Page 42 of Good Duke Gone Far

“Oh? Money. It’s always about the money, isn’t it? I thought we were going to have some fun.”

“Fun? By George, I think that’s all you’ve been having. Now it’s time to answer my question.”

“Go away.” The man dropped his head to the table with a bang.

Kat leaned close enough to the man’s head to whisper in his ear, but all Quinn heard was a garbled mess about, “You’ll answer me if you want to see the light of another day.” Or something like that.

“Yeah, yeah. Not sure that I do.”

Quinn observed the flares of fire crossing over Kat’s visage. The combination of puzzlement and fury could lead to unpredictable behavior.

“Answer me now.” Kat caught Quinn staring at her. “Or I’ll set my husband on you.”

“Oh ya? And who’s your husband?”

“Answer the lady.” Quinn finally spoke in a low tone.

“I think I’ll pass.”

“What kind of man takes money for a job, does half the job, and then squanders it and gives up?” Quinn asked the heavy question with an uncommon airiness.

The louche’s head popped up. “Who are you to call my ethics into question?”

“I’m Colonel Quinn Hastford. Just a man–a husband–helping his wife.”

The drunk drew his eyebrows together in a tangle. A flash of recognition scampered across his face. “Colonel Hastford? That’s how you introduce yourself? Here?”

“Here and everywhere. That is my name.”

“Is it now?”

The drunk was now more rankling than before. “I think I’d know my own name.” Quinn wanted to cross his arms over his chest, but remained still.

“You would think that, wouldn’t you?” The drunk’s eyes now perused Quinn from head to toe, but in a completely different way than how he had eyeballed Kat. This way was a way that alluded to both parties carrying secrets that neither one wanted to share. But which secrets the drunk thought Quinn had, Quinn had no clue.

“Life has a way of surprising us,Colonel.” The last word sank to the floor. “Sometimes for good,” the louche nodded toward him. “Sometimes for bad.” He shrugged his shoulders.

Quinn couldn’t wrangle thoughts to form words, nevermind words to form a sentence. What the blazes was the man yammering on about? Surprises? Names? Good? Bad? Life’s lessons. As if the man had any life lessons to teach them in the state he was in.

“Nevermind all that. What are you doing here?” The drunk asked Kat.

“My parents paid you to investigate the duke who proposed to my sister. And here you are, drinking away their money.”

“What do you care? He’s a duke. A damn fine one, maybe not a good one, per se. Perhaps he’ll get there. But he’s a duke for heaven’s sake. Nothing wrong with him. Or not too much anyway.”

“It’s none of your business why I care. You had a job to do, and you’re not doing it.”

“Speaking of which. I was in the middle of an entirely different job. Thanks for the reminder.” The man rested his head back down on his forearm.

“I want their money back,” Kat declared.

“We all want what we can’t have. For instance, I want a buxom–”

“That’s enough. Give the lady the money.”

“Can’t.” With a sigh the man sat upright, or half upright, and took the last swig of his drink. “Spent it.” He raised his tin to the sky.

Quinn could feel Kat’s energy tumbling all around her and even spilling out of her, but he also knew that no amount of talking would accomplish anything with such a squanderer as this. “We’re not getting anywhere with this wastrel. He’ll only lead us in circles.”

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