“What are you talking about?” John tugged on the hem of his jacket and turned from the mirror. “The situations don’t compare in the least.”
Wilberforce dipped his chin to his chest. “Seems we all carry a lot of unearned shame is all I meant.”
Wil was right. Robert’s actions should only reflect on himself. Every man was responsible for his own behavior. But knowing that in his head and feeling it in his heart were two different things altogether. What would his brother have become if he hadn’t been scarred by John’s experiment?
Not knowing what else to do, he changed the subject. Holding his arms out wide, he spun in a circle. “Well? How do I look? Anything missing?”
“Only your hardware, sir.” Wilberforce brought the wood case to him and held it up.
John picked out the shortest blade and held it to the light. “They’ve been sharpened?”
“They’ll cut off an ear without any effort.”
John arched an eyebrow as he slid the dagger into his wrist holster. “Your bloodthirstiness sometimes worries even me.” He deposited another knife into his boot. He strode to the large Chinese vase by his armoire and fingered through his walking sticks. He picked out a fine malacca one with an ivory handle.
Wilberforce shook his head. “No, sir. You want the one with the panther’s head.”
“But this matches my jacket.” John frowned and held it to his sleeve. The cream-colored nob disappeared against the fabric.
Wilberforce reached past him and plucked out the one he named. He gave it a twirl before pressing it into John’s hand. “And the turquoise eyes on the panther match your waistcoat. Trust me.”
John grumbled. Blast and damn, the man was right. He shoved the malacca stick back in the vase and turned on his heel.
“Is Sutton meeting you there?”
John paused at the door. “That would be surprising as I didn’t tell him I was going today.” Sutton was happier puttering around in his orangery, or managing The Black Rose with his wife. He’d slid into retirement like it was a warm bath.
John pushed that irritating thought away. “Why?”
“I don’t like you going into his house alone.” Wil rubbed his jaw. “I’ll drive you. I’ll have to wait outside, but if you shout, I can be with you in moments.”
“It’s an afternoon visit. I’ll be giving the man a large sum of money.” And a warning. He didn’t care how much Sudworth held over his head. No one hurt his family. “The man will welcome me with open arms. No shouting will be required.” He saluted Wil with his walking stick and strode towards the door. “Ta. Don’t wait up.”
His carriage pulled up to Sudworth’s house fifteen minutes later. He hopped out and knocked at the door with the heavy panther’s head of his stick. A footman guided him into a sitting room. Where he sat. And waited. And waited even more. Until the insult could hardly be borne.
He snapped the cover to his pocket watch closed and shoved it back in his waistcoat. It had to be intentional. Sudworth wanting to establish dominance over him by making him cool his heels.
Finally, the door opened and Sudworth ambled in. “Summerset. How good of you to come.”
John twirled his walking stick between his fingers. “Yes, I thought so.” He removed a small leather case and tossed it onto the low table before him. “There’s a banknote. Robert’s debt is paid in full.”
Sudworth left the money on the table and sat across from John. “Cleaning up after your brother again? You make me wish I wasn’t an only child.”
“Family is important,” he agreed. He twirled the stick in the opposite direction and when it rolled through all his fingers he tossed it up and caught it with a snap. “In fact, I consider an insult on any member of my family as an insult to me.”
Sudworth chuckled. “You aren’t here to complain about the little mark I left your brother, are you? I would think you’d appreciate such a reminder. It might keep him from losing any more of your property.”
John gritted his teeth. He couldn’t wait to inflict the same curtesy on Sudworth. “Beware you don’t push too far. There’s a point where other concerns will override my desire for my ore mines.”
“Yes, but we’re not there yet.” Sudworth stretched out his legs and laced his fingers over his belly. “You and I are not so dissimilar. Neither of us passively accepted our lot in life. You inherited a name, but little else. We both of us had to make ourselves who we are today. We had to take what we wanted.”
John shifted. “Everyone wants more from life. It’s the methods we employ which differentiate us.”
“Do you believe that your hands are clean?” Sudworth stared at him, unblinking. “How interesting.”
John gripped the shaft of the walking stick until his knuckles went white. “Are we done here?”
Sudworth circled his thumbs around each other. “I heard a letter was found at the Home Office. Nicely done.”
