Page 12 of A Raven Repents

“There is one more thing I’d like to take care of,” Giles said. “Mr. Pelham apparently has more vowels out than he knows what to do with, hence the extortion. Do you think Fogg could track them down for me?”

“That sounds like just the sort of thing he’d enjoy. I’ll put him on it tonight.”

“Thank you. And thank you for letting me stay. I won’t make you regret it.”

Ash gave his shoulder a reassuring squeeze and they walked over to the club together.

After everything that had happened, nothing was better than the gaming floor at The Raven’s Den. Giles felt at home there. It took him a little while to relax, but the raucous chaos was familiar and brought him a sense of peace.

At the craps table he clapped one of the men on the shoulder. “How are the dice treating you tonight, Harold?”

“Not great if I’m honest, but it’s still better than going home to my wife.” Laughter rounded the table. “I heard you got yourself shackled. What were you thinking, man?”

Giles chuckled. “Clearly, I wasn’t.” It hadn’t occurred to him that people would know, but of course they did. He was a wealthy, high profile man, known for being a sought-after bachelor. Everyone would want to know who had managed to snag him.

At the end of the night, Ash sent Giles up to see the ladies off. One of the owners was always there to thank them as they left the club and crossed back to Raven House.

“Goodnight, ladies. Thank you for all your hard work.” That was the moment that he finally understood. They were the reason it had been such a big problem that he’d helped himself to the money in the safe. It belonged to them. It was for their welfare. All of this was. Which meant the money he’d taken from the safe, he’d taken from them.

With that understanding, he suddenly felt like the worst sort of thief, even if he had paid it back. With a sigh, he walked to the balcony. Allister was there, watching over everything. As the head of their security, he would know what Giles had done.

Giles stood beside him, watching the last round of all the games.

“I understand you were on the receiving end of Michael’s fists this afternoon.”

Giles huffed remembering the incident. He'd be sore from that for a while. “No secrets in this place, I guess.”

“Not from me, there aren’t.”

“Then you’ll know Ash divested me of my keys.”

He nodded but kept his gaze fixed on the gaming floor. Another man Giles had upset. “Perhaps you should have a go, as well.”

Allister finally faced him. “I still work for you, but I will say, I think they went far too easy on you. And, employer or not, I will be keeping my eye on you.”

Giles nodded. “I’d expect nothing less.”

When the last patron was gone, Giles went downstairs to help, but Ash stopped him as he approached the table where they were counting money.

“You may go, Giles. Fitz and I will finish up here.”

No keys, and no access to the cash. Like in his early days, but worse. He’d just have to take his thrashing like a man, and work to earn their trust back.

“Goodnight, then.”

As he left through the back door, he nearly walked straight into Fogg.

“Here’s your list.” He handed him a folded sheet of paper.

“Thank you! I wasn’t expecting you to be done so quickly. It would have taken me weeks to find them all.”

He shrugged. “That’s why Ash keeps me around.”

When morning came, he pulled out the list. It was certainly longer than he would have liked. The man didn’t deserve what Giles was about to do, but Christina did. Through everything, even when he’d behaved like an absolute bully, ruthlessly hurting her feelings, she hadn’t cried. Not until she talked about her father, and what she feared would happen to him. She cared about him.

Regardless of that, by the time Giles paid the last one, he was seething. The sum was larger than he had expected it to be, and by some measure. Her father was nothing but a wastrel. No wonder the man had been desperate. But it was done, and Giles could wash his hands of any further guilt.

When he entered the man’s house, he didn’t wait to be announced, just walked past the footman and up to Mr. Pelham’s study.