“I’mbeing overly dramatic!?” Lewis spluttered, before jolting a little when Gideon swung around and flung toward him an entire decanter of whiskey. It almost flew by his left shoulder and it might have had it not been for his quick reflexes. “What in the—" In the midst of the turmoil, Lewis’ attention was drawn to Gideon’s coat hanging from the hat rack, with the mask peeking out of one of its outside pockets. The atmosphere seemed to shift. “You… you went to the Serpent’s Den alone? I thought I told you to wait—” Abruptly, his eyes widened and he shot to his feet. “Did something happen when you went to the Serpent’s Den? You got to Lord Appleby, didn’t you?”
The mention of the Earl only soured Gideon’s delightful mood. He snorted, rolling his eyes. “I wish that were the case, old chap. Unfortunately, I am expecting that blackguard Appleby will end up being a tougher adversary than the others before him.”
“And why’s that?” Lewis pressed.
“It’s a myriad of reasons, really. But the most glaring one happens to be – and I don’t mean to brag, but,” Gideon swept an exaggerated bow, “it seems my reputation precedes me. That… jackanapscallion had been reluctant to engage with me the entire night I was there.”
“Jackanapscallion?” Seeming to relax now, Lewis returned to his seat, uncorking the decanter. “That’s a new one.”
“Yes. Like it? Thought of it on the spot,” he smirked.
“I preferreddandyprat.”
Gideon scowled. “Well, in any case, I sought him out for three consecutive nights, even attempted the approach of playing a few losses and easing up to him first, but he wouldn’t even let me get close. And if he realizes I am targeting him, he will only do all that he can to stay out of my way while there’s still air in his lungs.”
“Wise of him, considering the fate that befell his associates at your hand.”
Gideon could only muster a grunt, sipping his whiskey with a tincture of bitterness and leaning back against the sideboard. A couple of days had gone by now without Gideon really thinking about his plan, and it was all down to Amelia. When he was next to her, she was all he could pay attention to. And when they were apart, she was all he could think about.
Gideon struggled to recall the last time he had allowed someone to dominate his thoughts like this. The only person he had ever dearly cherished was his brother, Jasper. But his love for Jasper was an entirely different thing from what he felt now. Following Jasper’s death – after the Serpents had taken away the last of the Stanhope fortune at the time and rendered his young and sick brother without an on-the-clock physician, Gideon’s sole focus had been retribution. While he navigated his eventual role as Duke – his friendships, acquaintances, and even his hobbies had all been a charade for the one true constant in his life, the Masked Rogue. In truth, he had been nothing more than an empty vessel, driven by the singular ambition to avenge his family's downfall.
But then Amelia had come into his life.
She’dthrustherself into his life, to be precise, but his resentment over that fact was steadily diminishing. They could be friends. Friends who were husband and wife and touched each other as if they were in love…
“So what’s the plan now?” Lewis asked, cutting into Gideon’s wayward thoughts.
Gideon cleared his throat and then loosened his cravat, hoping that Lewis wouldn’t realize the direction his musings had taken him in. Pushing himself off the sideboard, he said, “Frankly, I haven’t the faintest clue. I am like the plague to the Earl and he is bent on avoiding me at all cost. Not to mention that, unlike the others, I’ve discovered there isn’t really much in the way offortune I can take from him. I doubt he even has any family he cares for.”
Lewis shifted a little. “Thatisquite the dilemma,” he commented. “With how much of his life begins and ends with the Den, you wouldn’t think he would be so particular about who, precisely, he throws down his cards with.”
Gideon hummed in agreement, draining his glass.
Lewis quickly continued, “Then again, the simple fact his entire life and only real fame comes from that place is quite pitiful. Pathetic, even. Drowning himself in alcohol and debt to get a feel of his past glory as a Serpent. It explains his lack of fortune too.” He tutted. “Perhaps that is God’s way of punishing him, and it is best to leave him be—"
Gideon suddenly spluttered out the whiskey that had been swirling thoughtfully around in his mouth. An idea rapidly unraveled in his mind, whipping a devilish grin to his lips. “Lewis… you’re brilliant,” he whispered.
Lewis grimaced. Finished with his drink, he set his empty glass on the side table. “While I concur with that sentiment, I can’t say I really know where you’re going with this.”
“Appleby’s entire legacy is bound to the Serpent’s Den. He has had a seat reserved at that exclusive club since before I was on god’s green earth. In fact, the old pauper has no other seats anywhere. And you know what else I’ve learned in those few days of hounding him? He is deeply indebted to Clarkeson,the Den’s owner, who himself is a pushover when it comes to chasing down dodgers and has landed in a lot of debt too because of it.”
A frown creased Lewis’ forehead. “I fail to see how this even deeper pit of fortune helps the Masked Rogue get anywhere closer to achieving his goals.”
“No. That’s just it, Lewis. Don’t you see?” Excited now, Gideon’s eyes lit up with mischief as a sly smile spread across his face. “I don’t need the Masked Rogue anymore. All I need to do is toss Clarkeson a plum and take over the Serpent’s Den. Then, by stripping Appleby of his membership without publicly disclosing the reason, I could cast him out of society entirely. And to add insult to injury, after assuming his debts to the Den, I can demand settlement.”
Lewis’ mouth fell agape, grappling for words. “You would… you would do all ofthatjust to see him fall?”
Gideon laughed, clapping Lewis on the shoulder before beelining straight for his escritoire, rummaging around its compartments for some spare paper to begin inking a correspondence. “It is hardly anything major. When you think about it, from all the wealth I’ve amassed by tearing down the other Serpents, I would really only be purchasing the Den with their own money. It is textbook retribution!”
“But you would essentially beexcommunicatinghim. The scandals that could surface, his entire family would be ruined…”Lewis hesitated, then whispered, “his daughter’s reputation would be tarnished.”
Gideon was too intent on setting pen to paper as hastily as possible to register most of Lewis’ words. “It is the perfect execution.” Pausing for a brief second, he looked up, face expressionless. “Holy mother of Heavens. I could do the same with the other Serpents too…” In a snap, he was back down scribbling away at the paper before him.
Lewis stumbled to his feet. “No, there… there has to be another way. We should think about this—”
“Pah! How else will I succeed in bringing the Earl down, man? He refuses to let me anywhere near him, and for good reason. I have all but shot myself in the foot by taking down so many of his associates before him.”
“Then perhaps it is your sign to stand down. You have already done so much to avenge your brother—”
