Page 115 of Enemies with an Earl
Felix slid a hand up and cupped Sam’s jaw. The apprehension drained from Sam’s eyes, and he leaned into the touch.
“You did tell me,” Felix said. “The only part you left out waswhoyour family was. But I had assumed”—fucking correctly, dear Lord—“that you might be nobility. I didn’t press for names, Sam. I didn’t want or need them. I’m not angry with you in the least.”
What he was was frantic. His brain trying to process this information and get a sense of what in the bloody hell this would mean. For them. For Sam. He needed to write to his mother. He needed to know how big a scandal it was. He laughed, and Sam’s chin jerked in. Given Felix was just laughing like a madman for no reason. But it was laughable, wasn’t it? It would have been agiantscandal.
The question was, how discreet had the family been? Surely, some would have known. But perhaps it hadn’t been splashed across publications. This would be fine. Maybe no one would remember. He glanced at Sam. It wasn’t rare for there to be a black sheep in the family; that a younger son became estranged from his family. That would be the height of this scandal, a long-lost son inheriting, and that would be it. No one would know the truth. And Sam would be safe.
He and Sam would just sit down, gather the information, and get this all sorted out.
A soft rap filled the chamber, and Felix glanced up at the telltale sign his butler had a message to impart.
“Blakely?”
“The Duke of Devonford is in your drawing room, my lord.”
Felix’s heart dropped into his stomach. Ash was here?
“He has requested Mr. Thorne’s presence,” Blakely intoned.
Felix caught Sam’s wide-eyed gaze. This couldn’t be good.
“If you’ll excuse me, Fee,” Sam said, his words tight with what was probably the same panic Felix was feeling. “I should go speak with Ash.”
Felix nodded dumbly. Then watched as those stiff broad shoulders disappeared out of his study.
He couldn’t escape the hollow ache building in his gut. The one that settled there the moment Felix had realized Sam hadn’t wanted him to take part in the discussion.
56
Sam
Samsteppedintothedrawing room. Ash stood in the middle of the room, hat in his hands, fitfully tapping it against his thighs. His best mate’s gaze flew to him, and Sam didn’t like what he saw swimming in those vivid blue eyes.
Ash stepped forward, and ever the pragmatic duke, he cut to the chase. “I was visited by a pair of solicitors a week ago. Looking for a Sampson Trenton.”
Sam cursed. “How in the bloody hell did they find me?”
“Apparently, your brother—the one who just passed—had searched for you after everything that happened. He’s known all along where you’ve been, Sam.”
Sam blinked, his mouth parting dumbly. His brother had known where he was? Did the rest of the family? Why hadn’t they tried to see it through to the end, to ensure Sam was executed?
“W-what do you mean, always?”
“Why don’t you sit, Sam? You look like you’re about to keel over.”
Sam vacantly followed Ash and settled on the couch. He did feel a mite faint. He didn’t know what happened now. With his family’s estate, with the title, with Felix. He scrubbed his hand down his face. With anything.
The only small blessing in all of this shite-storm was the fact that Felix didn’t appear angry with him for leaving out this very vital piece of information. But Felix was panicking. Sam saw the gears start to turn, his Fix-it Felix had sprung into action. They didn’t even truly know what the problem was yet, and he was already searching for solutions.
“I don’t know the details,” Ash murmured, carefully watching Sam. “But I know he’s known for a long while. As far as I’m aware, he was the only one of your family who knew.”
Sam steepled his fingers and rested his mouth against them. He didn’t know what to do with that information. There was a small flicker of hope in his chest that he couldn’t douse, though. One that whispered maybe, just maybe, he had one family member who didn’t want him dead. But that wasn’t what he should be focusing on right now.
He cleared his throat. “What did you tell the solicitors? Do they know I’m here?” Shite. His eyes flew wide. “They can’t know I’m here. What if it implicates Felix? Oh, God. What did you tell them?”
“Calm down,” Ash cut him off and shot him an incredulous look. “Jesus bloody Christ, you lumbering oaf. Do you really think I’m that bloody daft? You may have received better marks than me at Eton, but I was hardly incompetent.”
Sam blew out a breath. “Right. Apologies. Forgot myself for a moment there.”
