Page 96 of Lady Gambit
Affronted, the earl looked like he might thump Gibbs, but he caught sight of Dorian sitting in the carriage, and a row erupted.
“Of all the rotten schemes your mother invented to hold me to ransom, this one takes the biscuit.” The earl stamped his foot on the cobblestones. “I thought you were cut from a different cloth. Evidently, I was mistaken.”
The devil’s own fury burned in Dorian’s chest, but he kept his tone even. “Go home, Father. I’m tired of watching you act like a fool.”
The earl yanked the carriage door open. “There’s only one fool here. I offer you the world, and you throw it back in my face.What son does that? A thankless one, I say. Now, get out of this vehicle.”
Dorian noted a few bystanders watching from the entrance to the inner courtyard. Bertram could be amongst them. A diversion would give him the perfect moment to strike.
Indeed, he needed to get rid of his father and quickly.
With his temper rearing like an untamed stallion, Dorian vaulted to the ground and faced his father. “You reap what you sow. You had no interest in me when I was a boy. I’m not interested in you now.”
The earl’s face ballooned, his glower conveying the depth of his displeasure. “I’m warning you. Marry that strumpet, and you’ll not get another penny from me.”
Strumpet? Was he referring to Delphine?
How had the earl known where to find him? And how had he learned of Dorian’s intention to marry her? No one but her family knew—and Lord Meldrum. But he’d been hiding in a rented room for two hours.
“I don’t need your money. I’ve never drawn my allowance.”
“No, because you’re happy to live in a hovel.”
“Flynn owns a large manor house south of the Thames,” Daventry said as he rounded the carriage. “He uses the room above the Swan while working in town. Presently, he’s investigating a matter on behalf of the Home Secretary. Some men are made for idleness. Some lead the country to greatness.”
Dorian glanced at Daventry with untold respect. They were kindred spirits—the illegitimate sons of heartless men and devious women.
The earl blinked and stuttered in shock, but he picked his arrogance off the floor and dusted it down quickly. “You’re nothing without me.”
Dorian squared his shoulders. “I’ll never be your puppet. Had you taken the time to nurture a relationship, I may havefollowed you to the ends of the earth. As it is, I wouldn’t piss in your chamber pot.”
Before the earl could respond, Daventry said, “We’re acting on behalf of the Crown, and you’re hindering an investigation. How did you know Flynn was here?”
“I don’t have to tell you anything,” the earl said, stony-faced.
Daventry’s eyes darkened, and he looked like a panther on the prowl. “If our client dies because you failed to reveal a crucial piece of evidence, I shall take the matter to the highest authority.”
“I’ll answer to no one but the King.”
“I’m sure the King will be keen to hear of your failings.”
Dorian stepped forward, his face mere inches from his father’s. “If you care for me at all, you will help me save my betrothed from a devious villain. This is your only chance to prove I mean something to you. How did you know to come here?”
The earl failed to answer.
“You’re wasting your breath,” Daventry said in disgust.
Dorian was wrong to say he felt nothing. His father’s silence brought the same crushing inadequacy he had felt as a child. It was hard to rise above it, hard to accept he was the better man, and move on.
“My father had me followed.” Dorian turned his back on his kin and focused on his future. “How else could he know I was here? The important question is, how does he know I plan to marry Delphine?”
A frown marred Daventry’s brow. “I don’t know, but Bertram is devious. He’s skilled at hiding in the darkness. He’s always one step ahead.”
Above the racket of those drinking in the taproom, the earl coughed to get their attention. “A penny boy brought a letter tomy club. I was told my son planned to marry some nameless chit, and they were staying here before eloping in the morning.”
Dorian’s pulse pounded in his throat. “The bastard knows we’re here and still means to kill Delphine. It’s not about keeping his secret. It’s about punishing her for ruining his plans. He’s determined to settle a personal score. Wait here. Let no one pass.”
He took to his heels and darted along the cobblestones, through the inner courtyard and up the stairs to the upper gallery. He hammered on Delphine’s door, relieved to see her face at the window.
