Page 4 of The Tempting of a Devilish Lord

“Yes, my lord,” the butler replied. “Lord Leo and Lord Adam are here.”

“Wonderful.”

Not that he disliked his brothers but the three of them had always been ridiculously competitive, and he was not certain he could put it past them not to try to trip him up and fling some pretty thing his way during his self-imposed confinement here.

Alex kept his coat on and marched through the house. He spotted his brothers on the large expanse of neatly mown grass that led down toward the lake. They were taking turns shooting a target with a bow and arrow and even behind closed doors, he could tell they were arguing.

He shoved open the door and marched toward them. Leo turned, bow in hand, and Alex lifted his palms. “I always knew you wanted me dead.”

Leo eased down the bow and relaxed his hold on it with a grin. “If I’d wanted you dead, I could have killed you long ago and no one would have been any the wiser.”

Adam rolled his eyes. “You have all the subtlety of a bull, Leo.”

“Says you whose only language is using his damned fists,” Leo retorted.

Adam shrugged. “You’re still bitter I beat you in our last fight.”

“Ten years ago! I could best you now with absolute certainty.”

Alex bit back a grin. “What are you two doing here?” he demanded.

Both brothers turned to face him. Many mistook Adam and Leo for twins. With scarcely a year between them, they shared the same chestnut hair, blue eye color, and square jawline. Alex’s hair was a shade darker, though it sometimes lightened during the summer, and he’d inherited his dark eyes from his mother’s side.

“I did not know we were not welcome here,” Adam said, folding his arms.

“Is that really the welcome you wish to give your brothers?” Leo added.

Alex cocked his head. “I take it mother begged you two to come here as well.”

“Why should she beg me?” Adam asked.

“Because of the rumor.” He narrowed his gaze at them both. “About Miss Kingsley.”

Leo made a dismissive noise. “Oh that trifle.”

“Hardly warrants even thinking about,” Adam agreed.

“So you decided to come here, for no reason at all?” Alex swung his gaze between his brothers. “And our mother’s tears and pleading had no impact on you at all,” he said dryly.

They were well-used to their mother’s manipulations. She was not an awful woman per se. In fact the opposite. Their mother, compared to their dull father who rarely saw them when alive, was a warm and loving woman. Too warm at times. It meant she could put on quite a show and have them do anything.

Like congregate in the country to escape this bloody scandal that was beginning to haunt every one of them.

Adam peered at him. “Why are you here then, Alex?”

“I fancied some country air,” he said vaguely.

“Ha, you never come here. Mrs. Jones said the last time you were here was two years ago.” Leo thrust a finger toward him. “Youare escaping London.”

“And women,” Adam added.

“And you two aren’t?”

“I fancied some country air,” Leo mimicked.

“Me too,” Adam confirmed.

“If you two are so convinced you can avoid temptation, why not return to London?”

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