Dominic

Chapter
One

London 1776

The
m
ain gallery of Blake House ec
h
oed with t
h
e clash of
blades
as
the
two f
r
iends
padded
backwards
and forwards in the throes of a
m
ock duel.

“For
pity’s
sake,
Do
m
i
nic,
put
up,
put
up,”
laughed Lord
W
roxha
m
,
half
way
between
a
m
u
s
e
m
ent
and genuine
terror
of
his
co
m
panion’s
blade.
“
W
e
are supposed to be sparring. You take it too far; your wrist is so
m
uch stronger than
m
ine.”

“You cry truce too easily,” scoffed the Earl of
V
ale, in no way relinquishing his attack, ever driving his friend back. “Have so
m
e energy
m
an, use more cunning and you will
f
i
nd
I
a
m quite
easily
ove
r
co
m
e.
I
no
m
ore
than
toy with you!”

“If this is toying with
m
e
I would dread
to meet
you when in earnest. Now have done, I tire.”
R
ecklessly
W
r
oxh
a
m
t
hrew
aside
his
rapier,
leaving
hi
m
self
open
to
att
a
ck.

He was no
m
atch for
t
he energetic young
earl
who, although
owning
no
more
years
than
he,
had
a
wealth more experience in his twenty-four years. His
h
eight and breadth
of
shoulder
alone
m
ade
him int
i
m
i
dating
without
taking in his dark, dangerously handsome countenance
and
m
ocking green eyes. Here was no fop or dandy. His dress, although cut by a
m
ast
e
r’s hand,
was casual
with
no sign
of
the
fripperies
affected by the Macaronis. However, when occasion dictated, he was known to dress to perfection as
m
any would attest. He had an assurance of
m
anner
brought
about
by
m
atter
of birth
but
even
at
an early
age was widely known as a wild youth. He was well respected
amongst his conte
m
po
r
aries
who
hailed
him as
a top
rate
fell
o
w
but
his
e
s
capades were
eyed aska
n
ce
by
t
h
e older
m
e
m
b
ers of the haut ton who la
m
ented his rakish ways.
So
m
e,
who
professed
to
be
in
the
know,
likened him to his sire, the Duke of Le
a
r
when in his pri
m
e. However, no such acc
u
sations could be laid at the d
uke’s door
now
as,
entering
his
fifty-sixth year, he represented the
epito
m
e of respecta
b
ility.

The
young
earl
put
aside
his
rapier,
placing
it
on
a s
m
all
table
set
against
the wall
and
stood
with
hands
on hips, laughing at his friend. “You were ever
w
eak livered, John,”
he
mocked.
“Too
easily
inti
m
i
dated.”
Looking
at his co
m
panion’s sullen countenance, he relented. “Co
m
e, don’t
hold
it
against
m
e, it
was just
too
te
m
pting.
If you could have but seen your
e
xpression. It was priceless.”

W
r
oxh
a
m
gave
a
reluctant
chuckle
as
he
rolled
down
his
sleeves.
“D
a
m
n
you,
D
o
m
i
nic,
you
always
know
how
to take a rise out of me. Though I swear you will take your scapes too
f
ar
one
of
t
h
ese days. Then
where will
you be? As like as not, up before the
m
a
gistrate on a
m
urder charge!”

“
You exaggerate,
my
friend
,
” continued
the
earl in
good hu
m
or. “You were never in any danger, I assure you. I was in full control of my blade at all ti
m
es. Now stop your
wittering
. I have a
m
i
nd to go to Ridley’s. Do you acco
m
pany
m
e?”

“If
I
m
ust,
though
I
can’t
help but deplore your taste.
Surely you could find a more suitable gaming hell to
enjoy your patronage
?
”

“Not one that
plays so high at this ti
m
e of day. By-the- bye,
I have
an
assignation
with La
Belle
tonig
h
t
so
I
needs be away before
m
i
dnight.”

“Another
of
your
affectations I deplore,” replied
W
r
oxh
a
m with so
m
e distaste. “
C
ould you not be
m
ore discerning in your choice of
m
i
stress?
I
would
have thought her artifice to have bored you.”

“
She
will
reign
only
as
long
as
she
amuses
me
,” a
ssured the e
arl, drawing on h
i
s well-fitting
boots.
“I
am well aware of her faults
a
nd promise you her days are nu
m
bered.
I
begin
to
tire
of her
alr
e
ady
and
will
not tolerate her foolishness for
m
uch longer.”

“Then pay her off now
a
nd have done with it.”

“Once I have a replace
m
ent, I assure you I will. So for pity’s sake, have done with your complaining.
Be certain
I know
what
I’m
at.”
T
a
king
up
his
coat,
Vale
shrugged
into
it
and
led
the
way
out
of
the
gall
e
ry
toward
the
sweeping
staircase.
“We
but
ca
l
l
at
m
y
roo
m
s
to
enable
m
e to change and then we
’ll be
away to Ridley’s
,
” he said, as
W
r
oxh
a
m
ca
m
e
abreast
of
h
i
m
.
“I
must
recoup
so
m
e
of my losses. I dropped enough blunt last night to buy a kingdom and
should
it
co
m
e
to
m
y
m
ost
esti
m
able
sire’s ears, he will try to rustic
a
te
m
e.”