Page 10 of A Deal with her Forbidden Duke
“Your thoughts seem elsewhere, Your Grace,” Horace noted.
“No, it is simply…” Alexander sighed. “And do call me Alexander. You do not work in my father’s stables any longer. We are business partners here, my friend.”
“Friend,” Horace laughed. “You rarely have friends.”
Alexander met the older man’s smile with one of his own—wearier, despite his younger age.
“Count yourself lucky then.”
The older man laughed.
“I visited Lady Kinsfeld,” Alexander said quietly. “And she did not know where Lord Kinsfeld is.”
“It is not uncommon, unfortunately,” Horace considered. “After all, we know the man has frequented our rooms here, indulging himself.”
Alexander sighed, his gut twisted. “She looked…”
He stopped himself, not wanting to dishonor her by saying Lady Kinsfeld had looked lonely.
Yet she had. Part of him thought she was the type of woman to despise being described in such a way.
“She was stubborn,” he only said.
“And beautiful, I hear,” Horace responded.
“I did not notice,” he lied.
Horace snorted. “Of course you did not.”
Alexander got to his feet, snatching up the list of places to investigate, ignoring the discussion on Lady Kinsfeld. The less he thought of her, the better.
“I will continue searching for the earl. Meanwhile, dispatch another collector to his house. If he was not there at night, I do not think he will be there by day, but we can try again. London is a big city, and lords with secrets have ways of slipping through the cracks when they want to.”
“He’ll be found. The thing about cracks, though, Your Grace, is that they all lead somewhere. If anyone can find him, I imagine you will.”
Following the word of patrons in the Raven’s Den could be tricky but it was all Alexander had to go on.
The first place he investigated was an exclusive gentleman’s club.
“The Duke of Silverton, on my doorstep,” the manager, Mr. Thompson, said, surprised. “To what do I owe the honor, Your Grace?”
Alexander looked inside the club, at the cloakroom to one side, and the doors beyond, where patrons would be indulging and socializing. “May we speak in your office?”
“Of course. If you’d follow me, Your Grace.”
He was led through to Mr. Thompson’s office, and the door closed behind him.
The two men sat either side of a large desk.
“Can I offer you a drink, Your Grace?”
“I will not be staying long, I have much to do,” Alexander leaned forward, “I am looking for a patron of the Raven’s Den, Lord Kinsfeld. I need to… warn him. About a rather serious matter.”
Mr. Thompson sighed as soon as the man’s title was mentioned.
“Ah, yes, Lord Kinsfeld. As it happens, there are many unpaid bar tabs from him, gambling debts he has accrued here, as well as loans from other patrons of the club. If you locate him, Your Grace, would you be so kind as to bring this serious matter to his attention as well?”
Alexander pinched the bridge of his nose but nodded sharply. “I will find him, Mr. Thompson, and ensure the debt he owes to you is also honored.”
