“StephenBlackburn?” Lost?
Daniel inclined his head and looked as though he might be ill.
Alec blinked at his friend in concern. Once upon a time, the three of them had been thick as thieves during their early years at Eton. What could possibly have befallen Blackburn? “What happened?” he breathed out.
The footman appeared at that moment and placed two whisky-filled glasses on the table before them. Alec nodded a thanks to the man, though he kept his eyes focused on Daniel. Blackburn was lost. The first of them to go. Damn it all.
“Found himself compromised.” Daniel cleared his throat. “Technically, I suppose thegirlwas compromised, but Blackburn is trapped just the same.”
Was that all? Relief washed over Alec. He’d seen actual loss of life during his time on the Peninsula. “Blast and damn. With the way you’re carrying on, I thought he’d died.”
“Death might be better.” Daniel downed a healthy swallow of whisky.
What an overly dramatic statement to make. Even the most trying chit in the world had to be better than death itself. “A slight over reaction, I’m sure.” Then a laugh escaped Alec before he sampled his own whisky, feeling much better about the state of things than he had just a moment ago.
“Ha!” Daniel shook his head. “I’m going to head for Devon tomorrow, and as soon as my uncle hears about Blackburn, it’ll all start up again.” Then he pitched his voice a bit higher in a mocking fashion. “You need to find a wife, Daniel. You’ll inherit all of this and you must secure the family line.” He scowled at Alec. “Youhave it easy,” he accused.
“Ah, yes,” Alec replied wryly. “Black sheep spares do, indeed, have it the easiest.”
“You jest.” Daniel heaved another sigh. “You should come to Devon with me. See for yourself what it’s like to be the heir presumptive to the esteemed Viscount Halwell.”
If Viscount Halwell’s wishes for his nephew began and ended with an expectation of marriage, Daniel had an easy lot in life. Far easier than most. In fact, that expectation was hardly novel among the peerage. It was, after all, the bare minimum one could expect.
Even so, the note in Alec’s pocket haunted him slightly, hovering at the edges of his mind. If, after all these years, Rhys was looking for him, perhaps hiding out in Devon for a bit wasn’t the worst idea. If his brother truly wanted to find him, even hiding in Devon wouldn’t prevent that; but it might make it a tiny bit more difficult for Rhys to navigate.
Alec shrugged, his mind made up. “In that case, do bring me with you to Devon, my old friend. I am quite curious to see how bad you truly have it.”
* * *
Darkened road
Near Halwell Chase – Devon
Moonlight lit justa small patch of the darkened path up ahead. The hair on the back of Alec’s neck stood on end as he and Daniel rode side by side though the dense fog. Fools, the pair of them. They should have stayed at the coaching inn they passed a few hours back, but they’d pushed ahead and pushed on. Of course, the pointed attention Daniel had paid to the barmaid had made them less than welcome with the tavern keeper who seemed to have an eye for the girl himself. So, they’d set off for Halwell Chase with bravado in their lungs, certain in their abilities to navigate the road even in the dead of night.
But now, something was out there, someone was watching them. Alec would have wagered the entirety of his self-earned fortune on that fact. He could feel it, sense it deep in his soul.
Daniel hadn’t seemed to notice anything, however. Along the journey, his friend had described in precise detail each and every Doncaster race from the previous week. While the discussion had passed the time, and Daniel’s attention to detail was quite impressive, Alec had become increasingly aware that something truly was in the woods nearby.
“...another two hundred quid on that pairing, and—”
An eerie howling came from behind them.
Daniel sucked in a breath and both of their mounts skittered just a bit.
“Did you hear that?” Daniel asked.
Alec nodded in silence and placed his finger over his lips, urging his friend to hold his tongue.
It could be something as innocuous as a highwayman, or perhaps a...
Through the fog, a pair of glowing red eyes appeared in the distance, and then another set and another...
“Damn it all!” Alec muttered under his breath. A highwayman would have been much better to dispense with thanthis.
Instinctively, he snapped together the fingers of his right hand, then turned his palm over, but...
But a fireball didnotappear at the ready for his use.
