Chapter 9
CHAPTER NINE
"Late today, Murray?" the Earl of St. Vincent, Cedric, was lounging in a comfortable chair in front of Hector's office desk, a faint smile on his face. Hector raised both eyebrows at his friend and now brother-in-law.
"No later than is polite, or so ye are always telling me yerself, St Vincent," he said cheerfully, pushing his friend's boots down off one of the other chairs with his cane.
"How many times have ye come in late enough to have missed most of the meeting and then told me that it's but the manners yer pa taught you? "
"A dozen at least, but that's my prerogative being a reformed rake and man of leisure," Cedric drawled. "You as a man of firm industry have never been a second late in all the time that I have known you, businessman or duke. Is marriage appealing to you, Your Grace?"
"Och, call me that again while it's just our company and I'll box yer ears, lad!" Hector grinned at him. "Ye've always told me marriage is a wondrous thing, at least after ye got into it. Tis not me fault that ye were right."
"Indeed," the Duke of Thornfield, Theodore, and one of Hector's other close friends stood in the doorway, hat in his hand. "Quite so, in fact. And as I am sure none here would imply I myself am late, perhaps we can all agree that St. Vincent was simply far too early on purpose."
"Quite so!" Hector said with a laugh, crossing the room to shake hands with Theodore. "Thank ye for having me back, sir. Tis nice to see now both of me friends are gangin' up against me now that we are all brethren."
"As your brother," Cedric said, rising to his feet and shaking both their hands himself. "Let me be the first to congratulate you, as Theodore has not managed it yet. You look happy and well."
"I saw no need to bring it up as though it were a surprise," Theodore drawled, stalking to the drinks cabinet and pulling out three glasses. "Alexandra is a delightful girl. I never had doubts that Murray would be happy indeed with her as his bride."
"Indeed, she is, wonderful lass -" Hector stopped and grinned a little to himself, thinking over the way her face went a little red whenever he called her that. "Wonderful lady she is too. Very practical and uncommonly good with the estate."
"Louisa, my wife," Cedric said with that smile of unconscious pride he always had when he spoke those words as though they were likely to have forgotten about his bride after over a year of being wed.
"Has told me often enough that Alexandra is her most practical sister, very good at managing things and keeping business on track. "
"That she is, bringin' me into the social era whether I like it or nay," Hector said cheerfully.
"What is the talk about us, for I know well enough that there will be some and nae all of it will be kind or good.
How many are saying the bastard Duke went and stole his brother's lady wife on the day of their weddin'? "
"None in my hearing," Theodore said icily, handing Hector a glass of whiskey and nodding to him seriously. "And should any do so I would put them straight immediately and as forcefully as I needed to. You saved that young woman that day, and I shall not have anyone say anything to the contrary."
"I have heard a few of the ton speaking about a poor young girl trapped with the beastly duke," Cedric said, sitting back in his chair with a languid air that Hector knew covered his fierce mind and temper. "I expect they will not speak of it again where I can hear of them."
"Not many still call you that, Murray," Theodore added. "You were recognized as the rightful Duke, and that has been enough to bring the weight of ducal power behind you."
"Ach, I know they're still thinkin' it behind their smiles and bows," Hector said with a small smile. "It's nay matter, me friends. As long as they keep it behind their teeth, I cannae stop them."
"It will stay behind their teeth if any of us has something to do with it," Cedric said stoutly. "Dunmore as well. If Gordon wasn't still off at war, he would be the same. We are with you."
"Thank ye," Hector said earnestly. The English typically despised earnestness, but it was warming to his heart to know that his friends would stand against public opinion on his side. "Now, St. Vincent, what was it that you wanted to speak about - some business venture?"
"Ah, yes, come and look over this expedition. My lawyer was approached by one of the founders and thinks it should be quite an interesting prospect," Cedric placed a sheaf of papers on the desk and Hector drew up his chair to look it over.
It was a range of papers about a recently put-together proposal on an Arctic expedition. Hector grimaced at it, page after page of flowery text and wild extravagant promises and nothing of substance.
"Nay, St. Vincent, none of this one," he said firmly, pushing it back.
"But my lawyer -"
"Yer lawyer is a fine man and I'm sure he's very good with the law, me friend," Hector said firmly.
"However, he might nae know that Mr. Poulting has nay experience in the field and is being funded by his grandfaither's estate to do whatever he wishes on the sea.
The captain has a bad series of wrecks behind him, the crew doesnae speak a word of English because nay man from this isle would sign on to the expedition and the ship is a braw thing but untried.
Altogether, it's a disaster waiting to happen.
I have heard from nae more than three shipwrights and two sea captains about it already. "
Cedric stared at him a moment before grinning. "I'm glad to see that marriage hasn't dulled your business senses. Very well. I shall tell my man not to invest. I hope they make it to whatever lies out there, but they shall not be doing it on my dime."
"Good man," Hector said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Thornfield, what about you?"
They had met in business, some years back, before he had been assigned 'Your Grace' and a signet and an estate and all the other trappings.
It had been freer back then, even if he had been more inclined to mind his own manners around the powerful men who had befriended him.
Despite little changing in their attitudes to him since his ascension, it was hard to forget that there were expectations of him now, even amongst his friends.
Still, it was a pleasure to still be involved in advising them on business matters, a small break from the duties and demands of his other, newer role.
"Your Grace," a skinny young man peeked in the door. "Lord Harkworth and Mr. Darnington have arrived for their meeting."
"Show them in, Denis," Hector said, glancing up from some of the plans he was already showing Theodore and Cedric. The gentlemen were later than was strictly polite, which often happened when the ton were involved in business with him.
