Page 29 of Everything But the Earl
“Hush. Jealousy is unbecoming. And anyway, what I mean is that this is a bill that would apply to a very small portion of the population—and it is a population that means no harm to others. This MP in Commons, how do buggerers affect his life? They don’t! Why botherto kick up dust about something that is already illegal?”
“My concern is that he means to enforce the law. And I don’t know if you knew this,Beresford, but you are guilty of the crime.”
Anthony waved his hand dismissively, although he wondered what Lark meant to say by using his title instead of his given name. “Any law would have to get by Lords as well, and I can assure you, the preoccupation of the peerage is mostly lining their own pockets or doing good deeds so that they can impress people and thus line their own pockets. Not to mention you have many other friends in Parliament, so why ask me?”
“Everyone else will know the issue bothers me and will wonder why.”
Anthony put his hand on the fireplace mantel and leaned in a way he thought would be sexily casual. “And you don’t want them to know because you so enjoy my hard—”
“Hush.” Lark put up a hand. “You idiot. We cannot discuss—”
“Relax, Lark. I am jesting.”
“Well, refrain from jesting before both of us end up at the wrong end of a noose, you jackass.”
Lark’s tone wasnotjesting. “Are you cross with me?”
“A little, yes. You have no sense of self-preservation. Being wealthy and powerful does insulate people from scandal to an extent, but if this bill passes, it’s over for us.”
Beresford paused to understand what Lark was saying, but couldn’t parse it. “What do you mean by that? It’s over for us in that we’ll both be hanged? It’s over for us in that we’ll have to go underground? Or it’s over for us in that our relationship with each other will be over.”
“I don’t know. Maybe all of those. I just know this is bad news.”
“You can’t mean you would end our relationship over a piece of legislation.”
“If it meant keeping you alive? I would.”
Anthony wasn’t sure what to do with that. He was touched. He was frustrated.
“The bill may not pass. Lords won’t see this as a priority. But if it does, I’ll be careful. I’ll stop spending time with you in public if that’s what it takes. But you can’t just throw this aside because of fear.”
“I can, in fact, do that if it means not watching youhang.” Lark was whispering and practically spit that part out.
“May we postpone further discussion on this until or if the bill actually passes? Because I intend to vote against it, and I have friends I can talk into voting against it.”
“Yes, but what will they think of you if you do?”
“I can make an argument that has nothing to do with me. The bill is a waste of time, it’s solving a problem that doesn’t exist, innocent people could get caught up in the witch hunt, that sort of thing.”
“And you’re pushing it becauseyoudon’t want to get caught in the witch hunt.”
Anthony crossed his arms. “Let us not make more of this than it needs to be.”
Lark threw up his hands. “Fine. You asked what I was upset about and that’s what it is. And while I adore you for your optimistic outlook on life and the way it never appears that anything bothers you, sometimes you are too cavalier and take too many risks. And, as I’ve said repeatedly, I point all this out because I don’t want to see harm come to you.”
“And what about you?”
“Idon’t matter.”
“I think you do.”
Lark frowned. “Whatever. I can weather a storm. You have a title, you actually do show up for your seat in Parliament, you have a reputation you need to protect. I’m…”
“Youhave a title.”
“But I don’t care about my reputation.”
“I don’t, either. I’d give the title to my cousin tomorrow if it meant we could stop fearing doom lurking around every corner.” Anthony grunted. “This isn’t a problem yet. Can we push off fretting about it?”
