Page 125 of Miss Prim and the Duke of Wylde
Then the gong sounded for dinner, and Meg silently blessed Fothergill and the staff. They didn’t normally dine this early, but today, the company needed the distraction.
They rose, and the others waved Drago and Meg into the lead, then followed them to the dining room.
Drago sat in the carver at the head of the table, and with Meg directly in his line of sight at the table’s other end, let the normality of the meal wash over him, drawing him back to the reality of his life.
Gradually, so gradually he was almost unaware of it, the vise about his chest eased, and he found himself smiling at a joke offered by Carter. Indeed, he felt increasingly grateful to Meg’s brother and cousins and even Denton, all of whom helped carry the conversation into lighter spheres, drawing him, George, and Harry along, submersing them in the familiar habits of their normal lives, until it became plain that while Thomas’s death had signaled the end of a life, it had also drawn a line under a stage of their lives as well.
Thomas and his evil intentions had been vanquished, and they remained to carry on.
As they should. As so many people needed them to do.
When the meal ended, they rose and, in deference to the day and the company’s composition, repaired not to the drawing room but to the library to relax in greater comfort in the well-padded armchairs. Denton helped Drago pass around tumblers of whisky.
As Drago and Denton claimed their seats, Fothergill came in.
When Drago looked his question, Fothergill bowed, straightened, and inquired, “I was wondering, Your Grace, whether the gentlemen will be staying.”
“Oh, goodness!” Meg looked at George, Harry, her brother, and her cousins. “You will stay, won’t you? After what we all went through, surely you won’t want to hie back to London tonight.”
Drago smiled and gestured with his glass, feeling almost back to his usual expansive self. “You all contributed a great deal to the House of Wylde today and are very welcome to stay.”
Harry and George exchanged looks, then George raised his glass to Drago. “Happy to stay, as always.”
Toby looked at the other three Cynsters, who nodded. “We’ll stay,” Aidan, Evan, and Carter chorused.
Toby held up his glass and studied the amber liquid. “As it appears that Glencrae has honored you with the good stuff, it’s only fair we remain to help you savor it.”
The others laughed, and the men all sipped.
Almost smiling, Fothergill bowed and retreated.
Meg looked around the faces, studying their features, relieved to see them all relaxing.
Then the door, which Fothergill must have left unlatched, was thrust wide, and the scampering of paws on polished boards was followed by Ridley barreling across the rug to joyously leap at Meg’s knees. Then he bounded off to sniff around the circle of boots before returning to her and curling up, literally on the toes of her half boots.
She looked down at the furry golden lump anchoring her feet to the floor. “I hope that someone knows how to explain to this beast that I no longer need to be watched over through every minute of my day.”
Mock-sorrowfully, Toby shook his head. “I don’t like your chances.”
“If you think about it from his point of view,” Denton said, his gaze on the pup, “then today is the second time you’ve rescued him. I seriously doubt he’s going to consent to be separated from you anytime soon.”
With his glass, Drago pointed at Ridley. “Just as long as he doesn’t think he’s won entry to the ducal suite.”
Unsurprisingly, that occasioned several comments about who was top dog there, with her brother and her cousins maintaining that it wasn’t likely to be anyone whose name started with aD.
Meg played up to the suggestions, and Drago and Denton got into the mood of defending the honor of Helmsford males.
With ridiculous quips flying thick and fast, Meg sat back in her chair and smiled.
Everything was—finally—on the way to being all right.
* * *
By the timethe company ambled from the library and headed up the stairs, Meg felt certain that her brother, her cousins, and Denton had largely recovered from the shocks of the day. Indeed, in her relatives’ cases, she knew they thrived on excitement, and all had been involved with Drake and his missions for long enough to take encounters with evil in their stride.
For Drago, George, and Harry, the healing would take longer. Thomas had been a part of their lives for more than twenty years, and his betrayal had cut to the bone. Although it had been Drago whom Thomas had eventually targeted, his words had made it clear that he’d been prepared to exploit any avenue to wealth his manufactured friendship with the three had afforded. He’d deliberately chosen Drago, George, and Harry to befriend because…
Hand in hand with Drago, Meg walked down the family wing, and the voices of the others faded as they made for their rooms elsewhere in the large house. She tipped her head against Drago’s shoulder. “When Thomas trapped me in the cellar and I asked him about his plan, he said that it was based on trust.” She glanced up and met Drago’s eyes. “He intentionally presented himself to you, George, and Harry in the guise of a person all three of you would instinctively trust.”
