Chapter Eleven
Club Damnation
Mayfair, London
God, what day is it?
Evan rubbed his hands over his face as odd, autumnal sunlight invaded the room through a crack between the window draperies.
The small, carriage-style clock on the bedside table softly chimed the noon hour.
How the hell had he slept so long? The life he led these days was a far cry from that he’d had on his ship, and he knew why.
Ever since he’d found himself on Hannah’s doorstep, he’d lost count of the days, what he should be doing in his life, or even his own name at times.
It was almost as if he were drunk on her, thoroughly without faculties and couldn’t come up for air.
I need to put distance between us before time slips away.
Which meant he should pull himself out of that sticky web and focus on the mission in front of him.
With a groan, he rolled out of bed and made a resolve not to see her today.
He couldn’t. Not until he’d confronted his brother.
Once his life had some semblance of order, he could resume his relationship.
Even better if he’d already made inroads into setting matters of where to live or hiring a valet.
By the time he’d made himself presentable and had gone downstairs, it was nearly one-thirty. When his stomach rumbled, he ordered luncheon, and just when he’d tucked into the cold cuts, bread, cheese, and a bit of pickle, he was joined by one of his clubmates.
Blowing out a breath, he stared at Thornton. “What do you want?” If there was an irritated growl in his voice, he couldn’t help it.
The large, blond man sat in the only other chair at the round table without being bid. As he rested his cane against the side of his chair, he frowned. “I’m concerned about you, as are we all here at the club.” When Evan didn’t respond, the other man narrowed his eyes. “What are you doing?”
“Eating luncheon. Clearly.”
Thornton snorted. “You know what I mean. After you are finished, what the devil do you plan to do?”
“I wish to call on my brother. If I want to gain back my title, I’ll need to beard the dragon, so to speak, and I have put it off for far too long.
” And that was his own fault. With a shake of his head, he put a bit of cheese and ham onto a hunk of bread then proceeded to devour it, followed it with a hearty swig of ale.
“I never thought you a fool, but this is not a good idea.” Thornton continued to stare at him with a mixture of speculation and pity. “You simply don’t have a clear head. Calling on the earl, creating another scandal, won’t do you or your quest to reclaim your birthright any favors.”
“What do you know of it?” Beyond annoyed, Evan unleashed his foul temper on the other man.
“You’ve never had your future stolen by scheming family members.
You’ve never fought to survive in the service of King and country only to nearly be killed a few times by a brother who’d been brought up to hate you thanks to your father. ”
“This is all true, but I believe there are better ways to do this than to antagonize your enemy.” A frown continued to tug at the corners of Thornton’s mouth.
“You need to strategize, write a speech, start appealing to the powers-that-be. Otherwise, everything you do will be in vain. Especially in light of the scandal you have recently indulged in.”
“What the devil are you referring to?” Oh, but he knew. How could he not? When just the remembrance of that night on his ship nearly had him bolting from the club and running to Hannah’s townhouse merely to bask in her company?
“Don’t play coy or offer false offense.” Thornton shifted on his chair.
Slight pain went through his expression.
No doubt his injuries from the war bothered him.
“You fucking kidnapped your mistress and spirited her away to your ship!” Exasperation rang in his low-pitched tones. “What the devil were you thinking?”
“Clearly, I wasn’t.”
“Doing such a thing was beyond the pale.”
“As if none of you have ever done the same. I’ve heard the stories.”
A hint of ruddy color went up Thornton’s neck above his cravat and collar. “That doesn’t mean it’s right.”
Evan shrugged. He popped another bit of cheese into his mouth and chewed.
After he swallowed, he met the other man’s gaze.
“Hannah and I have worked through that particular bit of high-handedness.” At least he assumed so.
They hadn’t really talked about her feelings on the matter, though the connection between them was strong.
Sexually, that was. Did they have anything else in common?
“Who the hell is Hannah?” Surprise reflected on his friend’s face.
“Oh, uh…” Belatedly, he realized he shouldn’t have revealed her true identity. “Lady Mirabelle, actually.”
“Well, that explains why Baron Farnbrook is involved.” Thornton blew out a breath. “Did you believe that no one would notice her absence? No doubt a missive was dispatched to her damned brother in Derbyshire.”
