The Langley Sisters Trilogy Boxed Set (87 page)

***

Luke drank heavily, and won money steadily for three days. Even when he could barely see the cards before him he still won, such was the way his mind worked.
 
He would stagger outside in the early hours of the morning, hail a hackney and fall into bed to sleep for a few hours and then rise to do the same thing all over again. When he started to sober up he saw them, Will and Bella, and he could not bear the pain so he drank again. They were right; he was a coward, and he had no right to either of them in his life.
 

If he continued to drink and gamble his mind didn’t see Bella. He couldn’t feel her soft, warm skin pressed against his. He couldn’t bring her soft cries into his head as he entered her. He couldn’t recall the taste of her breasts as he brushed kisses over them. He constantly saw the look on Will’s face, too, that moment when he had told him to leave. The hurt and anger.
 

“You’re cheating.”

Luke raised his head and tried to focus on the big man behind him. Blinking a few times, he looked again.

“Wh-what?

“I won’t have cheating here.”

“I’m not sh-sheating,” Luke said, staggering to his feet. “He ish.” he then pointed to the man seated across from him, “but I’m not.” Luke thumped his chest and stumbled backwards, upsetting the table.

“Take him outside and see he don’t come back.”

Luke tried to push of the two men who grabbed him, but he was too drunk and soon found himself outside.
 

The fist came before he even knew what was happening, and his reflexes were too slow to do much more than swing his arms wildly. They set about him good and proper and it was as he fell to his knees that he wondered if this was it. He had failed Will, Bella and Rosie. They would know he had given up, lost his way, and died here in this dirty squalor.
 

“It would not pay you to touch him again.”

Luke heard the deep voice as he closed his eyes and gave up the fight.

“It’s Ace!”

Luke heard nothing further as he fell, face first onto the filthy ground.
 

His body was one big ache. Every time he roused, it was to have something foul tasting stuffed down his throat and then he slept again. He thought he heard Will’s voice and maybe Finn’s? But then why would they be here? Hadn’t he sent Will away? The pain that accompanied that thought was as fresh and raw as it was days ago, as was the vision of Bella that came into his head and he was glad to once again slip into oblivion and leave them behind.
 

When he finally found the strength to open his eyes, he looked around the darkened room. Was it night or day? Easing himself upright, he sat on the bed and took stock of his injuries. He could find nothing broken, but he ached all over. Pushing himself off the bed, he stood and sucked in a breath as the pain hit him. Taking a few minutes to steady himself, he walked to the window and drew the curtains. Night was just beginning to fall and he was in London somewhere.

He found a robe on a chair and pulled it on, securing the belt. Opening the door, he then walked down the hallway. It was lavishly decorated and his confusion grew as he failed to recognize any of the furnishings. If not Finn’s or Will’s, then whose?
 

Will
. The thought of his friend brought a fierce pain to his chest. And what of Bella? He felt the pain deepen. He had slept and these thoughts had been held at bay, but now he was again awake they pierced him the accuracy of a lance. What day was it? Had he been here for days or hours?
 

Grabbing the bannister, he made his way down the stairs; at the bottom he heard a rumble of voices and headed towards the noise. He was hardly dressed for company, but didn’t much care who saw him this way. Opening the door, he entered to find Will and Ace inside.
 

“So you’re awake?”

He looked at the large man behind the desk and then to his friend. Will looked as bad as he felt, eyes bloodshot, hair standing on end. In fact, he did not look like the elegant lord Luke had come to know and love. He couldn’t stop himself from reaching for him, even though he knew he should not.

“Will,” Luke lifted one hand towards him. “Dear God, can you ever forgive me?”

He thought for a moment he had lost the man before him, but then his body softened and he rose. Walking towards Luke, he wrapped his arms around him and held him in a fierce hug that hurt like hell and relieved him to his toes.
 

“I’m a fool, a coward as you said. Please say you forgive me?” Luke’s voice was a rasp, his throat sore from ill use.

“I forgive you.”

“Just like that?”
 

Will steadied him as he swayed. “You are my friend, and while I was angry at the time, it did not last, and then I was just worried when I could not find you.”

“I have no right to accept your forgiveness, but I will just the same.”

“Come, Fletcher, sit.”

Ace had moved to his side also and Luke took the hand he held out towards him.

“I have you to thank for rescuing me, I believe?”

“Will called upon me, and I filled him in on what had taken place, which, by the way, you should have done.”

“I could not. The night I left you, I was attacked.”

“We know about that, Luke,” Will said.

“Do you also know that I received a note just after, stating that if I did not leave London then you or Bella and the family would be harmed, and they would start with her face?” He felt the desperation again.

“So you tired to protect us by pushing us aside.”

“Yes.”

“Christ, what a mess. I can’t believe you went to St. Giles,” Will said, running a hand over his head. “Were you hell bent of harming yourself?”

A servant arrived and Luke took the cup handed to him gratefully. Lifting the liquid to his lips, he drank the hot, sweet tea before answering.

“I started walking after you left me that day, and ended up there.”

“Thank God Ace found you before they killed you.”

Luke heard the pain in his friend’s words. “Every time I sobered up, I saw you and Bella. That thought hurt so much I kept drinking, and I am a gutless coward for having done so,” he finished on a whisper.
 

“I know about what has been going on, Luke, and I wish you had come to me sooner. Between us, we could have unearthed the bastard.”

