Talon fisted his hands at his sides so the earl couldn’t see them shake. “My name is Talon, sir. My mother was Maggie Montgomery. She died a few days ago, and I have nowhere else to go.”
“Maggie Montgomery?” Sutcliffe descended the stairs and strode toward Talon with long, ground-eating strides.
Talon forced himself to keep from flinching as the man grasped his chin and turned his face up to the light.
The silence in the hall was absolute.
Sutcliffe laughed and released him, dusting his hand on the side of his tailored trousers as though he’d touched something foul. “You do have the look of me.”
Talon nearly collapsed in relief. His mother had been telling the truth. The earl’s eyes turned flat and distant. “Your mother was a whore, boy. It’s true I could be your father, but so could any of a dozen other men.” He waved a hand at the boy on the stairs. “Besides, as you can see, I already have a son.”
Daniel’s smile was cold and mocking. In that moment, Talon hated his half-brother more than he’d ever hated anything, even the father who scorned him.
The earl snapped his fingers and one of the footmen stepped forward. “Give the little bastard some money and send him on his way.”
Talon drew himself up with as much dignity as possible, given the circumstances. “I don’t want your money, sir. I don’t want anything from you at all.” He turned and walked away, head still held high, the earl’s laughter ringing in his ears…
He’d gone straight to the docks, hired on as a cabin boy and gone to sea. But from time to time during the last twenty years, he’d imagined coming back so flush in coin and elegantly attired no one would think of denying him entrance.
Not even in his worst nightmares had he imagined he’d be dressed in rags and covered in his own stench.
When they finally arrived in St. James Square, Sutcliffe was the first to step out of the carriage, trailed by Talon and the massive footman. The same haughty butler who had witnessed Talon’s childhood humiliation stood waiting on the steps.
“Good evening, Lord Sutcliffe.” The impassive little man bowed to his employer and then turned his attention to Talon, betraying not a flicker of surprise at his ragged condition. “We’ve been expecting you, Mr. Montgomery.”
“Jenkins, make sure he has everything he needs. Inform me when he’s ready for dinner.” Without a backward glance, the earl strode off down the hall.
“Right this way, sir.” Jenkins escorted Talon up the curving mahogany staircase to an opulent bedroom suite on the third floor. Moments later, an army of servants arrived, laden with every imaginable amenity. After the huge copper tub had been filled with steaming water, Talon sent them all away, desperate for a little privacy. After so long alone in the dark, the chaos rattled him.
Shedding his filthy clothes, he stepped into the deep tub, letting the hot water seep into his frozen bones. “Lady Kathryn,” he muttered, shaking his head in despair.
Christ, what had he gotten himself into?
It had taken a will of iron to pull himself out of the gutter where he’d been born, but Sutcliffe had managed to break him with nothing more than the promise of a breath of fresh air.
He’d bought his freedom by swearing to seduce his sister-in-law, but he had no intention of doing so. The question was, how did he keep his hatred for his father at bay long enough to pretend he did?
Every instinct urged him to run, and it took a supreme act of will to resist. The wisest course was to remain here a few days and regain his strength. He needed every possible advantage before attempting to outsmart his father. Lord knew his thinking was none too clear at the moment.
Lifting a mirror and razor from the table next to the tub, he took a moment to look at himself and was stunned by what he saw. The pale, gaunt stranger who stared back at him bore no resemblance to the dashing pirate he’d once been. Hell, how did Sutcliffe expect him to seduce anyone?
Resolutely, he scraped off his heavy beard, determined to play the part his father had scripted. He would meet Daniel’s wife, perhaps even show an interest in her. Anything to get safely out of England.
But as soon as the ship cleared the Channel, he intended to wash his hands of both his half-brother and the unfortunate Lady Kathryn. No estate was worth his honor. Especially since his honor was all he had left.
The steaming water was lukewarm by the time he exited his bath.
He dried off with a big, fresh-smelling towel, then pulled on the velvet robe that had been provided for his use. He’d just finished belting the heavy fabric when the door opened behind him.
“You clean up well, my boy.”
Talon turned and met his father’s appraising blue gaze. Sutcliffe sized him up as though he were a prized stallion. An accurate analogy, considering what the old bastard wanted him to do.
“Well,” Talon muttered, taking a seat in front of the crackling fire. “We wouldn’t want Lady Kathryn to be disappointed, now would we?”
Sutcliffe gave a short laugh and strode across the room, seating himself in the deep leather chair opposite Talon’s. “No. We wouldn’t want that.”
A loaded silence fell between them, broken only when several burly servants arrived to remove the tub. When they were finished, a young girl brought up a dinner tray for Talon and a decanter of brandy for Sutcliffe.
