Eight Hunting Lyons (The Lyon’s Den Connected World)

Epilogue

A week later…,

Park Lane, Mayfair

A s the Leicester traveling coach slowed and stopped in front of a bright white, stuccoed townhouse in Park Lane, Lady Eloise Wilson Audley, Countess of Leicester, stared out the coach window and smiled. “We’re here,” she said with excitement.

James, Earl of Leicester, chuckled and followed her line of sight. “This looks familiar,” he murmured before his eyes widened. “That is my late Aunt Adeline’s house next door,” he added, remembering how Lord Huntsford had described the Mayfair townhouse’s location.

“Who lives there now, do you suppose?” Eloise asked as she stood and shook out her skirts and redingote. They’d been rucked up about her hips to allow James to pleasure her with his hand the hour before, and then she had slept with her head on his shoulder ever since, James joining her in much needed slumber.

Being a newlywed husband was hard work. He hadn’t been allowed to sleep more than a few hours at a time for the past week.

“I’ve no idea,” James replied as the driver helped Eloise down from the coach. He followed, pausing to inhale the crisp autumn air and stretch his legs. “Let’s go meet our servants, shall we?”

“Oh, I may already know them,” Eloise said happily.

“So, you’ll have to introduce them,” he teased as they made their way to the front door.

Meanwhile, inside Audley House

“We have neighbors,” Amy Sinclair said with excitement as she rushed into her future husband’s study. “A coach with a gold crest just pulled up in front.” She had been in her salon, arranging the small bottles of medicines she had been accumulating for her medical box. Although she hadn’t been able to secure a position as a nurse at St. Bartholomew’s, she had convinced a local physician to take her on as an assistant. “To help with the ladies and their maladies,” he had said.

“Shall we spy on them?” Charles teased as he stood from his desk and leaned on his cane, once he joined her at the threshold. For the past several days, he had been able to move about without requiring the crutches.

He kissed Amy’s cheek.

“Oh, yes. Am I being too nosy, do you suppose?”

He chuckled. “Not at all,” he replied as they made their way to the front salon and stood near the window.

“She looks rather happy,” Amy commented once a young woman appeared from within the coach.

“Indeed,” Charles agreed, his attention going to the gold crest on the dusty coach door.

Amy gasped. “Oh, well isn’t he a most affectionate husband?” she gushed when she paid witness to the young lady being kissed by the man who emerged from the coach. Her hands went to her face, covering her mouth as she reddened with embarrassment.

“That’s the Leicester coach,” Charles said in surprise. “That’s my…that’s my brother .”

Amy inhaled sharply. “You didn’t say he was going to be our neighbor.”

“Uh, I didn’t know,” he said. “That rather happy young lady is Lady Eloise. I mean Lady El. Or…Lady Leicester, I should say.” Charles turned to stare at Amy before he added, “I’ve never met her.”

“How could you not know he was moving in next door?”

Charles shrugged. “His latest letter didn’t mention it. He seemed more concerned that I learn he was no longer in trouble with the bank,” he explained. “Apparently, Lady Eloise came with a hefty dowry.”

“More than what your aunt left for you?” Amy countered with a grin. With the discovery of a wooden box full of bank notes in her dressing room, the accounts of Audley House were in good stead. Even so, Charles had paid a call at Whitehall to discover if there might be any positions available. He was due to begin his next assignment in a fortnight.

“Come, let’s go greet them, shall we?”

“But I don’t have anything to bring them. Shouldn’t we take them a wedding gift?”

“They are relations,” Charles replied patiently. “But that does remind me. I have something they might like,” he said, remembering something James had mentioned in his latest letter. He rushed into his study and emerged carrying a pair of wooden swords.

“Swords?” Amy said in disbelief as she allowed the butler to help her into her redingote.

“Trust me,” Charles said as he offered his arm.

The two hurried out the door and around to the front door of the first townhouse to the south, using the brass lion’s head knocker to announce their arrival.

A butler opened the door, one of his brows arching high upon seeing the wooden swords. “May I be of assistance?”

“Captain and Mrs. Audley. We’re here to welcome Lord and Lady Leicester to the neighborhood,” Charles said with a smirk.

“I’ll see if they are in residence. Would you like to wait in the front salon?” the butler asked as he waved them in.

“Yes, of course,” Charles replied, barely able to contain his amusement. He and Amy watched as the servant climbed the main stairs.

“I do hope we’re not interrupting anything,” Amy whispered.

“What could we be interrupting?” Charles countered. “They’ve only just arrived.”

