Page 12 of The Duke's Carriage Window
“Kit… Your husband, Kit?”
Suzannah nodded, a sly smile on her face. “The same, though we barely knew each of other then. Kit was sentenced to serve seven years in Australia. When he returned, he sought vengeance against the men who had ruined him, including my father. But father had died prior to Kit’s return, so he sought vengeance against me, in his stead.”
Meredith gasped. “What did he intend to do?”
The smile grew. “Oh, I think you can imagine.”
“But… you both seem so happy!”
“And we are. Kit’s plans were ruined by the one thing he never expected. Love. It is a much longer story than that, of course, but I’ve said all that I should for now. I mention all this to say that Kit has bad days, as have I. We both know what it feels like as we are outsiders in a place where we should be welcomed. You are one of us, Meredith. You will never be alone so long as you live in the Devil’s Square.” Suzannah nodded toward the men in the box across from them. Darius and Kit were standing at the back of the box talking to the other four men who’d stood up and turned to converse at their arrival.
“They all live on the same street as His Grace?”
“Yes. They grew up together as boys, and those bonds run very deep.”
“Who are they, exactly?” Meredith asked as she studied the men through the opera glasses again.
Suzannah gave her a wicked grin. “I like to call them The Rogues of Devil’s Square.”
“Rogues?” Meredith had never met any gentleman with reputations wicked enough to be dubbed rogues. Even Harry was more a rake, and he lacked the charm that Darius’s friends seemed to possess.
Suzannah giggled. “It is a rather dramatic nickname to be sure, but do not be frightened by it. Be intrigued. Besides, I believe it fits. You must consider what these men have done with their lives these past seven years. Rather than leave Kit to his fate and move on with their lives, they turned their minds toward acquiring knowledge and power to help Kit find justice when he someday returned to England. When you realize that justice and legality are not always aligned, you understand why I call them rogues.”
She pointed to the box across the way. “You see that man on the far left, closest to the stage? The one with brown hair and hazel eyes? That is Lionel Thistlewaite, Viscount Basildon. He is the son of the Duke of Summerstone. He is the most methodical and coolheaded of the group. He has a darling little sister I shall introduce to you soon, Octavia. She is close to us in age.”
Suzannah then pointed out the gentleman leaning on the railing of the box, laughing at someone’s joke. “That’s Viscount Wyndham. His charm is dangerous, but he will protect you with his life if he knows you are with Darius. I believe he might be courting a ballet dancer… or was it an opera girl? I can never remember.” She laughed lightly.
“What do you mean if he knows I’m with Darius?” Meredith focused on the two words.
“If you are under his protection as his ward. Like a sister perhaps, but not related by blood. Vincent will do anything to protect you.”
Sister? Meredith blushed. She certainly did not think of Darius as a brother. If anything, her mind and body seemed quite determined to see him as an attractive man and a true temptation, even though they were still strangers to one another. She returned her focus to Darius’s friends.
“What of the blond gentleman next to Vincent?”
“Felix Hawkins, the Marquess of Grey,” Suzannah said. “And that last man, the one who looks like he is frowning, that is Warren Burrville. He seems to find trouble far too easily, but for the best of reasons. You will like all of them, I assure you,” Suzannah promised and chuckled. “They are intimidating at first, but I think you will come to adore them as I do.”
Meredith sighed. “I feel like a newborn child. I know nothing of life in London or what it means to be the ward of the Duke. I don’t even know about His Grace’s family. Uncle Ben didn’t tell me much.”
“Well, Darius is an only child. His mother died when he was a boy. She suffered some terrible fever, or so I’ve heard. His father passed away a few years ago. His only relative now is his cousin.”
“Harry,” Meredith said with a nod.
“Yes, the one you said who propositioned you.” Suzannah frowned. “Meredith, you must be careful. You were sent here to find a match, but there are many men in London who think like Mr. St. John. They will attempt to take advantage of you simply because they do not believe a woman in your position has the right to refuse them. But you can say no. All women should be able to.”
“What if they don’t listen?” Meredith asked quietly. She’d been reliving that moment with Harry over and over on the last five days. She realized how lucky she’d been that he let her go. He’d been strong enough to overpower her, but he hadn’t. Whether it was because he had some sliver of morals in him or because his father hadn’t yet passed, she did not know.
“Then you fight,” Suzannah said. “You should ask Darius to teach you. He is quite skilled at fighting. He even works with the Bow Street Runners from time to time.”
“He does?” That shocked Meredith.
“He is not a Runner, of course, but he helps them on cases. You should ask about that.”
A hush fell on the crowd as the intermission ended. The play resumed a few moments later. Darius and Kit returned the box just in time. Darius’s presence put Meredith at ease. She’d only known the man a few hours, but already she felt safe around him. His presence also thrilled her in a way she never felt before. Silly little imaginings kept popping in her head. She imagined him leaning forward so he could whisper to her again, and feeling his warm breath across the nape of her neck.
By the end of the play, Meredith was quite tired. Her travels had finally caught up with her. After she bid Kit and Suzannah goodbye, Darius escorted her to his coach. She sat on one side and he sat facing her again.
“Well? What did you think of the play?”
