Page 37 of Bound to a Wicked Duke

Percy’s heart broke at the unspoken meaning behind the boy’s words, and he forced down the bile that suddenly threatened to work its way up his throat. He shook his head to reassure the boy.

“Easy, lad. I do not believe in that nasty business. You need never fear me in that way. Do you understand?”

The boy met his eyes as if to gauge the level of honesty he might find there then nodded his head. His muscles relaxed a bit.

“That is good,” he breathed then his brow furrowed in confusion.

“What do you plan to do with me then? Most people would have either beaten me or turned me over to the law by now.”

Percy sighed, weighing his options. He did not wish to turn the boy over to the law as his fate would be sealed in a most terrible way. But he could not simply let him return to his criminal means of survival either. The boy was not very good at it, and he might not be so fortunate when it came to the next pocket that he picked.

“What is your name, lad?” Percy asked.

“Toby,” the boy answered.

“What is your full name?”

The boy frowned at his persistence but answered anyway. “Tobias Matthews.”

“Well, Mr. Matthews, what say you to a steak and kidney pie?” Percy asked.

The boy’s eyes widened in surprise. “I would say, yes, My Lord, but what must I do for it?”

“Nothing,” Percy reassured him quickly. “You need do nothing but come with me and eat. I know a place near here with the best steak and kidney pie in London that will fill that hollow belly of yours and put some meat back on your bones.”

Percy once more released his hold on the boy, half expecting him to make a run for it. To his surprise, the boy did not run away but instead fell in step beside him. Percy smiled but said nothing. The two of them retraced Percy’s steps and walked back to the tavern where he and Cecil had just eaten. As he entered the tavern, the barmaid raised an eyebrow in surprise to see him returning with a young boy in tow. Percy led the boy over to the table that he had just vacated such a short time before.

“Did you miss me, My Lord?” the barmaid purred as she sidled up to the table, her eyes taking in the disheveled nature of the boy beside him. “I had a feeling you would come back for me.”

Percy rose a brow in her direction, and she immediately blushed, her gaze falling down to her ample, milky bosom.

“I came back for another one of your finest steak and kidney pies,” he replied and then in a lower voice so only she could hear, he added, “and there will be some additional coin for you in return to drop such a subject, especially in front of my young friend.”

The barmaid nodded obediently, reluctantly bringing her eyes back up. This time she focused them on the boy and gave him a motherly smile.

“Shall you have a drink as well? We’ve got a nice light ale for boys like you that’ll quench your thirstandmake your tummy grow warm.”

“Yes ma’am,” Toby replied eagerly.

The boy had no aversion to the barmaid as Percy did, and he was now looking up at her as if she were a goddess incarnate. Percy huffed out a quiet laugh, and then asked her, “Do you have fresh milk?”

“We do,” the barmaid nodded, only briefly passing her eyes over the Duke. Percy nodded in approval.

“Sweeten it with some honey if you would, and bring that for the boy as well,” he ordered. “But after the meal. I do not want his stomach to upset.”

“Milk?” the boy’s voice held awe as the barmaid left to the order.

“Yes, milk. Do you like milk? I drank a lot of milk as a boy and enjoyed it myself.”

The boy nodded. “I like it very much. I have not had it since—” he paused, giving Percy a knowing look, and simply repeated, “I like it very much.”

“Good,” Percy replied, giving Toby a kind smile.

The barmaid brought their order to the table and set the pie and light ale down in front of the boy. Percy paid her, including the tip he had promised her, and then dismissed her so as not to encourage any further ideas. The boy dove into his steak and kidney pie as if it were the last one on earth, and if he did not eat it all at once, it was going to vanish in a puff of smoke.

“Slow down,” Percy chuckled. “Take smaller bites and then have a drink.”

It took visible effort for Toby to slow his chewing to let his throat swallow just one bite at a time then he washed it down with a long tug of the light ale.

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