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be your valet. It will cause less gossip.»

«If that is what you want, if being in service does not make

you feel obligated.»

Robert touched David’s lower lip with his tongue. «Obligated

to what? Love you? That is an obligation I will gladly undertake

for the rest of my life.»

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A sigh shuddered through David as Robert kissed him and he

kissed Robert back. «Don’t leave me.»

«I won’t.» Robert whispered, one hand sliding down over

David’s back to cup his buttock and press him firmly against his

hard erection. «Especially if you’ll pay me more than that bastard

Minshom did.»

David started to laugh, which soon turned to a groan as

Robert slid a hand between them and rubbed both of their cocks.

«I want you, Robert. I want to fuck you right here.»

«You think I’ll stop you?»

Robert turned to face the wall and unbuttoned his breeches.

David undid his too, his fingers frantic and fumbling as

Robert spread his feet wide and arched his back, offering himself.

In too much of a hurry to go and look for oil, David spread his

own pre-cum over the crown of his cock and drove deep. Robert

didn’t protest, he just welcomed him home with a sigh. David

reached around to capture Robert’s cock in his fist and worked

him hard, knew he wouldn’t last long, wanted Robert to come

with him.

«God, David...» Robert groaned and tried to kiss David as he

pumped into him harder and harder. «Make me come...»

David thrust forward one last time and felt his cum explode

deep inside Robert’s arse just as Robert came all over his hand.

God, it was perfection, it was everything, it was enough to live

his life on. He lowered his head until it rested in the curve of

Robert’s shoulder and sighed. He knew their life together

wouldn’t be easy, but he was going to try his hardest to make

sure that Robert never regretted his choice for the rest of his

days.

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Kate Pearce

21

Minshom took great care folding his cravat and settling a

diamond pin among the snowy folds to secure the whole. His

waistcoat was black with silver embroidery, his coat and

pantaloons black as well. It was odd getting ready to go out

without Robert at his side. He still wasn’t used to the hastily

procured new valet Broadman had found to serve him.

«You look very nice, my lord.»

«Thank you... um...» Minshom looked askance at the dark-

haired man reflected in the mirror. «What is your name, again?»

«It is Smedley, sir.»

«Smedley, I’m not sure when I’ll return, so don’t wait up for

me.»

«Yes, my lord.» Smedley bowed and offered Minshom his

cloak and hat. He then retreated discreetly into the dressing room

and began tidying the discarded clothes. Minshom walked down

the stairs, aware of the quietness settling around him. There was

no Jane waiting for him in the hall, no Robert to remind him of

his manners, just Broadman’s lugubrious face and an empty

carriage to climb into. For some reason, Minshom had no

inclination to take up his old ways and invite his cronies to his

house. He deserved the silence, he deserved to be alone.

When the carriage stopped, he stared out of the window at the

grand mansion he’d visited four weeks previously with Jane at his

side. This time he hadn’t received an invitation, but he intended

to join the party nonetheless.

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No one prevented his entry into the house, and he ascended

the grand staircase and headed for the ballroom. The receiving

line was busy and he had to wait for quite a while before he was

in front of his prey. To his credit, Lord Anthony Sokorvsky’s

smile didn’t falter as he spotted Minshom.

«I don’t recall inviting you, Lord Minshom.»

«You didn’t.»

«Then might I ask why you are here?»

Minshom raised an eyebrow. «To wish you happy?»

«Ah, you heard about my engagement to Lady Justin, then.»

«How could I not? It is the talk of the ton. And, if you

remember, I promised that I would relinquish any claim I had on

you if you ever got married.»

Anthony Sokorvsky raised his eyebrows. «You have no claim

on me anyway.»

«Perhaps, but at least my sense of honor is satisfied.»

«Your sense of honor...» Anthony regarded Minshom for a

long moment and then held out his hand. «I heard what you did

for Captain Gray.»

Reluctantly, Minshom shook his hand. «Heard what? I did

nothing.»

Anthony stepped out of the receiving line, drawing Minshom

with him. «You have an unfortunate habit of refusing to take

responsibility for your kinder actions. Who would’ve imagined

it?»

«I repeat, I did nothing except dismiss an impudent servant. If

Captain Gray chose to employ him, surely that is at his own

peril?»

Anthony Sokorvsky’s smile was dazzling. «Would you like to

offer your congratulations to Lady Justin? She is just over by the

window.»

«I...» Minshom found himself outmaneuvered and being led

like a lamb toward the newly engaged Marguerite Lockwood,

Lord Anthony at his side.

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Kate Pearce

«Lord Minshom.» Marguerite’s greeting was not quite as

welcoming as her fiancé’s. She looked very beautiful in a pale

blue silk dress with sapphires around her throat and in her dark

hair. She glanced up at Anthony, a wary question in her fine eyes.

In looks and stature, she resembled a darker version of her

mother, Helene Delornay. In Minshom’s experience, she had a

lot of her mother’s wit and intelligence as well.

Minshom bowed. «Lord Anthony insisted I come and offer

my congratulations on your engagement.»

«Thank you.»

Anthony took her hand and kissed it. «You don’t object if

Lord Minshom joins the party, do you, my love?»

«Of course not. He is... welcome.»

Minshom bowed low. «I will not stay long, and I promise not

to make a scene.»

Marguerite blushed and raised her chin at him. «I’m sure you

won’t. In truth, I suspect that in some strange way, you are partly

responsible for Anthony and I falling in love, so perhaps it is

fitting that you are here tonight to share our engagement ball.»

«I doubt Lord Anthony would agree with you about that, my

lady, but thank you all the same.»

