Page 6 of A Lord's Chance
“I assumed it belonged to the person who abandoned me and I couldn’t decide if I wanted to keep it or throw it away, but it worked, so I figured I may as well keep it.”
Lloyd got the distinct impression that Mr Gilbert was trying to be more casual about this than he really felt, but he couldn’t be sure. He’d never been great at reading people’s feelings.
“You must be glad you kept it, now that you know what it is?”
Mr Gilbert scrunched up his nose. “Am I? Doesn’t it create more questions? If I was important enough to be given an expensive watch, then why abandon me? Why not sell the watch and keep me?”
Lloyd grimaced. Those were logical questions and difficult ones too. Was he a bad person for assuming that everyone had loving parents like he had? It had never occurred to him to ask such questions. “I do not know.”
“I’m not sure I want to know the answers.” Mr Gilbert’s face was twisted, as if he were in pain. Perhaps he was, although not the type of pain that could be fixed with a drop of laudanum or willow bark powder.
“If you don’t want to know, I can simply clean and maintain the watch, so it will work.” Lloyd bent his head and returned to his task. Neither of them spoke for a long time, and Lloyd was glad that he had something to do. The work was satisfying; he’d always enjoyed the precision of a well-made watch mechanism.
“And if I do want to know? What next?”
Lloyd finished putting the case back together, tightening the final screw before he glanced up. “Sotheby’s will have the auction records. We can find out who purchased the watch in 1785.”
“And you think whoever owned the watch for three years before they left it with me will be someone connected to me?”
It seemed logical to Lloyd, but of course, it may have been bought by an agent. Either way, there’d be a clue in the provenance of the watch. “Hopefully.” He finished by polishing the outer case and then wound the mechanism, listening carefully with a pleasing satisfaction as it kept perfect time.
“Here is your watch, Mr Gilbert.”
Mr Gilbert held out his hand and Lloyd placed the watch into his palm. Their fingers touched, only for an instant, but it was enough to send a shiver up his arm, leaving gooseflesh trailing.
“I can barely recognise it.”
“All I did was clean it.” He was rather pleased with the outcome. It truly looked like a Hobart now. The quality of the make was obvious, and the unique engraving technique picked up the light in a very clever way. “Shall we head to Sotheby’s?”
“Not yet.”
He’d forgotten that Mr Gilbert was not dressed for the day. How could he possibly have forgotten such a thing when he sat opposite with his nightshirt open at the neck? His chest hair was dark like the hair on his head, peeking out from his nightshirt. With a little sigh, Lloyd knew exactly how he’d forgotten. As soon as he’d been allowed to maintain the Hobart, all hisattention had been focused there. He’d always been like that with a good mechanism.
“Lawndry.”
“Yes?”
“Did you hear what I said?”
“No. Sorry.” Should he admit he was thinking about the Hobart again?
“I said that you owe me.” Mr Gilbert’s cheeks were flushed again.
“I do?” He held his breath, uncertain about what Mr Gilbert meant.
Mr Gilbert leaned over the table, his face close enough to kiss. Did Lloyd want to kiss him? Yes. He gulped.
“You said you’d get on your knees for me, for the chance to touch the watch. Now you’ve touched the watch, it’s time for you to pay up.” Mr Gilbert’s nostrils flared and then his gaze dropped to Lloyd’s mouth. Lloyd was about to protest that Mr Gilbert had said that he should touch the watch while on his knees, before his brain caught up to what Mr Gilbert wasn’t saying. Life would be a lot easier if people just said what they meant. He breathed out slowly.
“Are you saying that you want me to suck your cockstand?”
Chapter 6
Heat surrounded Nobbie and he wanted to dab at his neck with his handkerchief. He’d never met someone so direct and somehow innocent sounding while not being innocent at all. Lawndry was temptation personified staring at him with those big brown eyes, and Nobbie was going to lose control soon if he wasn’t careful. He swallowed.
“Yes. That is what I want.”
“Why didn’t you just say so? All this fussing about with talk of using my teeth to get the watch, when really all you wanted was ...”