“You know why I didn’t”

“Yes, and I cannot say if the roles were reversed I would have reacted differently.”

“How is Bella?”

“Not sleeping or eating. Worried about you and spending every minute when I am home in my company, trying to drag information she is sure I’m concealing from her out of me. I fear she will take to the streets to find you herself shortly, if I do not produce you soon.”

Luke wanted to see her so badly he began to shake.

“I’d thought her the easiest of the Langley sisters. I see now I was wrong,” Will added.

“She has a will that is stronger than either of us realized,” Luke added.

“Amen.”

“There is still a threat, Will, so we need to take care that whoever is doing this believes I am still laying low.”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Ace said, joining the conversation. He had sat silently as the two friends talked. “I think you should stay here, and I’ll have one of my men go to your house and pack your things. Hopefully there will be someone watching it and they’ll think you’ve left London

“I hate to put you out but am grateful all the same, Ace,” Luke said.

“We are closing in on him, Luke, I’m sure of it. My men have been making enquiries as have Will and Finn. We should have the bastard soon.”

“I want to tell Bella myself, Will. Talk to her and explain what has been going on and why I have behaved as I have.”

Will thought about that for a minute and it was then they heard the loud voices in the hallway outside the door.

“I think Finn is about to arrive and by the sounds of it, he has his wife with him.” Will looked at Ace. “You’ve not met the middle Langley sister, have you, Dillinger? You’re in for quite a treat.”

“What the hell is she doing here in her condition?” Luke said before the door opened. Will responded with a shrug.

The tap on the door was followed by Ace’s butler.

“Lord and Lady Levermarch are requesting to see you, sir.”

“Bring them in,” Ace said, rising.

They arrived seconds later, with Phoebe’s stomach entering before her. She looked around the room until she located Luke and then her eyes narrowed as she made her way slowly towards him.

“Where the hell have you been?”

Luke struggled out of his seat trying not to wince as every abused muscle in his body protested.

“My sister is broken-hearted and I blame you, Fletcher. How dare you leave her without a word!”

“Calm down, Phoebe.” Luke reached for the hands she waved about before him.
 

“Don’t tell me to calm down! Bella is distraught!”

“Wife, you will take a breath or I fear my infant will be deprived of air,” Finn said from beside her.

“You need to tell her you are all right at once. The only reason I know is because I caught Finn sneaking out the door, and as he would not tell me where he was going I demanded he take me with him.”

“She would have simply got into a hackney and followed had I not,” Finn said in a reasonable voice.

Wrapping his fingers around her wrists gently as she started waving them in his face again, Luke walked her slowly backwards to a chair; behind him, he heard Finn snort with laughter.

“You will sit and listen to what I have to say, Phoebe, and not open your mouth until I finish,” Luke said.

“It had better be a good explanation.”

Easing himself upright once more, he could do nothing to hide the moan of pain as his ribs gave a vicious tug.
 

“Did someone hurt you?”

“Yes.” He let Finn push him into a chair this time. “And if you shut up long enough to listen, I’ll explain.”

Phoebe pressed her lips together firmly and glared at Luke as he began talking. He told them everything, finishing with his time in St. Giles.

“Who is doing this to you?”

“As to that, I do not yet know, but we have hopes of having his name soon.”

“We’re closing in, love.” Finn moved behind Phoebe and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“How dare someone do this to us!” Phoebe’s outrage turned to the as yet unnamed person responsible for the mess Luke found himself in. He felt the warmth grow bigger in his chest at her use of the word us.
 

“And you.” She pointed her finger back at Luke. “To not have told us, your family—it was foolish, Luke Fletcher, extremely so.”

“I wanted to protect you, Phoebe.”

“Well, don’t do it again, and make sure you tell Bella soon.”

“Tomorrow,” Will said. “I will take her driving in the park. Dillinger can bring Luke in his carriage and we will swap places. I’ll send round a note with details.”

“I’m grateful to you all,” Luke said, staggering back to his feet as Finn helped Phoebe from her chair again. Now he had them back around him again, the rest of his strength seemed to have seeped from his body

“See he goes to bed now. You can hold your strategy talk later.” Phoebe gathered Luke in her arms and hugged him, and even with her stomach between them, Luke savored the contact.

“How do you know we are holding a strategy talk, wife?”

Phoebe simply snorted at that and sailed out of the room with Finn at her heels.

Will walked with Luke behind them, stopping in the entrance to shake his hand.

“No more secrets, Luke. We are brothers, you and I, in every way that counts and brothers are there for each other.”

Luke felt the bite of tears but fought them back. “I promise there will be no more secrets between us.”

Will nodded, then he shook Ace’s hand and left. Luke stood with Ace at his back, watching the door, wondering what he had ever done in his life to deserve those people.

“To have the respect and love of people such as those, Fletcher, is a wonderful thing. However, it’s my belief that were you not of the same mold they would not think so highly of you.”

“They have never been a normal family,” Luke said, still looking at the door. “The past has played an unkind hand with each of them, and yet they have never faltered, only moved forward, and it’s the strength they gain from the others that has allowed them to do so.”

“Come, you are weaving on your feet. Sleep now, Fletcher, and when you wake I will feed you and you will see your love.”

Luke was asleep within seconds of his aching head touching the pillow. It was a peaceful sleep now. The threat still existed, but he would face it with the strength of the people he loved at his back.
 

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“Bella, you need some fresh air. You have been inside for days waiting for news of Luke.”