“Right.” He’d forgotten that tidbit. “Does that mean I should expect an angry visit from the man?”
“Who can say. Depends on how angry he is. I don’t really know much about their family. What you’ve done is even more egregious since she’s part of the beau monde, if only just.”
Hot annoyance filled Evan’s chest. “What the hell difference does it make where she stands in society? She and I have history together. Leave it alone.”
“Christ, you would prove impossible.” Thornton rubbed his eyes with his fingers before resting his regard on Evan once more.
“I fear that you are acting rash, and I can’t help but think it’s because this woman is back in your life.
It’s almost as if you’ve lost your damned mind around her.
” He shook his head. “Have you forgotten how important your future is?”
“Of course not, and I said I’m going to visit my brother.
” He shook his head. “What is between Hannah and I is nothing I can’t handle.
Perhaps it’s taking a bit longer for me to acclimated to being on land and in society, but I’ll manage.
” Of course, he refused to admit how she was making an impact on him.
It didn’t matter, anyway. “Regaining my title is of utmost importance to me. Though I was temporarily distracted, I’m not any longer. ”
I hope.
“Are you?” Thornton’s gaze turned hard. “Yes, being the Duke of Bettington is your fate, but if you do this, chase this, you’ll forever be tethered to London.
You will have responsibilities to said title and everything that comes with it.
Do you want that after years of doing whatever you want or going wherever the wind, literally, took you? ”
Did he? He hadn’t given thought to anything beyond fighting his brother for his birthright. An unexpected weight settled on his shoulders, and his chest tightened when faced with the very real future of becoming a duke.
Finally, he said, “I don’t know.”
“Fair enough.” Thornton nodded. “Bear in mind that one of those responsibilities will be the need to marry, and marry well. You’ll have to give up your mistress for at least the first few years of your marriage. Or until you have an heir, which could be longer.”
Suddenly, the repercussions pressed in on it and stole his breath. “But…”
One of Thornton’s eyebrows rose in question.
“You can’t marry Hannah, regardless of your history with her or how much the two of you get on; you know that.
She’s far below you in society, and she’s a courtesan besides.
” He brushed at a piece of lint on his brown jacket.
“You’ll require a duchess who is beyond reproach, not a woman who has the past that she does. ”
Something akin to pain circled through his gut. “I never said I wanted to marry her. She is a good friend who happens to share an affinity for bed sport with me.” But was that the only truth? “Yet once I’m a duke, couldn’t I do whatever I wanted?”
“You could, of course, but expect to meet a hard wall of opposition. You know how society is.”
“Society can go hang for all I care.”
“God, Buckthorne. You’re a mess. Though I agree with most of it, you already face an uphill battle since your brother maintained for years that he is Bettington’s heir. He’s positioned much better in society for this than you.”
“Perhaps.” The tightness in his chest didn’t ease. “I think that is why I like being in Hannah’s company. She doesn’t treat me as a duke; she enjoys me for who I am. Unsuitable or not.”
“Shit.” Thornton shook his head. “Clearly you are comfortable with her, but why won’t you let yourself get close to her beyond the physical? It’s not a crime to let yourself fall in love.”
“What?” Surprise held him in a chokehold. “We’re talking love now? When you just said she isn’t someone I should marry? Besides, I’m not looking for that. Not even with her.”
Perhaps he had years ago, but circumstances had changed.
The other man shrugged and didn’t appear convinced. “Sometimes loves comes whether we want it or not, and since you’re spending so much time with this woman, going so far as to make a spectacle of yourself…”
“That is not what this is. I simply wanted her undivided attention, demanded that she cease to be a courtesan.”
“Ah.” Thornton’s eyebrows soared toward his hairline. “Quite possessive of you.”
“I don’t share.” Thoughts flooded his mind, but he didn’t allow any of them to fully land. “Just now, my life is complicated.” It always had been where Hannah was concerned.
“Due to your half-brother?”
“Yes, but…” Evan took a deep breath. He’d never told anyone this next part.
“During the war, on my ship, I lost a close friend. He was my first mate, had been with me in the Navy as long as I had. We survived battles together until the last, when a damned pirate threw a knife that found purchase into Nedrington’s heart.
Being back in London has made me feel his absence quite keenly though I try to forget. ”
“God, I didn’t know. I’m sorry for your loss.”