason he was courting her was because you were. He claimed she gave him a pink handkerchief, which he passed on to you as a sign of her fondness. Kit believed you were quite serious about her and so pulled away and let you court her,” Stephanie said.
“That is true. But Kit knew something else. What was it?” Elias asked.
“When you realised Kit had stood down, you were in a quandary because you didn’t really like Lady Amanda and had only been courting her because of Kit. Lady Amanda called you a cad and a scoundrel and refused to acknowledge your presence again,” Stephanie finished.
Elias let out a bellow of laughter. “Believe me, Stephanie, that wench was no lady. She had a mouth worse than a fisherman’swife. All sweet and demure in public, but when I informed her I wasn’t really interested, well, a fisherman would have been proud. An earl, not so much!”
“He also told me about Miss Flora Winch. A vicar’s daughter, whose aunt was a duchess, and introduced her to society. Her uncle was quite happy to settle a large dowry on her, which made her a target. Kit explained how he and you discovered Miss Flora being pinned to a wall against her will by Lord Delamere, who was hiding his loss of riches. Lord Delamere automatically assumed you’d spread her ruin. Instead, you called him out in a duel.
“Lord Delamere was appalled and tried to destroy Miss Flora so she’d have to marry him. Except CeeCee also got involved and declared that Miss Flora had been with her at the time Lord Delamere was claiming. He had no choice but to fight the duel you had called him on, and Kit said you beat him rather soundly with a rapier. You and Kit told everyone the duel had been fought because he’d called CeeCee a liar.”
“There was a place I wounded Delamere. Kit laughed about it for months,” Elias recalled.
“Kit informed me that you slipped, and your aim went low. You, Kit, Lord Delamere, and his second agreed never to tell anyone. Apparently, Elias, you slammed the hilt of your rapier into his groin,” Stephanie announced with a bright smile.
“You clearly agree with the injury?”
“Most definitely. Kit never told me what happened to Lord Delamere.”
“He left England at a run six months later, hounded by debtors. I believe he married some rich French heiress in the end. Good luck to her,” Elias answered.
“And Kit gave me one word. Captain. He claimed you’d explain that story,” Stephanie said curiously.
Elias threw his head back and roared with laughter.
“I bet he did. If Lucian ever found out, he’d have tanned both our arses despite our ages. Kit, Thomas Etherton, who was Lord Roland, my best friend, and I were out drinking. Thomas was so drunk we were carrying him everywhere. He’d just had his tender heart broken. So we were helping him recover. We left him sitting outside an inn while we fetched a carriage. When we came back, he was gone.
“Some determined questions and a few punches later, we found out a captain had come by and taken him for a drunk and press-ganged him. Kit and I hurried after the captain. We couldn’t let the Duke of Etherington be press-ganged. By the time we caught up, the ship was setting sail. Kit charged down the pier, leapt on board, and informed the captain he was under arrest for kidnapping a peer of the realm.
“Now, I was fit, but I couldn’t have made that jump. So there’s Kit, unarmed, bellowing on the ship, me on the pier shouting about nobility being kidnapped and a real palaver going on. Thomas had roused and was bewailing his broken heart, and in the end, the captain had enough and dumped the pair of them over the side into the Thames. The river was always dirty, even during the best times.
“We paid a carriage everything we had, which was ten times the usual price of a ride and took Thomas back to his town house. His butler was appalled, but we all cleaned up. If Lucian had found out, he would have beaten me black and blue for allowing Kit to make that jump. My only thought had been to bring Thomas home safely. I wonder what happened to that bounder. I miss him,” Elias said softly.
“He married a young lady called Miss Flora Winch, and from all accounts, they had eight children and were very happy. Their eldest son was called Elias, and their next was Christopher. “His lineage exists even today,” a voice interrupted, “and is thriving.”
“By the black hounds of hell, which stone did you crawl out of, Blackwood?” Elias exclaimed and jumped to his feet with a dark glower.
“Hello Stephanie, I’m Daniel Harrington, the Marquess Blackwood,” the charming man said with a bow.
“Hell just arrived on earth.” Elias groaned.
Stephanie
She took in the stranger and how he was dressed, similar to Elias and Kit, and moved away from him. She had no idea who he was, but if he was here to stop her from getting the demon trap, he had another thing coming. Stephanie had no intention of losing it. She’d been making inroads with Elias, and this Daniel, whatever his name was, would not ruin it for her.
“Go haunt somewhere else,” Elias spat, moving in front of Stephanie. That was all she needed to warn her. The stranger was dangerous to her and Kit.
“Afraid not, old boy. Just had this same conversation with Lucian. I’m alive, not dead. I was dead, and then I got brought back to life. All the Rakehell Six, Henrietta and Harcourt have returned. Still, knowing your temper, they decided I was the most even-tempered one to deal with you,” Daniel said.
“You the most… I never!” Elias exclaimed.
“No, you never,” Daniel agreed with a grin. “But I stand here before you, alive and kicking and not thrilled to be facing you, either.”
“I think I need to go. If you can give me that object,” Stephanie interrupted their argument.
“I’m informed about God’s Scourge. Lucian explained everything. Elias, I am sorry I did not know back then, or we’d have helped.”
Elias snorted in disbelief.
