Page 31 (2/2)

But now Chilton was dead Which made this current plot Lawrence’s alone

“Pembourne, did you invade my home just to scrutinize

Slayde’s gaze snapped back to his prey “No,” heit with the present “I’ve invaded your home to unearth the truth about your black whatever means are necessary”

The i heavily between thein to throb at Morland’s throat The bastard had deteriorated, he noted abruptly Time had taken its toll, as had bitterness and alcohol Morland’s hair, once raven black, was now predoray, his broad shoulders stooped, his face lined and puffy In short, he’d become an old man

“What blackmail scheme?” Morland questioned warily

“The one that involved Aurora’s alleged kidnapping And the name—and whereabouts—of the pirate who assisted you”

A flicker of eistered on the duke’s face “I haven’t the slightest clue what you’re babbling about”

“Don’t you? Then let’s digress for atossed out of White’s, for the third and final tiracious members lose patience with an unruly drunk es thousands of pounds to each of them As I recall, you were livid, resentful, and barely able to hold your head up A week later, I heard you’d withdrawn to Morland, supposedly for good Now, some nine years later, you’ve evidently relinquished the bottle and rejoined the world—specifically by taking productive jaunts into Newton Abbot Am I correct thus far?”

Morland sed, angry spots of color tingeing his cheeks “Why the hell have you been checking up on me?”

“We’ll get to that in a minute For now, tell me, are my facts correct?”

“Yes” The ansas unexpectedly straightforward “I’ve spent years in a perpetual stupor And, yes, I’ve spent that time sequestered here at Morland, where I retreated for what I intended to be forever What you failed toand ultimate seclusion stemmed from losses caused by the Huntleys”

“We didn’t put the bottle in your hand nor relegate you to self-imposed isolation We also didn’t squander your oing to blame us for your oeaknesses?”

“My so-called weaknesses didn’t cause my son’s death”

Slayde’s jaw unclenched a fraction as he recalled the pale young man who’d attended Oxford when he did—and died before ever coh was very frail, Morland”

“He was also my firstborn, the heir to my title and to whatever funds reone, he was all I had left”