“He was anabsolutebore before he met me at Oxford,” Luke crowed, clearly relishing the opportunity to make Henry squirm. “So serious, so studious. In truth, I did not think he was capable of smiling before I made it my mission to befriend him. But thereisa sense of humor in there.”
Thalia smiled, taking a tiny sip of her brandy. The taste was unpleasant, but the warmth it conjured was rather nice.
“I have encountered that sense of humor recently,” she said, with a glance at Henry to see if he was blushing yet.
He sat steadfast in his chair, his face a perfect blank, though if eyes could sweat, he would be drenched.
“He thought it would be amusing to dunk his wife in the lake while I was merely trying to read in peace,” she added,determined to provoke a laugh from him, a hint that he remembered that moment fondly.
Owen, who did not seem to say much or smile at all, tutted at Henry. “Ruining a fine lady’s dress? What has become of you, Brooks. You used to be such a decent gentleman.”
Curious, Thalia stole a look at Owen’s face, a map of scars that made him seem twice as intimidating. There was no mirth in his expression, no obvious amusement in his tone. And yet… She might have been wrong, but it seemed that hewasplaying along with the jest, his sense of humor exceedingly dry. So dry it could be mistaken for having no sense of humor at all.
“It was a moment of madness,” Henry said with a shrug that gave nothing away. “I thought, perhaps, she needed to be cooled.”
Luke cackled, clapping his hands together. “Duchess, you must never trust your husband’s stoic demeanor. Inside, he will be burning with embarrassment. It is one of his greatest tricks, to show the world nothing. A rather gifted performer when it comes to putting on masks.”
Is that true?Thalia discreetly looked at her husband, who had found a very interesting spot on the armrest to observe. These two men appeared to know him better than anyone; ithadto be true.
“Did all three of you meet at Oxford?” she asked, allowing Henry a brief reprieve.
Owen nodded. “We were in the same college, and lived beside one another in the halls of residence.”
“Henry and I had the corner lodgings on the square, so I could see him from my window,” Luke continued. “Every time I would see him, he would be hunched over his desk. That is when I decided that I would bring some entertainment into his life and, though it was like pulling teeth in the beginning, we have been friends ever since.”
Owen got up to pour himself some more brandy. “I, on the other hand, still do not know how I came to be friends with that court jester over there.Ibefriended Henry because we shared a similar taste for peace and quiet.”
“Because you know your life would be terribly dull without me,” Luke chirped, raising his glass in a toast to himself.
“And how I would relish that,” Owen countered with that same almost-smile in his voice, though his face remained implacable.
It was impossible not to warm to Luke immediately, with his lively character and ready smile, but Thalia felt herself warming to Owen’s stony exterior, too. She could look at the three friends and understand how they had come to remain so close, their dynamic making perfect sense, even if it seemed like it should not.
“We used to swim in that lake that Henry dunked you in,” Owen said, returning to his seat. “In the summers between semesters, when his father was away in London.”
Luke nodded. “I would eagerly await the invitation. His father always used to spend a month in London during the summer, for reasons unknown, and we would descend. Walter and James would sometimes join us. The sister, too, though I daresay we liked that less. She would always try to spoil our games and adventures.”
“That sister is my dearest friend,” Thalia pointed out, a warning eyebrow raised.
Putting up his hands in mock surrender, Luke explained, “Yes, but she would want to do things her way, and when you are a young man with no responsibilities for a month, you do not want to be told how to enjoy yourself.”
“Someof us had responsibilities,” Owen remarked wryly. “You merely chose to ignore yours.”
Henry smiled. “Indeed, I doubt anyone could tell you how to enjoy yourself, Luke, when you are almosttoocapable in the art of it.”
“No,” Luke protested, “I simply understand that there is more to life than ledgers and bank drafts and business endeavors and doing boring things with boring people. Life is for reveling. Do not pretend you have not learned that because of me.”
Thalia had a feeling that they bickered rather a lot, as if they reallywerebrothers. It made her think of what Owen had said about brotherhood and where his loyalties lay. Indeed, she tookcomfort from knowing that she had the protection of these three gentlemen, especially the one who would not meet her eye.
But it did not help me on the night I cannot remember…It was an unhappy thought, and this was not the occasion for unhappy thoughts.
“What is Walter like?” she asked, once the trio had agreed to disagree.
Luke and Owen exchanged a quick glance.
“A pleasant fellow,” Luke said, his tone odd. “A believer in the enjoyment of life, like myself.”
“Selfish. Ungrateful. Churlish,” Owen interjected, stony-faced.
