She smiled at him. “I know. Thank you.”
He swallowed, overcome once again by the faith he saw shining through her eyes. Faith that he would protect her. It was with that thought in mind that he cleaned himself up as best he could and headed for the one place he had avoided since returning from Waterloo.
He headed to his family’s London home.
It was not a decent time to visit, being much too early, but that was the point. His father and brother were always early risers, even in London, while his mother often slept well into the afternoon. Knocking now would accomplish what he wanted without the complications of seeing the one woman who never failed to tie him into knots.
The butler answered the door, leaving Lucas cooling his heels on the doorstep for much too long. During the few minutes he stood there, several people passed by and looked at him with curiosity. They were all servants headed out on one errand or another, but as Ruben liked to say, what one servant saw, all of London discussed within the hour. There would be no hiding that he was back from the dead now.
Once inside, he endured the scrutiny of their newest butler. Thanks to his mother’s sharp tongue, they never kept servants for long, and so Lucas had the awkward task of explaining himself.
“Lord Chellam, to see my father and brother.”
The man stared at him in shock, then nodded, proving that the servants had already been discussing this possibility. “If you would wait a moment here, please.”
Lucas considered heading into the breakfast parlor without escort, but he was trying to make nice. So he waited, and in time, the butler returned to escort him. When he crossed into the parlor, his stomach growled at the scent of food. A hearty meal was on the sideboard, and Lucas couldn’t stop himself from turning toward it and sniffing appreciatively.
Seated at the table, his brother burst out laughing. “Did you come for a meal, brother? I thought dead mean didn’t eat.”
“The newly returned to the living do, and it has been…” He shook his head. He couldn’t remember the last time he ate a full meal like a civilized man. “A long while,” he finally said.
His father was already gesturing to the butler to set another place, and Lucas sank down into the offered chair with gratitude in his heart. Not just for the food, but for the easy way both men accepted his presence. He stayed silent as he was served a large measure of everything, then waited a bit longer to catch his family’s attention.
“I’m sorry,” he finally blurted. “I should have come here long ago.”
His father looked at him for a long moment. His brother, too. But in the end, they both returned to their food as if nothing had been said.
Though, his father did give him a crisp nod before looking back at the morning paper. “Did you see that we’re to sign a treaty with the Netherlands against the slave trade?” His father shook his head. “It’s all well and good to sign the paper, but if we don’t commit money to end the practice, it’s no more than hot air and a waste of ink.”
Nathan grunted. “Slavery is too big a problem to be handled by one nation. We need everyone else to abhor it, too. Otherwise, the blighters will always find a workaround.”
His father grunted. “We must begin at home. Stop slavery here, then we can help others to do the same.”
The conversation continued along political lines as the two men discussed the forces that caused one man to declare another as less than human. It was the most erudite conversation Lucas had had in years. No one at the Lyon’s Den talked about these things. The clientele discussed cards or how to duck bill collectors. The workers talked of how they would survive through the day. No one thought of the movements of nations except to complain about it.
But his father and brother did, and he realized he would have to as well if he meant to step into the House of Lords one day. That was a sobering thought, but one that sat better on his shoulders than it ever had before. Hadn’t he spent years among the common man? The idea that he might find a way to make their lives better through proper government appealed to him. But only in a tomorrow kind of way. Today had enough problems.
Lucas finished his meal and felt well-fed for the first time since heading to war. He was an overstuffed pigeon right now—vulnerable if anyone attacked—but damned if it didn’t feel good. He set his fork aside and leaned back with his hands on his belly. His father smiled at him and nodded to the butler. Within moments, the dishes were removed, and the servants were gone from the parlor.
“We’re alone now,” his father said in a low voice. “Out with it. What do you need?”
Nathan, too, leaned forward, his expression tight. “Have you discovered more about that attack at Vauxhall?”
“Nothing about the attack. As I feared, those thieves are long gone. But I believe we know who is behind everything.” He quickly relayed what had happened so far. He kept his voice low to prevent being overheard, and both men listened intently, their expressions reflecting every emotion that could be expected: disgust, horror, and fury.
But his brother added one more emotion. He leaned back with a knowing look on his face. “You look to wed the widow.”
Lucas jolted. It was true, but how his brother could know this from his cold recitation of facts was beyond him. His father snorted and gestured at Nathan with a dismissive flick of his hand.
“Don’t distract us with the obvious,” he said. Then he turned back to Lucas. “What do you need from us to help?”
Lucas stared at his father. Was it obvious to them? Really? Then he reset his thoughts. He needed to focus on the task at hand. “I need a way to bring Geoffrey out into the open. He has gone to ground, and not even my men can find him.”
Nathan frowned. “How can we help with that?”
“He’s a gambler who cannot stop. Long after it’s insane, he still keeps going. His money has been cut off. I won’t let him get to Diana, so he has to find funds somewhere. He needs a game, and he cannot go to the usual dens. I have people watching them.”
“You need us to stage a game,” his father said. “One that would lure him out?”
