Page 71 of The Ones Left Behind
It was the first sign of hesitation that Henry had shown, but he did move forward after a moment and took the matching leather armchair across from Matthias. “I could not be certain you would wish to help me. I assume Kitty told you what I said. That was a charming search party, by the way.”
Henry had not totally lost his wits if he realized what was happening. Had his earlier words to Kitty only been said in fear? Matthias waited for Henry to explain.
“I wished to speak with you alone, so I waited. I knew they would come.”
“Of course they would. We want to help you.”
“Yes, for the family name.” Henry’s features contorted. “The Matthias I remember would have tossed me to the wolves to let me reap the consequences of my actions.”
Matthias could not help but smile a little. “I suppose I can be rather pompous; but I have seen enough death and I certainly do not wish for yours.”
“You do not have an heir,” he retorted. “Can you still not bring Kitty up to scratch?”
Matthias did not answer that stab. “Why did you do it?”
Anger flashed through Henry’s eyes. “I did not mean for him to die. You could not understand.”
“I believe you did not kill him on purpose. Often people die from the infection. I was very ill from infection when I arrived back in England. For a month, they did not know if I would live. I meant, rather, why did you gamble?”
“At first it began as a game. I am very, very good at it.”
“Then why did you cheat?”
Henry’s face turned red. “Because Preston set me up. It was a matter of honour I could not back down from.”
“So you wagered a great sum and had to recoup it in one game?”
Henry gave a brief nod of affirmation.
Matthias slowly took a sip of his brandy, wondering how to proceed. “Do you still wish to kill me?”
Henry laughed cynically. “It would certainly solve my problems.”
“You would have two murders on your head. Peers cannot commit murder and get away with it, Henry.”
“In affairs of honour, they can,” he argued.
“Not when you were the one who cheated, and you can hardly call me out and kill me in a duel.”
“What would you have me do?”
“Allow us to help you escape.”
“But I will never be allowed to come back,” he whined.
“One of the consequences of your actions, I am afraid. If you remain it is likely you will hang.”
Henry took a glass from the nearby table and filled it from the decanter.
“We have a respectable holding in the West Indies, or you can try your luck somewhere new.”
His face wrinkled with distaste. “That place is full of horrid insects and natives.”
“Every country has natives.” Matthias would dearly love to have him impressed on to a ship or enlisted in the army. He would be rid of his ungrateful, spoiled ideas in less than a fortnight. “I could try to find you a place on a ship,” Matthias offered.
“I can barely ride in a carriage, let alone a small craft.”
“Then your options are slim. You must leave tonight. Worth was already here, looking for you.”
