Twilight with the Infamous Earl (25 page)

The blond guard landed a respectable punch to Frost’s ribs. Frost returned the favor by driving his clenched fingers into his attacker’s throat. The blow was cushioned by the man’s cravat, but he was more concerned about drawing his next breath than hitting Frost.

“Take him down!” Halward shouted over the barking dogs.

The dark-haired bastard tackled him and Frost landed facedown into the dirt. As he violently struggled to get free, the man landed several hits to Frost’s right side. He grunted against the pain and blindly lashed out with his bent elbow. The first few swings met only air, but the third connected with the man’s cheek. Frost rolled out of reach only to have his ankle captured by the blond.

Perhaps confronting Halward without the support of his friends had not been such a sound plan. If Frost did not gain the upper hand, he would end up castrated and his testicles would be fed to the half-starved dogs.

Like hell.

Frost kicked the blond as hard as he could. The man collapsed and remained down. He struggled to his feet, ready to fight the dark-headed mountain of muscle, and was dumbstruck to see Sin, Dare, and Hunter standing in the yard. Sin had his arm wrapped around his attacker’s thick neck while Hunter had a pistol pointed at the man’s chest. Dare had his pistol aimed in Halward’s direction.

“Took all of you long enough,” Frost said, fighting to keep his voice level. He had not asked for their help, but his friends had been there for him anyway. “Where are the others?”

“Keeping the barkeeper and the few remaining patrons company,” Dare said, not taking his gaze off Halward. “We were not certain who was loyal to your friends here.”

“They are no friends of mine, gent,” Frost replied, brushing the dirt from his frock coat and trousers. He walked over to Halward and crouched down.

With a bloodied handkerchief pressed against his nose, the man silently glared at him.

“The next time you fancy taking over a club, you might try stealing one of the bastions of respectability at the top of St. James’s Street. Nox is off limits to you and your friends.”

Frost slowly straightened. “Oh, just one more thing. This is for abducting Miss Cavell.”

The punch clipped the man on the underside of his chin. Halward’s head snapped back, and he dropped like a stone. Rubbing the sting out of his bruised knuckles, Frost was content to leave Halward and his people’s fate to the magistrate.

He groaned as an unpleasant thought occurred to him.

“What’s wrong?” his brother-in-law asked. “Are you hurt?”

“No, I just realized that I will have to sack Sparrow for defying my orders,” Frost said, believing his butler was responsible for his friends’ timely arrival. “Damn … I hate this because I genuinely like the man.”

“Sparrow wasn’t the one who told us your plans,” Sin said, tightening his hold on the dark-haired guard and causing him to grimace. “It was Emily.”

Chapter Twenty-nine

A few days later, behind closed doors, Frost, Sin, Reign, Saint, Hunter, Vane, and Dare sat down once again to discuss the fate of their club. Nox had been a part of their lives so long, and the gaming hell was profitable.

“I don’t want to shut the doors.”

Sin rubbed his forehead as if anticipating the headache he would develop from what would likely be a lively debate.

“Neither do I, Frost,” Sin said, dropping his hand as he met his gaze. “You seem surprised. I don’t believe there is a single person here who wants to let the club go.”

“Halward is not the first man to cause problems for Nox,” Vane interjected.

Dare nodded. “Nor will he be the last.”

Reign braced his forearms on the wooden table. “I never thought I would be saying this, but it is a matter of priorities. Our lives have changed. Just because I would rather spend my evenings with Sophia and Lily Grace doesn’t mean any of you are less important to me. I am willing to help you manage Nox, but no longer wish to spend my entire life here.”

The simmering anger he usually felt when one of his friends spoke of shifting responsibilities had cooled to acceptance. Frost finally understood that his friends had not turned their backs on their friendships or Nox. When he had been fighting for his life, his friends had been there for him. The wild days of drinking and whoring till dawn had vanished, and none of them mourned the loss. They had filled the emptiness in their lives by marrying good women and starting their families.

Saint smirked. “I have a feeling our wives might have a thing or two to say about us entertaining prostitutes in the private saloon.”

Sin laughed. “I’ll say. Though Madame Venna’s girls did brighten up the private rooms.”

Hunter got right down to the unspoken question. “Do we stay or sell, gents?”

