Those dark eyes sharpened with interest.
“My mother passed away when I was fifteen. Soon after, my father came into a legacy from a distantrelative. He used it to send me away to school in Birmingham. I rarely saw him after that. I would like you to see about that legacy if you can. I think it was a property, and if so, perhaps I can obtain some money out of it to help pay the fees of his defense.”
Mr. Notley jotted down some notes. “You are asking for a service that is more familiar to me than criminal work, Miss Belvoir, and more welcomed. I will see what I can discover.”
***
The note came to Ives at nine in the morning, before he had risen from bed. It was the kind of note to get him on his feet at once. Cursing all the while, he dressed fast and haphazardly and skipped a shave so he could gallop through town to Mayfair as soon as possible. Arriving at the family house, he took the stairs two at a time and threw open the door to his brother’s apartment.
He found Lance enjoying the shave that he himself had forgone.
“What the hell has happened?” he demanded.
“What are you doing here?” Lance asked. “I did not expect you until afternoon.”
“Come immediately. I need you to serve as my second for a duel.That is what your note said.”
“Well, yes, but I did not think you would read it until noon, so then you would arrive around one.”
“Some of us rise earlier. Now tell me why you need a second and, by Zeus, your story had better showyou the victim of some fool in his cups, and not the instigator of a challenge.”
The valet scraped the last of Lance’s beard, then laid a warm, damp towel over his face so only Lance’s dark hair showed. “I had no choice,” came Lance’s muffled reply.
“So you did issue the challenge.”
“Had to.”
“Damnation.”
The towel was lifted. Lance removed another one from around his neck. “You would have done the same. There was nothing else for it.”
Ives paced the chamber. “Iwould nothave done the same thing, because I would not be in London. I would have listened to my brother, whose advice on such matters is sought by the highest of the high, and kept my ass in the country.”
The valet began tidying up the dressing room. Lance led the way to his sitting room.
“Why did you call for me to be your second?” Ives demanded. “Why not one of your friends in crime?”
“I thought your eloquence might be useful. I had to issue the challenge, but it would be better if we did not fight. I don’t want to kill another duke.” He caught himself, and laughed. “By another, I mean one other than myself, of course. Not one other than Percy.”
The explanation made Ives pause. “You did not have to explain the distinction to me, Lance. Surely you know that.”
Lance said nothing. Weariness marked his dark eyes.Being suspected of his own brother’s murder was taking its toll, despite his claims otherwise.
“Just which other duke is it?”
“Middleburrow. It was about Percy, of course. He was drunk, and lost a small fortune to me and could not resist thrusting a few daggers at my reputation out of spite. I could not let it stand.”
No, he could not. But a duel, let alone with Middleburrow, would do nothing to keep the hounds at bay. “I will find a way out of it.”
“He will have to apologize. Nothing less will do. I set the meeting for two o’clock, in the hopes of giving him a chance to sober up.”
Ives began planning how to affect this miracle. “If I succeed, you must promise me to go down to Merrywood again. I’ll not be fixing disasters for you over and over.”
Lance’s deep scowl reflected what he thought of that condition.
“Give me your word, Lance, or you can find someone else for the meeting.”
“Fine, damn it. You have my word. I will rusticate until I am gray and feeble and until a silken noose appears a mercy, if you want.”