«Oh no, I agree,» Anthony said quietly. «In truth you have

given up quite a few things recently, haven’t you? Is that because

you have reconciled with your wife?»

Minshom’s faint smile faded. «Lady Minshom is no longer in

town.»

«I’m sorry to hear that. I liked her.» Anthony paused. «What

did you do?»

«Why do you assume I did anything?»

«Because, as I said, you have a tendency to push anyone who

gets too close to you away.»

Minshom looked around to see if anyone else was listening to

this extraordinarily intimate conversation between him and a man

who should’ve hated him. «Sokorvsky, we are in a public place,

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and I hardly think my personal life is any of your damned

business.»

Anthony bowed. «You are right, it isn’t and I apologize.

Because I have found happiness, perhaps I am trying to arrange it

for everyone else.»

«Indeed.» Minshom inclined his head a glacial inch. «Then

perhaps I should leave you to wander off and interfere in the

marital affairs of some of your other guests.»

Lord Anthony grinned, took Marguerite’s arm and moved

away. Minshom looked around the crowded ballroom and

spotted the card room beyond. He needed a drink, and if he had

to stay at this damned ball, merely for politeness’ sake and to

reassure the ton that he and Anthony were at peace, he’d be

damned if he’d do it without alcohol.

He made his way through the throng, nodded at his

acquaintances, and found a footman to bring him a large glass of

brandy to replace the champagne and wine being served.

Anthony and Marguerite were dancing now, the joy in their faces

almost too much to bear. Minshom pictured Jane’s indignant

expression when he’d made her dance with him and suddenly

missed her so much it hurt to breathe.

«Lord Minshom?»

He looked up to see Thomas Wesley at his elbow and sighed.

It seemed as if there would be no respite for him tonight and

perhaps that was as it should be. If he was going to make a

damned fool of himself, he might as well get it over with once

and for all.

«Good evening, Thomas.»

«May I speak with you in private?»

«Of course.» Minshom kept hold of his brandy glass and led

Thomas toward the card room, where he located one of the

footmen. «Can you show me to a quieter room?»

«Of course, sir. The marquis’s secretary has an office just

beyond the card room.»

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Kate Pearce

Minshom thanked him and opened the door to a small stuffy

book-lined office. Thomas knelt down to light the fire in the

grate and then lit two candles to illuminate the cramped space.

As Minshom sat on the edge of the desk and watched Thomas

move around the room, he couldn’t help but admire his grace

and efficiency.

«Now what can I do for you, Thomas?»

Thomas sighed, took the chair from behind the desk and

brought it over to the fire before sitting on it. «I’m wondering if I

owe you an apology.»

«For what?»

«For making love to you.» Thomas shrugged. «For taking

advantage of you when you were already sexually engaged with

your wife.»

«You didn’t take advantage of me.»

«I was so eager to fuck you that I let your wife answer for you;

I didn’t give you a chance to say no.»

Minshom met his anguished gaze. «Sometimes my wife knows

me better than I know myself. She was right to tell you to fuck

me. She knew I was incapable of saying those words myself, even

if I wanted to.»

«I don’t understand.»

«You should. My father always swore that I liked being fucked

by other men.» Minshom tried to smile. «He wasn’t quite correct

about that—most men I despised, but I did like being fucked by

you.»

«Even back then?»

«Indeed. I hero-worshipped you, don’t you remember? You

could do no wrong in my eyes. But even after the shock of what

happened, I couldn’t tell you that, couldn’t admit my father

might’ve been right about me. So I chose to deny that side of me,

to fight my inclinations and dominate everyone instead.»

«And the other night at the pleasure house, you enjoyed that?»

«Yes.»

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«But you ran away.» «Yes.»

«Because you enjoyed it.»

Minshom sighed. «Yes, because realizing my father

understood my desires better than I understood them myself

made me think about what I’ve done to him.»

God, why was he talking so much? It was as if Jane’s

departure had left so many holes in him that he could no longer

stop all his secrets seeping out. And for Christ’s sake, he was

tired of it, tired of all the lying and the anger and the hate.

Thomas was leaving soon, his confidences would be kept and the

potential for exposure far away.

«What did you do to him?» Thomas frowned. «Surely he is the

one who is at fault here, forcing us all to participate in The Little

Gentleman’s Club, forcing you.»

«Did you know that my father had his first stroke when I

refused to allow him to beat Robert half to death? I defied him,

and while he was whipping me, he had a massive seizure. It kept

him in bed for weeks. I hoped that the bastard would die, that he

would never regain his strength or faculties and would never be

able to hurt me or any of us again.»

Minshom grimaced. «But he got better. He was never quite

the same after that, but he was perfectly capable of administering

the estates and his little fighting club.»

«He was a very difficult man, Blaize. I can understand why

you must have hated him.»

«I hated him because he lived and I had to watch him steal

even’ last penny from the estate for his gambling, his horses, his

women...» Minshom struggled to breathe. «And then one day, he

caught me and Robert in bed together. Dammit, I wanted him to

catch us; I wanted him to see us fucking, to know what kind of a

man he’d created. He tried to shoot Robert. I stopped him.»

Thomas sat forward. «You didn’t kill him though, Blaize?»

«No, I simply fought him off, watched as he collapsed to the

ground in convulsions, and left him there without calling for

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Kate Pearce

help. By the time he was discovered, there was very little anyone

could do for him.»

Abruptly Thomas got up, came across to Minshom and

wrapped his arms around him. «He got what he deserved. I

probably would’ve shot him in cold blood.»

Minshom shrugged off Thomas’s embrace. «But then you’ve

always been a braver man than me.»

«Blaize,» Thomas cupped his chin and made him look into his