“What about me?”
“Will you still be here?”
Beckett narrowed his eyes. “You ain’t firin’ me.”
“Will you?”
“Course I will. You ain’t firin’ me.”
Marl looked exasperated. “No, I’m not firing you. I doubt it would do any good if I tried.”
“It wouldn’t. You can’t get rid of me.”
A glimmer of amusement showed in Marl’s frosty eyes. “I meant that His Grace wouldn’t allow me to get rid of you, not that you’d refuse to go. So, you’re staying?”
Beckett really didn’t know where Marl had come up with the idea that fixing it involved Beckett not being here.
“Even though the duch might not like to share his home with his husband’s lover?” Marl clarified.
“Oh, don’t you worry none about that. He’ll be fine with it.”
“What an extraordinary statement for you to stand there and make. You, the man who ran him off. Who frightened him into running.”
Beckett heaved an impatient sigh. “I didn’t run him off, he’s the one who bolted. And listen, we may as well clear the air. I never meant to hurt him. I didn’t. I’ve not had anything to do with a man like the duch before.” Or been as worried about anyone as he was about Jack on those suppressants. “I’ll learn, though.Ifpeople give me a chance.”
Marl considered him for a long moment. It didn’t matter one way or the other whether Marl approved of things or not. As he’d said himself, he couldn’t fire Beckett.
And as Beckett had said, he wouldn’t go.
“Would you like to know the real reason I’m angry with you?”
Beckett sighed. “Not really.”
“It’s because I expected more from you, Tobias.” Marl twisted the knife. “I’ve never been so mistaken in a man in my life.”
“You ain’t mistaken.” Beckett kicked his chin up. “You’ll see.”
“Do you know the future His Grace has planned for you?” Marl said abruptly.
“No.” Jack loved him. That was all Beckett cared about. The rest could unfold as it would.
Marl drummed his pen absently on the side of the ledger. “He’ll have you running Avendene within the next ten years.”
Beckett stared at him. Then he laughed. “Pull the other one.”
“I will not.”
“Me?” Beckett scoffed, even as something roared up inside him and cried out,Yes. Mine. Give it to me.
I can take care of it for you.
“Yes. You,” Marl confirmed. “Up until how poorly you handled things with the duch, I was very much in favour of the scheme.”
“And now?”
Marl shrugged. “You have a lot to learn.”
“I’ll learn it. Again,ifpeople give me a chance.”
