Squinting at him, Cassian abruptly rose. He moved a few feet before pausing at a small round table with a chess set.
“Once upon a late and dark evening,” he said quietly, “there were two gentlemen. Family, even. One of them had discovered a most… unfortunate secret.”
That is hardly a strong enough word.
Dominic said nothing but felt every muscle in his body begin to constrict, tightening as though he could become an impassive wall that could never be touched.
“They had been very close even for being family. It was a most complicated conversation. A difficult one. Neither party was happy and the argument exacerbated into something much more complicated. What made it worse was their location. A quiet corner on a bridge at night was hardly seemly, but it was supposed to be private. So when they fought, it may have appeared to some who might have seen, who could have thought––”
There came that aggravating knot inside his gut.
Raising a hand, Dominic was relieved when Cassian abruptly stopped speaking. “I know the end of the story, Ashbourne.”
And God, how I wish I didn’t. If only this was a courtesy visit. But the quiet threat in the invitation couldn’t be ignored. What does he wish of me? My silence? Seven months have proven this!
“As we both know you did,” the young lord pointed out curtly. “And we both know some matters are best left… buried.”
Dominic thought about denying what he had seen. What he knew had happened that night. But it hardly seemed worth the fight, and he didn’t have the energy to muster up lies.
Nor did he think Ashbourne would care for such tedious arguments.
Discomfiting silence filled the room. It took all of Dominic’s self-control not to charge out of the room. He did not flee from danger. He understood risks. But this situation was beyond all of it.
If I was alone in the matter, then perhaps that would have been manageable. But another lord knowing what I saw? Him of all people?
He sat straight in his seat to show the viscount that he would not be intimidated. As much as he didn’t want to know, it could be helpful information. Was the viscount looking to buy his silence?
“You do not know everything,” Ashbourne announced. He had a glass of brandy in hand. Where it came from, Dominic didn’t know. But the viscount swirled it without drinking. “You couldn’t.”
That garnered a small huff of annoyance. “Is that so?” He gave a short shake of his head. “I know enough, Ashbourne, about your argument with your uncle. You two were not quiet. The details don’t matter, not when we know the outcome. Burials and all.”
The swirling of the glass stopped. Cassian set it down to make his way back to his seat to stare back at Dominic.
“If word gets out, now or in ten years, your knowing of what happened that night will look just as awful,” Ashbourne pointed out sharply. “We would both be torn down for our actions. Us, our families, and our family names.”
“Oh?” Dominic scoffed but the seed of doubt was planted.
The viscount talked faster, leaning forward. “My uncle’s death was ruled an accident, and our partial mourning period is over. It has been calm and quiet, has it not? But as time presses on, I cannot mend all the harm and chaos that my uncle caused during his lifetime. Certain… matters are bound to come to light. If they point toward my uncle, then it means they will ultimately point toward both you and me now.”
The words sounded rehearsed with a tinge of panic. It took an extra minute for Dominic to understand what was truly being said.
He wants this to be his leverage, not mine. He wants to manage the situation before anything can happen. Because if it did… He’s right. No one in London would accept their family if there was the whisper of suspicion about them colluding with their uncle. They would have to flee the country.
“Then you wish to keep the truth hidden,” Dominic murmured.
The duel. The accident. All of it can stay silent and sealed.
“Yes,” Ashbourne said.
He considered this before asking the gentleman, “Is this supposed to protect me or you?”
Ashbourne didn’t even blink before telling him, “I want to sleep reassured every night that I have your word and your protection.”
“Very well.” Then he paused and frowned. “What is that supposed to mean?”
There was a new light in Ashbourne’s eyes. He had a plan, Dominic realized, and that was why he had been brought here.
“You are in a separate muddle of your own, are you not? As stated in your late father’s will, you must marry within ten years of taking on the dukedom or everything not entailed will be turned over to the Crown and removed from you. I’ve heard the gossip. It’s true?”