“They’re newlyweds,” Amy stated.

Charles chuckled just as the butler reappeared.

“Lord and Lady Leicester will be joining you up in the parlor. If you’ll follow me?” Holden said as he turned and headed toward the stairs.

“Poor Lady Leicester,” Amy whispered. “She’s probably having to redress in a hurry, and I rather imagine her lady’s maid hasn’t yet arrived.”

“You mean poor Lord Leicester,” Charles said. “I rather doubt my brother’s valet is here, and his wife probably has him stripped to his smalls.”

“Charles!” Amy scolded before she giggled.

Her rebuke was followed by a much louder, “Charles!”

They both looked up to discover James leaning over the first-floor railing, his new wife next to him.

“We haven’t even completed our tour of the house,” James claimed as he met them at the top of the stairs. “How ever did you know we were here?”

Charles clasped his brother’s hand in his. “You have very nosy neighbors,” he said with a smirk, turning his attention to Eloise. “It’s very good to meet you, sister.” He held out the swords to her. “I hear you like to spar.”

Eloise’s eyes rounded in delight. “You must be Charles,” she said, taking the swords from him. “Thank you.”

“And this is my wife…my soon-to-be wife,” he clarified, “Amy.”

“How much longer?” James asked.

“Another week,” Charles replied. “I thought my rank might come with some privileges, but I don’t have a bishop for an uncle,” he added with a wink aimed at Eloise.

“I’m sure I could help arrange something with Uncle Butch, but you’d have to go to Ely,” Eloise said as she handed the swords to a footman. “These can go in the parlor for now.”

“I’ll stand with you,” James promised as he led them toward the parlor.

“And I can be a witness if you’d like,” Eloise offered.

“Oh, I’d like that very much,” Amy said. “I’ve never had a sister.”

“Oh, they’re highly overrated,” Eloise said with an exaggerated wave, “but I could always use another.”

The two giggled as their men exchanged worried glances.

“I take it you inherited Aunt Adeline’s house,” James said. “Huntsford mentioned it was right next door.” They entered the parlor and took seats near the fireplace.

“I did, indeed,” Charles affirmed. “I moved in with the help of a rather efficient valet, and Amy has settled into the mistress suite. As far as the staff and neighbors know, we’re already married.”

“It will take a few days for me to get settled here,” James remarked. “I haven’t had anything moved over from Leicester House, but we brought along most all of El’s belongings on the coach, and Holden has already contacted an agency about a lady’s maid.”

“Will you go on a wedding trip?” Amy asked.

“Once the next session of Parliament is complete,” Eloise replied. “We’ll be off to Greece.”

“Oh, that sounds magnificent,” Amy replied.

“If you’d like, we can go, too,” Charles said.

Amy said, “Oh, yes, let’s.”

James arched a brow. “Did you win a rather large wager?”

Charles shrugged. “As a matter of fact…” He reached over and captured Amy’s hand in his. “I did.”

“I didn’t have to gamble to win my lady,” James countered.

“He just has to do my bidding,” Eloise teased.

“Good, because there will be no more gambling at the Lyon’s Den for you,” Charles said to James, his expression sobering.

“Who, me?” James said, all innocence. Then his eyes rolled when he realized Charles had discovered what had happened at the Lyon’s Den. “I would only go back there if I received an engraved invitation from Mrs. Dove-Lyon,” James stated. “On a night there were no prospective brides. And I could wager house money.”

Charles furrowed a brow at the thought of Mrs. Dove-Lyon doing such a thing. “Well, now that you’re married, that will never happen.”

“Exactly,” James replied. “What about you, though? Sounds as if you handily defeated your opponents by arm wrestling, no pun intended. Any chance you could be compelled to try it again?”

His brother dared a glance at Amy before he said, “Never.”

“Not even if it meant winning a good deal of blunt?”

“Not even,” Charles assured him. “I’ve already won the best prize they ever offered,” he added, his gaze having settled on Amy.

While Amy blushed, Eloise and James exchanged quick glances.

“Come, my future bride,” Charles said as he held out a hand. “We should allow these two to continue their tour and get on with their swordplay.”

Giggling, Amy caught Charles’s hand and the two took their leave. They were nearly at the bottom of the stairs when Eloise could be heard shouting, “ En guard !”

“Is your brother any good with a sword?” Amy asked as she allowed the butler to help with her redingote.

“Oh, he’s awful,” Charles replied. “Eloise will beat him every time.”

They weren’t even out the door when they could hear James yell, “I surrender!” followed by Eloise’s peals of laughter.