Oh, they were willing to trade or to invest or to be invited to business meetings with the Duke of Murray, businessman and factory owner, but they did not trust him to be one of them.
Because, of course, he was not. He could tell from the way that they looked at him from the corners of their eyes, the ladies murmuring behind fans, and the gentlemen offering the barest possible bows or handshakes as though his background was an infectious disease they might catch.
It was something he had always told himself he could live with.
People would think what they wanted, after all.
They would make their assumptions, like they would about a young fatherless lad whose mother had just died or a single woman raising a lad on her own.
Their thoughts were none of his to worry about.
But when he was in the trappings of his new role, with a Duke and an Earl behind him, and he saw how differently they still treated him, how not even the gentleman's clothing, the ducal signet, or the noble title could bring their respect, it stuck in his craw.
He took a sharp breath and let it out. He was still the king when it came to business. No matter what they felt about him elsewhere, here he ruled.
The two gentlemen swept in, bowing politely to the room in general and greeting Theodore and Cedric with honest respect before turning to him with a wariness he was getting quite used to.
"Your Grace," Mr. Darnington said with chill politeness. "It's good of you to see us."
"Indeed," his companion added. "Quite delighted to have the chance to work with you, Your Grace. What was it about the new bridge that you had to show?"
"Take a seat, gentlemen," Hector said firmly, drawing himself to his full height and pinning them both with a stare. "We are runnin' low on time, but I shall try to explain the matter as concisely as I'm able. If ye would direct your attention to the papers before ye."
Mr. Darnington opened his mouth to protest, but was stopped when Hector raised a brow at him.
Whether it was the difference in their height or the fact that this was the place where Hector was completely in control, he closed his mouth again, and both gentlemen sat with Cedric and Theodore as Hector started to discuss the investments and potential benefits of the project.
"As ye can see," he said, gesturing to the main plan spread across his desk. "The timeline for the project is five years at the moment, perhaps four and a half with careful management. The return projected is at -"
"How certain are you that the management will be careful?" Lord Harkworth interjected briskly. There was a small pause, and then he added, awkwardly, "Your Grace," with an air of embarrassment that might or might not be genuine.
"Quite certain," Hector said calmly, turning the plans so that the mark of the company was visible to the seated men. "Ye can see that I am part owner of the project and will be heavily involved in overseein' the management."
"And how often in the past have you failed to bring a project to its completion, Your Grace?" Mr. Darnington asked.
"Och, that's nae happened yet, laddie," Hector said, letting his brogue thicken with a fierce grin on his face. "And it willnae be happenin' here either. I'm happy to have ye and yer money involved or if ye cannae stand to be aligned with me and me money ye can always leave. Which will it be?"
Cedric leaned back in his chair, dangerous and languid, while Theodore stood and crossed to the mantle to pour another three glasses of whiskey.
The two gentlemen glanced at each other, uncertain and abashed but too greedy, too aware of the likely success to leave. That was how Hector had known it would go from the beginning, but it left a bad taste in his mouth, nonetheless.
"Charmers, weren't they?" Theodore asked as the door closed behind the two gentlemen. "I do wish they were investing elsewhere so I could desire ruination on them without at the same time wishing that your project would fail, Murray."
"It's nay matter," Hector said shortly, gathering the papers together. "They're happy enough to deal with me but they daenae want me in their clubs or at their homes, it's nay different now than when I was but a jumped up merchant. Perhaps worse for me cheek in being a real duke after all."
"Hmm, they will get used to it," Cedric said firmly, his tone sounding like he was intent on ensuring it happened. "Now, do tell us if you've heard from your brother so far?"
"Nae a word yet," Hector said darkly, his brows drawing together.
Every time he thought about his half-brother, his thoughts were drawn back to Alexandra, pale-faced in the church, realizing she was being deserted at the altar by the same man who had forced himself on her in the first place.
"I'll have a great deal to say to him when he is back, and nay mistake about that. "
"I was going to shoot him," Theodore said calmly, leaning on the mantle.
"Shoot him, I was going to stab him with a sword," Cedric said just as calmly. "I think Gabriel had designs on him with his saber."
"I would have gotten there first, I'm fastest of the three of us," Theodore said. "As soon as the ceremony was over and the guests had filed out."
"I had picked the most strategic seat," Cedric retorted. "I was near enough that I would have been there first and you would have had to clamber over me. Calling him out would have been my pleasure."
Hector laughed despite the dark direction in which his thoughts had drifted. "Ye were all three plannin' on callin' out me brother, were ye?"
"You wouldn't have minded, I'm sure," Theodore said.
Cedric grinned, sharp and vicious. "I was not going to let my Louisa's sister live with him for a moment. She would have been a widow before their wedding vows had stopped ringing in the church."
"Quite so."
Hector laughed again. "Well, I daenae feel I can have done it, blood relation and all that, but I'm sure I wouldnae have held it against ye. I'm surprised that her faither dinnae do it himself."
"Yes, well." Cedric wrinkled his nose. "James is still learning to be a father. I suspect it didn't occur to him."
"Damn well should have," Theodore grumbled.
"Well, I shall be going back now," Hector said, tossing back the last of his glass. "I'll be expected at home."
"Ah, expected, is it?" Cedric said cheerfully. "How nice to be expected by a wife at home."
"Quite so," Theodore said. "A delightful thing, married life, is that not so, Murray?"
Hector made a rude gesture and left the room to the sound of their laughter, a smile dancing on his lips. Despite their joking, he was beginning to find that married life really was delightful after all.