“Now?” Simon questioned.
“Now that I have distanced myself from her and my anger has eased, I can see things more clearly.”
“Stratton!” came a voice beyond Simon.
“Have mercy!” Daniel hissed as he looked up into the faces of two of his new brother-in-laws. Thankfully, it seemed he was to be spared their father.
“Lord, Monty! If it isn’t our brother-in-law,” Bartholomew Winchcomb said. He then brayed loudly, sounding like a farmyard animal.
The elder Winchomb siblings were like two peas in a pod with their short and stocky frames, thinning red hair and wide, bulbous eyes. They looked nothing like the duchess, even though they shared a father.
“Have to thank you, old man. Your name has given us entry into places we had only ever dreamed of before,” Bartholomew added. “See you’ve left the wife at home. Good move. Eva’s an ugly little thing and would put you in a very bad light.”
“Eva?” Daniel asked.
“Course, you only know her as Berengaria. The bloody Mulholland started calling her Eva ten years ago and it just sort of stuck.”
Eva. Daniel didn’t like to think of his little wife as Eva. Somehow that made her seem more vulnerable. The name Berengaria had always reminded him of a maiden aunt, but Eva…
“Won’t have to worry too much about keeping her busy now the wedding night’s over, as Lord Huxley will soon pay her a call,” Bartholomew Winchcomb said with another bray of laughter before punching Daniel in the shoulder.
Daniel thought briefly about punching Winchcomb back. Just one well placed jab and he would fall easily with minimum fuss. He could then have them both thrown out of his club.
“And why would Gilbert Huxley pay my Duchess a visit?” Daniel said as he climbed to his feet.
“He’s partial to Eva, always has been. Spent a lot of time in our house, you know.” Bartholomew Winchcomb puffed out his chest. “Our father is in business with him.”
“I’d hardly call cheating men out of their money ‘business’, Winchcomb,” Daniel said.What had Eva’s life been like at the hands of these idiots?
“It’s business is what it is, Duke! And about now Huxley will be seeing to unfinished business with your duchess, too!”
Montgomery Winchcomb was not as slow as his older brother and had picked up on the change in the large duke’s demeanor. Eyes as cold as sleet were at present fastened on Bartholomew. “Uh, Barty,” Montgomery said desperately, trying to get his brother’s attention. Bartholomew, however, was not listening.
“Really?” Daniel raised a brow.
Happy for once to be the centre of attention, and most especially in front of his very powerful brother-in-law, Barty was not about to relinquish the reins to his younger brother.
“Indeed. Father, you know, let Huxley play with Eva a little, but said he wasn’t to touch her - ”
“Barty!” Montgomery said with more urgency.
Two very large hands were now clenched at the duke’s sides.
“At least until she had wed you, then after the wedding night you would dump her somewhere. Well who wouldn’t want to, ugly little thing like that? It makes one shudder thinking of her amongst us.”
“Are you saying Huxley will make inappropriate advances to the Duchess of Stratton?”
Bartholomew Winchcomb stilled. Suddenly, all the air squeezed from his lungs as he looked up at the Duke. His brother-in-law’s eyes were like looking into the pits of hell. “Uh, well, um…as to that, I’m just, uh…”
“Of course Lord Huxley was just rambling. Harmless fellow, loves Eva like a sister,” Montgomery added with a high-pitched laugh. “He wouldn’t dream of touching our sweet Eva, would he, Barty?”
“Nooo,” Bartholomew shook his head. He then allowed Montgomery to grab him and together, the brothers made a hasty retreat.
Daniel watched the Winchcomb brothers flee, their coattails flicking as they ran through the quiet, exclusive club.
“Do you know if Huxley is in town?” Daniel asked Simon as they both headed for the door through which the Winchcomb brothers had recently fled. The Duke had a very bad feeling in the pit of his stomach all of a sudden. Was his duchess in danger?
“I returned this morning, Daniel, and have not had a chance to catch up on the gossip.” Simon fell in beside him as they collected their horses and started through the busy streets of London. “Do you think there was some truth to their claims, then?”
