One
The coward calls the brave man rash; the rash man calls him a coward.
—Aristotle,Nicomachean Ethics
“You do realize you’ve been holding that glass of champagne for over an hour. It’s likely gone flat.” Rowles Haywind, the Duke of Westmore, used his empty flute to gesture to Collin’s still-full one. “And if you keep looking at it with such concentration, the mamas of thetonwill see it as a sign of your deep loneliness and send their daughters over en masse to ease your heartache.”
The last statement startled Collin out of his apathy, and he gave his best friend a glare.
“Ah, welcome back to the party, Collin.” Rowles smirked. “Pleasure to have your attention at last.”
Collin fought to keep a frustrated expression on his face but lost the battle. It was too much effort. Collin Morgan, Earl of Penderdale, was quite certain that the only emotions he had left were boredom and anger. Odd how the two feelings could coexist. After all, one would think anger would leadto action, but all he had left was apathy—which led to the boredom.
His attention was directed to his champagne as a gentleman misjudged the distance between himself and the wall. Collin lifted the glass slightly, avoiding direct contact with the other man’s shoulder as he righted himself. Huffing faintly, the man gave a curt nod before he disappeared into the sea of silk and black evening kits of theton.
“Nearly wore that stale champagne,” Rowles commented as he gave a warning expression in the direction of the retreating man’s back. “Already deep in his cups and it’s not even midnight.”
“Perhaps he’s the lonely one. However, I don’t see the matchmaking mamas sending their hordes in his direction,” Collin noted dryly.
“He’s not worth their time. You, however, are.” Rowles frowned. “What are you now, three and thirty? Practically an old man.”
Collin shifted his attention from the sea of humanity to his friend. “I’m the same age as you, or do you not recall such information as a result of our age?”
“Just making sure I still have your attention.”
“Why is my attention so deuced important?” Collin asked with irritation.
Rowles considered him. “Because if I don’t continually pester you, you’ll retreat into that fortress in your mind that you’ve constructed, and if thathappens, I might as well carry on a conversation with this wall.” He nodded to the white plaster beside him.
“I’m not that bad,” Collin replied, defending himself.
“Tell that to your sister, if you want to try to convince someone. See how that works out for you.” Rowles gave a low chuckle.
Collin bit back an ungentlemanly word. It wasn’t like him to curse, but he hadn’t felt like himself in any way as of late. And he was quite certain his sister, who happened to be married to Rowles, was aware of that as well and had made more than a passing mention to her husband.
Who now was pestering Collin with it.
Brilliant.
“Speaking of my sister, where is she and shouldn’t you go and find her?” Collin gave a dismissive wave of his hand.
“First, Joan doesn’t need me to look after her, and second, I doubt she’d appreciate me trying to.” Rowles raised a brow. “Woman is more dangerous than any man I know, present company included.” Rowles lifted his glass in a salute and brought it to his lips before remembering that it was empty.
Collin narrowed his eyes in a disappointed expression as Rowles lowered his glass but didn’t remark on his friend’s words. They were far too accurate for amusement. Rowles was one of thefew who knew about Collin and his sister’s work for the War Office. But as Collin thought of his profession, the gray cloud of apathy and anger once again blurred his thoughts.
As if sensing this relapse, Rowles asked in a voice barely above a whisper, “Have they uncovered anything further?”
The words were innocent enough. Anyone overhearing them wouldn’t be certain of their context, but they were loaded words for Collin.
“I was given a possible location, nothing more,” he said tonelessly.
“And?” Rowles asked, waiting.
Collin sighed, his bones aching with the weight of indecision. “And that’s all.”
“All?” Rowles asked, his tone incredulous.
Collin turned to him. “Are you going to repeat everything I say? If so, I should say something worth hearing again.” He paused. “The Earl of Penderdale is a gift to humanity.”
