Page 4 (1/2)

Behind him, Mr Spenser sounded amused "I chased you into the world, Your Grace But I can assure you, I

have no wish for your estate, even if such a thing were possible"

Rafe turned about "I had not assu the desire; I merely wished to know our birth order for leam in his half brother’s eyes, and the fact that Rafe hireeted lame ansith the same look of disbelief was cold comfort "My Christian na addressed as Your Grace" And then, as if the two facts followed each other naturally, "I had a brother nao"

"I was under the iiven name was Raphael," the man said He had seated himself while Rafe had his back turned, and he sat easily, with no sign of discomfort As if they were equals, and as if he introduced himself to a brother or two every day

"It is," Rafe said "And your name?"

"We are tarred with the same brush," Mr Spenser said rather obscurely

Rafe found hie idiot "What?"

"Gabriel"

"Raphael and Gabriel," Rafe said "Bloody hell I had no idea"

Suddenly the rather serious set of his brother’s face shifted to a grin "The discovery that you are nael drove you to curses?"

It was in his smile that Rafe found the difference between his brother’s face and his own For Gabriel

Spenser’s grin had a char seriousness to it that had never been part of Rafe’s personality

"What could our father have been thinking?" Rafe de quick, the shift in his brother’s eyes that showed he knew perfectly hat the old duke had been thinking "Next thing you’ll be telling nedly

"Only until age eight or so," Mr Spenser said, adding with a touch of so like prudence, "Your Grace"

"Bloody hell," Rafe repeated "And don’t call me Your Grace I’ve never taken to the title" There was a moment, and then: "My brother and I saw h so that the duke could infore of h"

He hated sympathy Except from Peter, and it was an odd realization to find that he didn’tit in this new brother’s eyes either

"Would it be all right if I call you Gabriel?" Rafe asked, sipping his whiskey

"Gabe"

"Howthat the countryside ht well be littered with his kin "Have I a sister?"

"Unfortunately, all the archangels were ospels"

"I’ospels are unreliable Your father would never have countenanced nah the name appears in the Book of Enoch"