Page 28 of Trapped with the Forbidden Duke
“Here and there,” Lucien answered vaguely.
“Ah, come on, now. We are all acquaintances, are we not? Spill your secrets.”
Lucien only looked at his cards, noting which ones he would win with. The gentleman on his left had put down one card that would boost his play tremendously, but it would put the man on his right at a disadvantage. He eyed Lucien wearily, as if knowing what would happen.
It was he who spoke, trying to distract him.
“Tell us,” he urged. “It cannot be too unsavory, can it? Unless… Heavens, Stormhold, do you have a sordid past? Perhaps you visited a few less-respectable places to learn how to gamble. The Circle, perhaps? Maybe you sat at a table in a dark corner, a lady on either side of you, both vying for your attention. A man like you, Your Grace, with a secretive past… You definitely have a thing or two hidden in the shadows.”
“You seem familiar enough with such a place,” Lucien replied smoothly. “Surely you would know if I was there, considering you know so much about it.”
“I—”
“Play your hand.”
It was an order, a brisk one, for Lucien had grown tired of their company.
“We noticed you skulking around the Raven’s Den with Lady Edwina. What business do you have with her? Do you seek the Earl’s whereabouts to ask for her hand?—”
“Play. Your. Hand.”
The man paled, realizing that his attempt at distracting Lucien had not worked. Swallowing hard, he set down his cards, and Lucien smirked before placing his own down.
His hand had won, as he knew it would, for he knew every trick and honest way to win.
He took back his bag of coins, watching as the greed in the men’s eyes flared.
“Information,” he reminded them sharply.
One man was quick to divulge, “Your Grace, they say that Lord Montgomery frequents the Silver Gate and the Raven’s Den. He has been sighted at the Golden Hand, but was recently removed from the premises.”
“Now he gambles mostly in the backstreets,” the first man, who’d inquired about Lucien’s presence, added. “Shady places. Places we’d never dream of being spotted in, so it is peculiar of an earl to willingly enter them.”
“Desperate men do desperate things,” the third man commented.
“Why desperate?” Lucien questioned, letting three gold coins slip out of the bag—they could fight amongst themselves.
“I do not know,” the man admitted. “All people are saying is that he does not look well and that he has been seen in many unsavory places. Brothels, like Madam Molly’s—although he seems to never indulge. It is as if he goes there to conduct meetings, though nobody knows what for. Then, he has also been seen at places like the Clover, and ill-reputed gambling hells where nobody is honest.”
“I see,” Lucien answered.
It only increased his dislike for his former friend, as why would Nicholas risk himself—risk his sister—and the Montgomery name? What could be so important that he would frequent such unsavory establishments?
There was indulgence, and then there was downright foolishness, and Lucien had never thought Nicholas was foolish.
One man lowered his voice, leaning in. “They say that the war changed Lord Montgomery. They say that he came back a little wrong, a little unscrewed.” He tapped his head, grimacing, before he snatched up one coin.
The other two reached for the remaining coins, trying to snag both.
“It should go without saying that if you breathe a word about me asking questions regarding the Earl, then?—”
“Not a word, Your Grace,” the man who had attempted to distract him assured him quickly.
“Good. And never interrupt me again. I’ve also heard about your regular visits to a certain village as of late,” Lucien said, not convinced. “Interesting that your wife believes you’re visiting an elderly aunt in Cornwall instead. Then again, I am sure a misunderstanding will be avoided if you keep your mouth shut. You seem to have a loose tongue.”
The man’s eyes widened, and he gulped. “Your Grace, I swear on my life that nobody will know you asked anything. I will not even confirm whether I saw you, should anybody ask.”
At once, the rest of the men promised the same.
