you apprised of anything the runners dig up,” Harrow had assured himwhen the servant had gone to get his things. “And do let me know how things turnout withyour youngman.”
“He is not my young man,” he had replied, chuckling at the knowingsmile onhis friend’s lips.
“Oh?” the earl had replied, smiling wider, then sobered. “You can’t foolme, old friend. We’ve known each other a long time, and I have never seen the look on your face that I witnessed when you were speaking of this mystery man. It was good to see it. Whether you’re fooling yourself inthe matter or not, youcannot foolme.”
“The lad has just been through hell, old friend. I will not take advantage of his vulnerability. And, as you well know, I never dally outside the confines of Madam Renard’s. I will see him safe to his aunt’s, and that willbe an end on it, I assure you,” James replied, still smilingat his friend’s doubtfullook.
“As you say, Warren, as you say,” he had said, shaking James’s hand and accompanyinghimto the door. “Untilnext time.”
Bowing his farewell, James had headed home to see to the final preparations for their departure witha muchlighter step.
He’ll find something we can use against Weir if anyone can .
Now, with the object of their discourse sitting awake and silent across from him, James decided he needed to say something before things became uncomfortable.
“We should arrive at Chelmsford within the hour. We’ll stop at an inn there for the night to rest the horses and resume the second leg our journey tomorrow morning. Ordinarily there would be a change of horses waiting for us but, as my return is a little earlier than expected, I didn’t have time to have them sent. There’s no harm in stayingthe night, though, and havinga leisurelyjourney,”James said.
Allen smiled and looked relieved enough that James thought he must be sufferingfromthe same twinges inhis bladder that James was beginning to feel, especially now that another part of his anatomy had stopped screamingat him.
“I’m glad, my lord. I’m afraid I’m not used to this much traveling. Before coming to London, the farthest I had been from home was to schoolinShrewsbury,”Allenadmitted.
“And how did you like it?” James asked, wanting to keep the young man engaged and distracted from whatever thoughts brought that sad look to his eyes.
“The school? Oh, well enough, my lord, I suppose. It was situated near the river Severn, and when we weren’t at our studies, most of the boys would spend time on the banks or in the boats. It’s lovelycountry,”Kyle said fondly.
“I’msure, like most young men, you spent more time with your friends thanat your studies,”James prompted.
Kyle’s face turned a little sad then, and James was sorry he’d said it. “I fear I didn’t have many friends at school, my lord. I suppose I was never very good at making friends. Perhaps it comes from growing up without any brothers or sisters, I don’t know. My elder brother George died when I was very young, and I was my parents’ onlyother child.”
“I’msorryfor your loss,”James said for lack ofanythingelse. “Thank you, my lord. But as I said, I was very young, and I barelyremember him. Myfather gave me his name after his passing.” “George?”James asked, confused.
“My given name is actually George Frederick Kyle Allen. My father is George. ‘Kyle’ was my mother’s family name, and I believe my father only allowed it because I was the second son and to avoid a row withher. It was the name she had for me.”
“I like it. It suits you,”James admitted.
Allen smiled and blushed. “You may use it ifyou wish, my lord. Truthfully, I prefer it to Allen, though I suppose it is ungrateful of me to say so. ‘Allen’ reminds me of my father, and I look for him in the roomeverytime someone calls me byit.”
“Then, if you prefer it, that is what I will call you,” he said, charmed at the hint of wit Kyle was
“He is not my young man,” he had replied, chuckling at the knowingsmile onhis friend’s lips.
“Oh?” the earl had replied, smiling wider, then sobered. “You can’t foolme, old friend. We’ve known each other a long time, and I have never seen the look on your face that I witnessed when you were speaking of this mystery man. It was good to see it. Whether you’re fooling yourself inthe matter or not, youcannot foolme.”
“The lad has just been through hell, old friend. I will not take advantage of his vulnerability. And, as you well know, I never dally outside the confines of Madam Renard’s. I will see him safe to his aunt’s, and that willbe an end on it, I assure you,” James replied, still smilingat his friend’s doubtfullook.
“As you say, Warren, as you say,” he had said, shaking James’s hand and accompanyinghimto the door. “Untilnext time.”
Bowing his farewell, James had headed home to see to the final preparations for their departure witha muchlighter step.
He’ll find something we can use against Weir if anyone can .
Now, with the object of their discourse sitting awake and silent across from him, James decided he needed to say something before things became uncomfortable.
“We should arrive at Chelmsford within the hour. We’ll stop at an inn there for the night to rest the horses and resume the second leg our journey tomorrow morning. Ordinarily there would be a change of horses waiting for us but, as my return is a little earlier than expected, I didn’t have time to have them sent. There’s no harm in stayingthe night, though, and havinga leisurelyjourney,”James said.
Allen smiled and looked relieved enough that James thought he must be sufferingfromthe same twinges inhis bladder that James was beginning to feel, especially now that another part of his anatomy had stopped screamingat him.
“I’m glad, my lord. I’m afraid I’m not used to this much traveling. Before coming to London, the farthest I had been from home was to schoolinShrewsbury,”Allenadmitted.
“And how did you like it?” James asked, wanting to keep the young man engaged and distracted from whatever thoughts brought that sad look to his eyes.
“The school? Oh, well enough, my lord, I suppose. It was situated near the river Severn, and when we weren’t at our studies, most of the boys would spend time on the banks or in the boats. It’s lovelycountry,”Kyle said fondly.
“I’msure, like most young men, you spent more time with your friends thanat your studies,”James prompted.
Kyle’s face turned a little sad then, and James was sorry he’d said it. “I fear I didn’t have many friends at school, my lord. I suppose I was never very good at making friends. Perhaps it comes from growing up without any brothers or sisters, I don’t know. My elder brother George died when I was very young, and I was my parents’ onlyother child.”
“I’msorryfor your loss,”James said for lack ofanythingelse. “Thank you, my lord. But as I said, I was very young, and I barelyremember him. Myfather gave me his name after his passing.” “George?”James asked, confused.
“My given name is actually George Frederick Kyle Allen. My father is George. ‘Kyle’ was my mother’s family name, and I believe my father only allowed it because I was the second son and to avoid a row withher. It was the name she had for me.”
“I like it. It suits you,”James admitted.
Allen smiled and blushed. “You may use it ifyou wish, my lord. Truthfully, I prefer it to Allen, though I suppose it is ungrateful of me to say so. ‘Allen’ reminds me of my father, and I look for him in the roomeverytime someone calls me byit.”
“Then, if you prefer it, that is what I will call you,” he said, charmed at the hint of wit Kyle was
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