All of them looked at Frost. As the remaining bachelor, they were letting him make the decision. They would honor whatever he decided. Frost stood and flattened his palms on the table.

“Nox stays open.”

No one appeared surprised by his decision. He appreciated that no one groaned, either. “I have a few conditions.”

Vane rolled his eyes, but Frost ignored him.

“What kind of changes,” Sin asked.

“New members. All of you have been shortening your time here, and Nox needs new blood if it’s to remain open and profitable.”

Reign appeared intrigued. “Are you suggesting that we hand all of our hard work to someone else?”

“Not at all,” Frost said. “We are founding members; all rights and privileges remain in place. The new members can run the club. Berus can look after them.”

The steward’s expression brightened as he realized that the Lords of Vice were not shutting down Nox. “Thank you for your confidence, Lord Chillingsworth.”

“I assume you have some gentlemen in mind?”

Frost glanced at Dare. “Aye, a few. The Earl of Ashenhurst and his twin brother … Lord Macestone and Lord Wilderspin—”

Vane snorted and whispered something to Saint, who nodded.

Frost gave them a knowing grin. “Ashenhurst and his friends will likely be barbed thorns in our collective arses. And I give you full permission to remind me that I nominated them when I try to murder them. By the by, Ashenhurst’s father approached me a few days ago. The duke was impressed that I had managed to make a suitable impression on his unruly sons and he has asked me to continue to do so.”

Saint did not look convinced. “So we make them Lords of Vice?”

“They already are, according to their sire,” Frost drily replied. “He figures it will take all of us to pound some sense into them.”

“It could be fun,” Reign said, grinning at the prospect of tormenting their new members. “We could view it as practice for when Sin’s and Dare’s sons are older.”

The notion had Sin dropping his face into his hands. “Christ!”

All of them laughed.

“Anyone else?” Vane asked.

“I look forward to your suggestions, but I recommend one more gentleman.” Frost hesitated because he knew he would have some opposition. “Lord Ravens.”

Sin lifted his head. “No. The man is more arrogant than you.”

“I agree. He is tolerable company,” Saint said, recalling the nights he and Frost had spent at the earl’s town house.

“Are you certain, Frost?” Hunter said, leaning forward. “I know he is your friend, but Ravens and the Lords of Vice have never gotten along. It was one of the reasons why we rejected nominating him seven years ago.”

“I am not fond of the man,” Vane grumbled.

“We need more than puppies in Nox, Vane,” Frost argued. “Ravens will help Berus watch over Nox when we aren’t around.”

“And what about you, Frost,” Dare softly queried. “What will you be doing while Ravens is corrupting our new members?”

With a wolfish grin on his handsome face, Frost said, “Learning how to shift my priorities, gents.”

*   *   *

Emily stepped into the front hall, nodding to the groom whose arms were laden with her purchases. “Good afternoon, Martha. Is my mother upstairs?”

“Yes, Miss Cavell.” She began to relieve the groom of his burden. “She has a guest in the drawing room.”

Emily untied her bonnet and removed her gloves. Martha had enough to handle, so she placed her accessories on the rectangular table. “Don’t worry about them. I’ll collect them after I speak to my mother.”

She grasped her skirt and made her way up the staircase. Her afternoon outing with the wives of the Lords of Vice had been enjoyable and informative. Because she was Regan’s friend, she had been warmly welcomed into their group. When they had parted, she had felt that they were slowly becoming her friends, too.

“Mother, I have just returned from—” Emily swallowed the rest of her words at the sight of Frost sitting beside her mother on the sofa.

He stood the second she stepped into the drawing room.

“Did you have a nice outing, my dear?” her mother inquired.

Emily stared at Frost. His presence was unexpected and a delight. “Yes. Later, I will show you what I’ve purchased.” To Frost, she asked, “What are you doing here? Regan said that all the Lords of Vice were meeting at Nox to discuss the club’s future.”

“For once, the seven of us managed to agree on what’s right for Nox.” He moistened his lips. “You look beautiful.”

There was something in his inflection that nudged her mother to glance up. Her gaze shifted from Frost to her daughter. Neither one of them was paying any attention to her.

