Power surged through Gavin. "I think you know."
"My lord." This came from the River Charley still holding a gun at him. "Perhaps you wish for privacy?"
Morgan blinked, as if he'd forgotten that they had an audience.
"You may take this inside, sir." The Charley gave Gavin a hard stare. "Know that The Thames River Police have surrounded your premises. We will ensure Lord Harteford and Miss Fines safe passage from here. One false move, and I will have you thrown in Newgate."
"'Twould hardly be the first time Morgan put an innocent man behind bars, would it?" Gavin sneered.
"Will someonepleasetell me what is going on?" Percy said.
"Wait in the carriage, Percy," Morgan said.
"I willnotwait," she said, her chin at a mutinous angle. "I'm not a child, and I want to know what is going on."
"Come along, Percy." Gavin held out his arm, felt a heady sense of triumph when she took it. "I think you should hear this. Unless you have something to hide, Morgan?"
A muscle ticked along Morgan's jaw. But he said nothing, following behind.
Once inside the sitting room, Percy said, "Nicholas, do youknowGavin?"
"I'm not certain." Morgan's hands curled in their fine leather gloves, white lines bracketing his mouth. "Unless… you can't be... the boy?"
"Can't even remember my name, can you?" The familiar hatred bubbled like acid through Gavin. All these years he'd fed upon it, building his world around this day: the moment of his retribution. "I'm just the nameless, faceless boy you beat and left to die in Grimes' room."
"You escaped," Morgan said in a low voice.
"With no help from you, obviously."
"Nicholas. What is he talking about?" Percy pleaded.
Morgan shifted his gaze to her, said tonelessly, "'Twas the time before I met your father. Those were... dark days." He removed his hat, raking a hand through black hair silvering at the temples. "At thirteen, I was making my living as an apprentice to a sweep named Ben Grimes."
"Only he wasn't just a sweep, was he?" Though his own stomach gave an uneasy quiver, Gavin went on in a sneering tone, "And the duties you performed—more than just cleaning the stacks, eh? You and all the young boys the master fancied."
Percy's gasp of shock faded into the background. As did everything else. His gaze honed in on Morgan.So long have I waited for this moment, my reckoning...
A tremor crossed the other man's shoulders. "You know as well as I what went on at that house. But it is not fit for a lady's ears." Exhaling, Morgan said, "We will set another time to discuss—"
"We will discuss this now." Gavin no longer had to think; the words rushed out of their own accord. "You are in my territory, and you will not leave until I am satisfied. You will admit what you did that night—say it."
A shuddering breath left Morgan. His fist crushed the brim of his hat. His head bowed, and he was silent for so long that Gavin thought that he would not admit his crime.
"I killed him." The words broke over the hush like china hitting a stone floor. "I stabbed Grimes in the heart because I could not bear for him to... touch me. Not ever again."
"Nick." To Gavin's stupefaction, Percy crossed over to Morgan. She put her arms around him—around Gavin's enemy.Tears were rolling down her face. "Oh, Nick. Did Papa know?"
Morgan shook his head. "For years, I told no one and hid my shame. Not until Helena..." Though the other man's eyes held a sheen of moisture, his gaze softened. "She would not allow any secrets between us."
Percy nodded, still crying. When she swayed, Gavin started toward her—but Morgan was already leading her over to a chair. With furious bewilderment, Gavin watched the tender scene. Did she not understand that her so-called brother had been buggered repeatedly—and that he'd killed the man who'd done the deed? That he'd left Gavinto die? She should be recoiling in disgust, should be...
Over here. With me.
Steadying herself against the arm of the chair, Percy looked up at him. Her eyes brimmed with tears. "Gavin," she whispered "were you...?"
"Grimes didn't touch me," he snapped. He could scarcely think as the vortex whipped inside him. He found rage, letting it anchor him. He had yet to bare all of Morgan's sins; surely then Percy would side with him. "I'd been there a week. But it changed the course of my life nonetheless—because of whathedid." He pointed a finger at Morgan. "Because after he murdered that bastard, he beat me senseless and left me to burn."
Color drained from Percy's face. "Nick wouldn't do that," she whispered. "Nick, say you didn't."
