“Could you get him for me?”
Bray heard a snicker of laughter. Obviously Lord Sanburne wasn’t alone, and it was probably his minion, Sir Roger, with him.
“Certainly not. If you had the decency to remove the newsprint from in front of your face as any other gentleman would, you’d see that it’s me, Lord Sanburne, talking to you.”
Bray lowered the paper and saw that not only was the fuming Lord Sanburne standing before him, but the nervous Sir Roger Wainwright and Mr. Porter Mercer were staring down at him, too.
Sanburne’s eyes opened wide, and he said, “Well, did you or did you not enter Lord Wayebury’s house?”
It was Bray’s turn to frown. “Are you having me followed?”
Sir Roger laughed, Mr. Mercer sniffed, and Lord Sanburne gasped.
The pompous earl stiffened his tall, lanky frame and grabbed hold of his coat’s lapels as if to give him courage. “Absolutely not. Don’t be ridiculous. Sir Roger happens to live on that street.”
“Begging your pardon, Your Grace, I’m just a few houses down from Lord Wayebury,” Sir Roger added.
“And you just happened to be driving by,” Bray said, turning his dark gaze on the shortest of the three men before him.
“No, no, Your Grace. Actually, I was walking past,” Sir Roger said without apology.
“You truly can’t blame us for being curious,” Lord Sanburne remarked.
“I can’t?”
“Well, perhaps you shouldn’t,” Sir Roger added, appearing flustered and taking a step back. “The whole Town is talking about Miss Prim’s arrival in London last week.”
The servant quietly approached and placed Bray’s wine on the table beside him. Bray laid down the newssheet, picked up his drink, and took a sip. So much for quiet moments with his thoughts.
“This has been going on for over two years now. We all have wagers placed here at White’s and at other clubs throughout London,” Mr. Mercer said, speaking up for the first time.
Mercer was the oldest of the three brave gentlemen standing before him and should know better than to approach a man about something he so obviously had no desire to talk about.
Lord Sanburne folded his arms across his chest and harrumphed. “If you went inside and offered for Miss Prim’s hand and plan to marry, we think we have a right to know. That way we can settle our debts by collecting our winnings or paying our losses.”
“Your gambling is not my concern, and you would not be wise to continue to pursue this line of conversation with me, Sanburne.”
“Well, it’s not just me, Your Grace. It’s everyone.”
Bray had had enough of people worrying him about his duty to Miss Prim. While he took another sip of his drink and pondered the idea of telling all three men exactly where they could shove their curiosity and their wagers, another gentleman walked up and joined the trio. Bray immediately recognized the tall portly man as Mr. Alfred Hopscotch, one of the Prince’s attendants. On the occasions Bray had been in the Prince’s company, Mr. Hopscotch was always hovering around, ready to do the heir to the throne’s bidding.
Bray rose, thinking he was about to see the Prince make a rare appearance at White’s.
“Good afternoon, Your Grace, my lord, and gentlemen,” Mr. Hopscotch said, and gave a stiff bow toward Bray.
Everyone issued their greetings to the newcomer. It was clear Lord Sanburne didn’t know the man well, because he immediately asked him if he had just arrived and if it was still raining.
Mr. Hopscotch politely answered and then, not giving Sanburne opportunity for more questions, he said, “Excuse me for interrupting your conversation, gentlemen. I’m sure it was most important, but I wonder if it might be possible for me to speak to the duke alone for a few minutes.”
After the trio grumbled their good-byes, Mr. Hopscotch looked at Bray and said, “I had a devil of a time finding you today, Your Grace. I waited at your home most of the afternoon for your return. I then went to the Heirs’ Club because I was told you prefer it to all the other clubs where you hold membership. Finally I gave up and came here, which was obviously the right thing to do.”
It struck Bray as odd that the man had gone to such lengths to find him. “I do change my routine from time to time.”
“I’ll remember that. May I sit down and join you, Your Grace?”
Bray nodded and looked toward the door as they sat down. The Prince was still nowhere in sight, so he questioned, “Will the Prince be joining us?”
“No, no, not this time, but I am here on his behalf.”