“You know, I don’t think I can wait,” she said, walking toward Emily. “I might as well take a quick peek at your purchases. Did Martha put them in your bedchamber?”

“Yes, Mother.” Appreciating that she was giving them a private moment to speak, Emily smiled at her mother as she passed by her. “Thank you.”

“Of course.” Her mother paused at the door. “Look after my girl, Lord Chillingsworth.”

“Yes, madam,” he formally replied, moving to Emily’s side when her mother shut the door. “I have a few matters to address with you, Miss Cavell.”

*   *   *

“But first things first.” Frost pulled her into his arms and kissed her. The nerves jangling in his stomach eased when she kissed him back with a need that bordered on desperation.

“I have missed you,” Emily whispered.

“Good,” he said, her eyes opening at his arrogance. “A man wants his woman to appreciate him. The next time you are vexed with me, you might be quicker to forgive me.”

Emily laid her cheek against his chest, and then abruptly drew back. “His woman?”

“Aye, his … or mine.” With his hands resting lightly on her hips, he lowered his head until it touched hers. “I wasn’t sure you would ever speak to me again. Not that I don’t deserve it. I owe you an apology.”

Emily shook her head as she pulled away. “A clever woman would have you on your knees while you make that apology, but I knew what you were about, Lord Chillingsworth, even if I did not like it. I was upset and you—”

Frost gave her a little shake. “None of that. You were hurt and angry, and justifiably so. You have every reason to make me suffer. I was an arse, but you were—right.”

She blinked at him. He felt as if he had swallowed a frog whole, but a man’s pride was rarely palatable.

“I was wrong, too,” she admitted. “You kept telling me to look beyond your notorious reputation and truly see you as a man, flaws and all. In my defense, I was blinded by fear. I misunderstood what Lucy had been trying to tell me, when she whispered your name.” She glanced away. “I was also afraid of my feelings for you.”

His turquoise-blue gaze warmed with affection. “And exactly how do you feel about me, Emily Cavell?” He tugged her closer and nipped her lower lip. “Is it possible that you fell in love with me, hmm? Maybe just a little?”

“If I say
yes
, does that make me a silly little girl who doesn’t know the difference between lust and love?” she asked, her hazel eyes brimming with unshed tears.

He did not want to make her cry.

“No, Em,” he said, cradling her face in his hands. “It makes me the luckiest gent in all of England.”

He lowered his head and kissed her, his mouth reverently moving against hers. A ragged sob escaped as she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him.

“I love you, Frost!”

He closed his eyes. Sagging against her, bowing his head until his chin rested on the top of her head. “It’s a good thing, too. About an hour ago, I spoke to your father. I told him that you needed a keeper, and he agreed. He has given us his blessing to marry.”

“Marriage.”

He frowned, slightly offended that she had not considered the possibility. “Have you not been paying attention? I intend to marry you.”

Emily brought her hand to her mouth, then turned away from him as she struggled not to cry.

Frost felt guilty, and belatedly it occurred to him that she might not wish to marry him at all. “Em, have I been such a bounder that you didn’t think I would marry you?”

Through her tears, he had managed to make her laugh. “Your life has been Nox, gambling, and mistresses. You have made it clear to all and sundry that you proposed to remain forever unfettered. Marriage was never in your plans.”

Frost took her by the hand and led her to the sofa. When he sat down, he pulled her onto his lap so he had an excuse to cuddle her. She trembled, and he sensed that she was fighting not to break down.

“You’re right, I assumed I would never marry. Why should I? I believed I had everything I wanted in life.” He tenderly wiped away a tear from her cheek. “Then I met you. Beautiful, wary, unimpressed with my charms … the one woman I longed to have, and for a long time she thought I might have seduced and abandoned her sister.”

“I never wanted to believe that you had hurt Lucy,” she protested. “Nor were my concerns much of an obstacle. You still managed to seduce me.”

“I was a desperate man, Em.” He stroked her hair. “I thought one taste of your innocence would sustain me, but I only hungered for more, even while I fought you and myself.” He shook his head. “I wasn’t supposed to fall in love.”

She tried to smile. “You love me.”

He entwined his hand with hers and kissed her knuckles. “So much so, the depths of my feelings frightened me. With the exception of my sister, no woman has ever held the power to destroy me until you.”