“Not you.” He looked at his brother. “Nathan. I think the idea of taking money from my family would be too tempting for him to resist. If you are wild and angry about losing the title…” He paused long enough to watch his brother’s face. Did Nathan resent that loss? He couldn’t tell. Nathan nodded as he followed the train of thought, his expression deeply thoughtful.
“I can get drunk and lose money as well as anybody,” Nathan muttered. “But how will that bring Geoffrey out?”
“Someone would approach you and invite you to a real man’s game.”
“A good many criminals, I shouldn’t wonder,” his father said.
Lucas shook his head. “Most of them know my true parentage by now. They wouldn’t want to cross me by duping my brother.” He grimaced. “It’s not a sure thing by any stretch, and it’s dangerous. But there are two things that have been consistent about Geoffrey. He gambles, and he’s arrogant. I think he’d believe he could win enough money from you to escape London in style, and he thinks he can do that without me catching him.”
His father shook his head. “There are too many risks in this plan. How can you know it will be Geoffrey’s man who approaches Nathan?”
“I can’t. But as I said, the sane ones won’t risk crossing me.”
“Leaving Nathan to the insane ones.”
“Yes,” he said. “But I’ll have men watching you. I won’t leave you alone.”
Nathan smiled. “And better to use me as bait than Diana?”
Lucas winced. “You’re my brother. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
His father snorted. “You can’t stop a bullet. You can’t—”
“I can,” he stressed. “You don’t know what I’ve been doing these last years. I’m good at this. As good as Nathan is at growing things, I am good at protecting those in my care. It’s not without risk. In fact, it’s damn—”
“I’ll do it,” Nathan interrupted. “I’ve been incredibly bored since Vauxhall.”
Lucas blew out a breath. “Thank you.”
His brother grinned. “It’s the least I can do for my future sister-in-law.”
Would that were true. “Lady Dunnamore and I are still discussing things. She has by no means accepted my suit. In fact, she has been quite explicit in refusing it.”
Nathan waved that away in a gesture nearly identical to his father’s. “Besides, there’s the other benefit.”
Lucas frowned. “What’s that?”
“We would have a very public row, wouldn’t we? I mean, I’d have to be very angry at you for taking away my title, yes?”
“Yes.”
Nathan grinned as he pushed up from the table. “Well then, I shall really enjoy that.”
Their father pushed back from the table as well. “Now see here, I’ll not have anything untoward in my house.”
“Untoward, Father?” Nathan said. “On the contrary, I believe it will be verytowardLucas.” Then his voice kicked up to a growl loud enough to be heard through the doors to where the servants no doubt listened. “You irresponsible dog! I should kill you where you stand!”
Lucas scrambled out of his chair, making sure to knock it over in the noisiest way possible. “I let you play at being lord for a few years. You should thank me!”
“Thank you!” Nathan bellowed. “Why, you arrogant ass!”
He lunged forward in a way that Lucas could have dodged. He didn’t. Instead, he caught his brother by the arms, and they went crashing into the main foyer, wrestling with each other in the way they had as kids. They banged into the wall. They sent a footman scrambling to catch a vase as it teetered above them. The butler squeaked in alarm as Lucas tossed his brother to the side.
Nathan rolled with the throw, coming easily to his feet. There might have been a flash of pure pleasure in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by what seemed to be deadly intent. “You can’t take it from me. I won’t let you!”
Lucas arched his brow in the most arrogant expression he could muster. “You can’t stop me,” he taunted.
He expected his brother’s blow. Nathan was powerful, not fast. But damn, he did not expect the raw force behind his brother’s massive fist. It threw him back against the wall, while his head exploded in pain. But it didn’t knock him out. And while Nathan straightened up to deliver another blow, Lucas launched himself back at his brother, moving with twice the speed. He hit Nathan’s face over and over.
