Page 48 of Lord of Mischief
Freddie huffed.He had lost count of the number of times he had arrived at Mewburton House and dragged his drug-addled friend from his bed.This morning he expected things to be no different.
He was about to remonstrate with the butler when the door was opened wide.A man who Freddie guessed would have been in his early thirties stood before him.From the manner of his dress and the color of his hair, Freddie supposed him to be one of Godwin’s older brothers.“And who are you?”
Freddie stuck out a hand.“Frederick Rosemount, son of Viscount Rosemount.How do you do?”
The other man looked at Freddie’s outstretched hand and shook his head.Freddie’s good humor dimmed.
“Come inside.I don’t want this conversation to be had on the doorstep in front of the help,” said Godwin’s brother.
Freddie stepped into the magnificent foyer of Mewburton House.After slipping off his hat, he handed it to the butler.The butler stood in the foyer holding the hat, a clear indication that Freddie’s stay was not going to be a long one.He was ushered into a nearby drawing room and offered a seat.
While he sat down, Godwin’s brother remained standing.Then he cleared his throat.“You and I have never met, but I was at school with your brother, Thomas.Decent chap, married a lovely girl.He seems to have his head on straight.Which I am afraid, from what my brother has told me, cannot be said of you.”
Freddie sat forward in the chair as a burning sense of déjà vu hit him.“I’m sorry, sir, but you have me at the disadvantage.I don’t know you who you are,” replied Freddie.
“I am the Marquis of Copeland.Godwin is my youngest brother.I am here to tell you, you are to stay away from my brother from this day forward.You may not care for his health and heart, but our family does, and we shall not stand idly by while he whores and drugs himself into an early grave.He is coming home to Mewburton Castle with me today, and he will not be returning to London anytime soon.He needs to get his life and health in order.Good day to you, Rosemount.Give your brother my best regards.”
Freddie was handed his hat and shown the door in quick time.
As he headed back toward Grosvenor Place, he dejectedly stuffed his hands in his coat pocket.This was fast becoming the worst day of his life.The day he had overslept a major exam at Oxford paled into insignificance at the disaster he was currently facing.
“Think, Freddie.There must be a way,” he muttered.
Having spent his childhood in the countryside and then years as a social recluse at Oxford, he didn’t have a wide group of friends in London on whom he could call for assistance.Trenton Embry was one of the few people Freddie knew beyond a casual hello, but he knew Trenton well enough not to even consider asking him for money.Who else in London did he know that he could call upon to assist him in his financial crisis?
He slowed his pace and instead of going home, he turned around and headed toward the Thames.It was a wild throw of the dice, but he was fast running out of options.Osmont Firebrace knew how wealthy Viscount Rosemount was; while it would take some clever words, Freddie felt confident he could convince Osmont to let him join the board and then pay his membership dues once his father had put him back in funds.
“Yes, that’s it.Well done.Third time is the charm.”
