“I always keep my promises.” Ezra wished he could hold her, kiss her, and tell her everything in his heart, but it would all have to wait. “I’ll call on you tomorrow.”
“I look forward to it,” she said.
With much reluctance, he left her side, and she went over to her sister. Ezra went and located his friends. He needed their help more than ever, and they would have to bring Graystone in too. The duke would not be happy with this news…
Chapter 10
The carriage rolled across the cobbled street, bouncing when it hit an especially rough part. Ezra didn’t say a word, and neither did any of the other three men with him. Everything that had needed to be said had been done in depth, and loudly, at least on Graystone’s part. The duke had been irate after Ezra explained what Lord Eaton had done to Teddy. Graystone was the only other gentleman in the carriage that was as equally enraged as Ezra. He’d gladly help murder the rotten bastard that was Ezra’s uncle. It sickened him to have such a fiend in his family.
He clenched his hands into fists. Ezra needed to hit something, and soon. They would reach his uncle’s home shortly, and then he could give in to the urge. When Teddy told him what he’d done, what he’d tried to do… It had taken monumental control to walk back into that ballroom and dance with her as she’d requested. Teddy’s needs would always come first, and he couldn’t let any more of his uncle’s misdeeds stain her. Lord Eaton had already done far too much.
“Why didn’t she tell me?” Graystone asked, not for the first time. “I made it clear she’s my family, and I protect what’s mine.”
Ezra felt the same. “She didn’t want to tell me.” He sighed. “And if not for the incident at the Serpentine, I doubt she ever would have told anyone. She was deeply ashamed.”
“It wasn’t her fault,” Graystone said harshly. “That bastard never should have touched her.”
“You do realize if this gets out the scandal might very well ruin her,” Fox said. “Have you any contingencies in place to protect her?”
Graystone laid his head against the back of the carriage and sighed. “This is going to hurt Billie too. She loves her sister…and the twins. It might ruin their chances at finding a good match.”
“You don’t need to fret too much over Lady Christiana…that harpy won’t find a man willing to take her on, even without a scandal,” Fox drawled. “Lady Carolina might if her twin doesn’t prevent it somehow.”
Graystone glared at Fox. “You hate her. That does not mean every man will.”
“Perhaps not,” Fox conceded. “But I doubt a man alive exists that can withstand her, uh, vibrant personality.” He seemed to consider the last word carefully. Upsetting Graystone further with his current volatile mood would be a bad idea, and Fox apparently was taking a more diplomatic approach for the moment. “She’ll either browbeat any gentleman who dares to court her or drive the poor sap to the brink of insanity. I’d keep her at that finishing school indefinitely to avoid the inevitable…spinsterhood.”
Sheffield chuckled. “You have quite strong feelings on the matter, Fox. Perhaps you are waiting for her to grow up enough to step in and marry her yourself.”
“Bite your tongue,” he said vehemently. “I’m never marrying, and even if I were so inclined…it wouldn’t be to that hellion. I like having all my faculties in working order, thank you very much.”
Their bickering served one purpose, and only one. It distracted them all for the rest of the journey to Lord Eaton’s home. When the carriage came to a stop outside the fine London townhouse, they all quieted. Graystone cleared his throat. “Are we ready for this?”
“Promise me one thing,” Ezra said.
“Anything,” they said in unison.
He smiled. Ezra had the best friends. “Stop me if it looks like I might actually kill him. Death is too good for him. I want him on a ship bound for Australia. He should be with other criminals and forced to do hard labor for the rest of his miserable days.”
They all nodded in agreement. “Lead the way,” Graystone told him. “We’ll be right behind you.”
Ezra pushed open the carriage door and stepped out. The others followed behind him as he headed to the entrance and knocked. He didn’t need to check to ensure they were there. The three gentlemen with him could always be depended on, and if they said they’d follow him, they would.
The door swung open, and an older man stood there. He wore the baron’s livery so he was definitely one of the servants, probably the butler. “May I help you.”
“I need to see Lord Eaton immediately,” Ezra ordered.
The servant looked past Ezra to the other three men. “I’m afraid Lord Eaton is not entertaining guests this evening. I must ask you to return tomorrow.”
“He’ll see me,” Ezra said harshly. “My uncle always has time for me.” He sneered at the butler. “Now move out of my way, or I’ll move you myself.”
The butler shook a little as he stepped aside to allow the four of them to enter the townhouse. After they were all inside, Sheffield shut the door. “We wouldn’t want any ruffians to enter now, would we?”
Ezra shook his head. “No, that would be terrible.” He spoke in an acerbic tone. He turned to the butler. “Where is he?”
“In…in the library.” He stumbled over the words. “Do you want me to announce you?”
“That won’t be necessary,” Graystone said. “We can show ourselves in. It’ll be a surprise.”
Ezra almost chuckled and said it wouldn’t be a good one either. The butler was already terrified though. Instead, he headed to the library. He hadn’t been to the baron’s townhouse often, but he’d been there enough to know where to locate
