Page 53 of Yours Truly, the Duke
“You’re right,” Rick offered, appearing somewhat remorseful. “I shouldn’t have said anything to either of you. But everyone could see how upset she was when she saw you dancing. Hurst and I know how you feel about poetry, and we just learned how she feels about it, so the words just came out. You’re the one who said the unforgivable ‘we’ in connection to the letter. I never mentionedwehelped you write it. I wasn’t going to. You did that to yourself.”
“Stop this,” Hurst groused, and walked over to the side table behind Wyatt’s desk. He lifted the top off a crystal decanter of brandy and splashed a dash of it into each of three glasses. “I’ve had my fill from both of you. Rick should have never been eyeing papers on a desk in your house, no matter how interesting they looked, or who wrote them. He certainly shouldn’t try to help you with your wife. Concerning anything. But how you two feel about each other right now isn’t important. Rick should march himself back out there and apologize to her.”
“Nonsense,” Wyatt scoffed at that idea. “She mightlook delicate and soft as a rose petal, but her sensibilities, will, and fortitude are made of iron.”
“Good.” Hurst blew out a mocking breath. “She’s going to need the strength of all of them in order to put up with you for the rest of her life.”
“Take my word for it, no mere man will ever frighten her,” Wyatt avowed as he took the drink Hurst held out for him.
Over the years Rick and Wyatt’s different temperaments sometimes had them coming to blows. Hurst had always known how to step in at the right time and cool them down before irreparable damage was done to their friendship.
“I’m not sure you need any more of this right now.” Hurst handed the other glass to Rick. “I think you’ve already been hitting the bottle hard today. Do you want to tell us the reason?”
Rick took the glass and downed a good bit of it but remained silent.
“I didn’t think so. We’ll assume it’s lack of good judgment.”
“A reasonable assumption,” Rick answered after a deep, wincing breath.
Giving his attention to Hurst, Wyatt asked, “What are you two doing here anyway? Other than causing me grief.”
“We came to find out what was going on and how you were doing,” Hurst admitted. “Not to offer advice as Rick was trying to do, but you have to agree Fredericka showing up at the moment you were dancing with Priscilla was quite extraordinary. Not only for you but everyone at the party. The scandal sheets are filled with gossip about it.”
“That was to be expected.” Wyatt motioned to the high-back brown leather wing chairs set up in front ofthe fireplace on the back wall, signifying his disagreement with Rick had ended.
Once they were settled, Hurst continued on the same stream of thought. “You were late showing up for your first match yesterday, so we couldn’t ask you about her unanticipated arrival.”
“I had a meeting with Epworth that took longer than I assumed.”
“There was no time for us to talk to you during the day, and by the time everyone had finished settling their wagers last night, you brushed us off like a piece of lint from your coat and left without a word. Is it any wonder we came over today?”
Wyatt sipped his drink before saying, “Fredericka came to London suddenly because she needs my help with her cousin.”
Hurst stretched out his legs and crossed his feet at his ankles. “That should be simple enough for you to do.”
“One would think, but it’s not. Mrs. Tomkin didn’t give up her petition to take the children away from Fredericka as I expected. I have Epworth finding out more about the Lord Chancellor, Tomkins, and Longington.”
“Is there anything we can do?”
“Not presently. Epworth is making inquiries as to what might be an appropriate way to approach the Lord Chancellor. Apparently, just walking in with a friendly smile and stating my case won’t get the job done since we are on opposite sides politically.”
“Damnation,” Rick whispered. “That’s not good.”
“It’s children. Politics shouldn’t matter,” Hurst argued.
“Fredericka thought the same, but apparently politics always matters. I have to make sure I have something he wants in exchange for doing this favor for me. And it has to be a damn sight more than whatever it is ViscountLongington is offering him, as they are hooked at the hip politically.”
“That won’t be an easy joining to separate. You know you can count on us,” Hurst said, looking over to Rick for agreement, which came in the form of a salute with his glass.
Wyatt gave him a flicker of a nod as a high-pitched squeal and the patter of small feet scampering across the floor sounded above them. Hurst and Rick looked at Wyatt.
“One of the children,” he said in an offhand manner. “Playing.”
No doubt they were wondering if that happened often. Wyatt smiled to himself. Not with Fredericka around. She was probably on her way to give Bella a good dressing down for daring to raise her voice and run inside the house. His wife was the most conscientious person he’d ever met.
“There’s a couple of other matters we wanted to discuss with you,” Rick said, inserting himself back into the conversation.
Wyatt would readily change the conversation from Fredericka to anything else.
