Page 21 of Avoiding the Merry Viscount
The busty tavern maid brought them each over a tankard of ale. Even Hudson didn’t bother to hide that he took notice of her. Elias thought he almost saw a smile form on his friend’s face, which was a rare occurrence, indeed. The woman glanced at Elias and then each of his friends, likely assessing them to determine which of them could be a likely customer for other matters of business.
The next thing he knew, the woman came around the table to Elias and sat on his lap. “You will let me know if there is anything I cando for you this evening, won’t you?”
Of all his friends, she would likely have had the best luck that evening if she had propositioned Jude. Although, Elias would be lying if he said he hadn’t fucked a barmaid in an alley before. On more than one occasion.
His father’s words and the disappointment in his eyes when he spoke about Elias’s need to move past sowing his oats nagged at Elias. Particularly on the anniversary of his mother’s death, as he could only imagine that she would have plenty to say about the way he had behaved the past several years.
Miss Cary’s beautiful face flashed in his mind with her pink cheeks and perfect mouth, and that pushed him over the edge, even if he didn’t understand why. He urged the barmaid to remove herself from his lap. “Not tonight, but I’m certain you won’t be lonely,” he said, nodding toward other tables of gentlemen.
She huffed and stormed off from their table. He released a deep breath.
“Are you feeling all right, Elias?” Jude asked, smirking at him. “Don’t tell me you have suddenly become marriage-minded.”
Jude knew good and well all the distasteful things that Elias had done, and vice versa.
Elias took a large gulp from his tankard and slammed it harder on the table than he intended. “It’s the anniversary of my mother’s passing. I’m just not in the mood.”
His friends all glanced down at their ale. Jude had never met his own mother since she died giving birth to him. Hudson lost his mother at the same time as his father a couple of years prior. While Matt’s mother was still alive, he hardly saw her since she spent most of her time on the continent.
“Your mother was a treasure, Elias. We all miss her,” Matt said, giving him a small smile.
They each raised their glass and toasted her memory. Elias felt shewould smile down on them if she could see that the four had remained such good friends. Well, aside from whatever trouble there was between Matt and Hudson. She’d have probably made them knock their shite off already.
An awkward silence fell over the group for a few moments.
“It’s amazing you don’t have any wounds from how much you and Hannah bickered today,” Jude said, speaking to Hudson. “Don’t you two ever give it a rest?”
Elias laughed and appreciated the change in the conversation. He hadn’t meant to put a damper on their time out.
“She’s the one that won’t give it rest,” Hudson ground out.
Jude glanced between Hudson and Matt several times, who sat across from each other at the table, then refocused his gaze on Hudson. “Please, tell me more.”
“I’m her guardian. So what I say goes,” Hudson said, waving Jude off.
“I think I understand perfectly,” Jude said, laughing. “I’m utterly shocked to learn that she hasn’t settled into the part of the biddable young lady.” The sarcasm was thick in his tone, causing Matt and Elias both to erupt in hearty laughter.
Another voice broke into their banter. “I haven’t seen the lot of you gents in a long time.”
“Durham, what brings you to this part of Sussex?” Matt asked, motioning toward one of the open chairs.
Viscount Durham lowered himself into the seat between Matt and Jude. “Visiting Downe for the holiday,” he said, motioning toward another gentleman they had all attended university with. At that moment, the man had the barmaid in his lap, and given his head was practically between the woman’s breasts, it seemed he wouldn’t turn down her services for the evening.
“What about all of you?” Durham asked.
“My sister is throwing a house party,” Elias replied, “and we alldecided we required an evening out.”
Durham’s eyes widened, “Can an unmarried lady throw a house party? Or did I miss the announcement in the papers?”
“My Aunt Penny is officially the one hosting it, I suppose, but it was my sister’s doing,” Elias said, hoping the man would not take an interest in Diana. From what he knew about Durham, he wasn’t someone who Elias would allow anywhere near his sister.
“How interesting,” Durham said. “Are there any compelling ladies in attendance?”
Jude laughed. “It depends on how you define compelling. Although Elias was all too pleased to see Lady Billings.”
Durham started chuckling. “I heard Betsy had set her cap at you. Poor woman.”
Given the informal reference Durham made to Lady Billings, Elias could only assume that he had also had an arrangement with the lady at one point.
