Page 19 of Enemies with an Earl
Sam would never—under any circumstances—trust someone who was supposed to love him again. His family had made sure of that. Ash was the sole person Sam trusted, and that was all he needed.
Being betrayed once was enough.
The bell rang again. He glanced at the wall. Another summons by Lord Bentley.
Sam placed the finished pair of boots on the table and started wiping his hands off with a fresh rag.
Never again.
8
Felix
Felixtuggedthebellpull and then strode back to his dressing table. He divested himself of his ruined waistcoat. He’d accidentally spat wine all over himself when conversing with Lord Kozington at the archery competition. A fond snort escaped him. Damn the Kozingtons and their humor.
Felix tossed the soiled garment over the back of the chair. He glanced at the clock—quarter past three. So, he should expect Thorne somewhere around four. A small smile ghosted over his lips.
He quickly shook his head, forcing his lips flat. That fact shouldnotbe making him smile. What in the bloody hell was wrong with him? It was like he was enjoying the man’s deliberate insolence. But there was something about their constant retaliations that had a thrill gently buzzing under Felix’s skin.
The wine had barely saturated his waistcoat when Thorne’s flashing grey eyes had filled his mind, along with the smug delight of making the man clean it. It must be the competitive Jennings family trait. Felix wouldn’t lose…whatever this was. And Thorne was a formidable opponent.
He hadn’t missed the smirk Thorne had thrown Felix’s way earlier when Felix had been overly hesitant while bringing his coffee to his mouth. It had been made acceptably that time. But Felix had been wary, exactly as the maddening manservant had wanted. Felix wasn’t a fool to believe the coffee and long delays were where it ended. He knew the man would have something else planned. The buzzing intensified. There was that thrill again.
A light rapping sounded on the door. Felix’s brows shot together, and his attention flew to the clock. It’d been five minutes. Was the man finally putting an end to his blatantly insubordinate behavior? And why did that cause a sinking feeling in Felix’s gut?
“Enter,” he called out. He couldn’t possibly be disappointed the man was going to stop being a disobedient lout.
The door swung open ever-so-slowly before a head that wasnotThorne’s peered around the edge. The wide-eyed man inched into the room and hesitated.
Felix blinked at the footman. The one who had given him the signal, who’d been watching him since he’d arrived at the castle.
“Please come in,” he said gently.
The man spent an inordinate amount of time closing the door and then turned around and stood unspeaking. He twisted his fingers in the bottom of his gold waistcoat, his gaze glued to the floor. Felix waited patiently. This wasn’t unusual for those who sought the assistance ofThe Harborage.
Finally, the man blew out a breath and his pale visage met Felix’s. “Th-the tea was especially hot at breakfast this morning.”
Felix’s mouth hitched in a half-smile, one he hoped was reassuring. “It is good, then, that I prefer coffee.”
The young man shifted back and forth on his feet. A bit of tension left him, but his gaze was back to the carpet, his left hand shaking with a light tremor.
“Come here,” Felix murmured, and the man approached, stopping a few feet from Felix. “What’s your name?”
“Robbie, my lord.”
“Why are you here, Robbie? What assistance do you seek?”
The young man’s wide brown gaze met his, a torrent of fear and hope swirling there. Felix understood. Because even with the coded messages and signs, certain facts in the wrong hands…meant death.
“I am friend, not foe, son,” Felix said.
“I—I need assistance. I mean, my partner and I.” His voice lowered to a whisper. “We want to relocate to the continent. To live freely. But we don’t have the means. And we heard…there is an organization that provides assistance to those like us. That you pass messages along.”
“I do. Why don’t we sit down and discuss particulars of what you need. Trust me when I say, the organization will ensure this happens for you.”
The man’s shoulders visibly sagged, and he nodded. Large brown eyes filled with so much uncertain hope that it nearly broke Felix’s heart clean in two. Because Felix understood everything the man was feeling. It was something that felt too good to be true. That was the way of it. There couldn’t possibly be people out there supporting them, looking out for them. And there hadn’t been before. Not all men had a father with the power—or desire—to save their son if certain details came to light. This was Felix’s small way of trying to give some of that privilege back.
They sat in the armchairs in front of the hearth while Felix laid out the typical process for leaving the country and howThe Harboragecoordinated the journey for individuals. Robbie had remained tense during the entire explanation until Felix had inquired about his partner—a Devonford tenant farmer who had moved to London to try to earn enough money for a proper education. Now that the man was finishing up his schooling, he longed to build a future somewhere where he and Robbie could live together without fear.
