Page 25 of His By Sunrise (Disreputable Dukes of Club Damnation #3)

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E dwin had no idea how he kept his control over the hot ire building in his chest, but he did. Perhaps it was the fact that he wished to change for Charlotte and wanted to present her with a better version of himself, but there it was.

Yet that very rage had been brought on by the damned viscount, who’d had the fucking audacity to talk with her while she’d been in the gardens on his property.

He’d witnessed the meeting from an upper story window when he’d been making his daily rounds of the manor house, to make certain everything was in its place.

The thought still slammed through his mind that she’d, perhaps, arranged a clandestine meeting with Danville, especially when he had seen them kiss.

But then she’d shoved him and put her hands on her hips, clearly giving him a dressing down.

Finally, when she’d pointed, no doubt demanded that he leave, he’d realized it hadn’t been her fault at all.

In fact, the knowledge of Danville storming off warmed his heart.

And Charlotte’s rejection of his enemy made him randy.

She wouldn’t have done that if she had no feelings for him, but she needed to be reminded of who commanded her body and why he was the only man for her; that he’d always been that.

Of course, a bit of domestic discipline would occur after he gave her the full story as he’d promised.

Once he brought her into his study, he closed the door.

“Make yourself comfortable; it could be a long story.” Then, as she settled into one of the leather, winged-back chairs that faced his desk, he sat in his own chair behind that piece of furniture.

The springs creaked as his weight dropped onto it.

“God, where to start?” Everything having to do with the viscount was unsavory.

She shrugged, but there was interest in her brandy-hued eyes. “At the beginning, I would imagine. At least then I’ll be able to have the whole of it.”

“Right.” As always, he was glad for her no-nonsense approach to life. “William and I were at Cambridge together. Neither of us wished to go fight in a war not of our making, and oddly, we bonded over the fact that we had dreams bigger than killing as many French soldiers as we could.”

“That’s understandable. From what I’ve seen of men returning from war, they are not the same as they were when they left.”

“Indeed. So, because I had an affinity for numbers as well as understanding investments in a shifting market, I went to Cambridge, even though my father said it was a waste of time.” He shrugged, for his father hadn’t been that warm or supporting of a person.

“It was easily the best time of my life. I met interesting people, learned amazing things, discovered things that set my soul on fire.” He allowed a grin, for it had been why he’d found the path he had.

“I also discovered that if a man wishes to be anything in this world, it will take a bit of coin to do that.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It is not your fault, and I don’t mind it.

I worked hard, I learned, I made myself from nothing.

There is a certain pride in that.” Edwin clasped his hands on top of the ledger that sat on the top of his desk.

“Regardless, that last year at Cambridge, I was a young man of three and twenty when I met William. He was a year younger. Immediately, we became fast friends, for we wanted much the same out of life. The only difference? He was the first son of a viscount.”

“And he introduced you to the world of the ton .” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes. I was fascinated with the wealth and the excess. It was where I learned that the more money a person had, the better treatment and connections they were able to secure.” A frown tugged at the corners of his mouth.

“That year, study competed with the social aspect of life; I spent the Christmastide holidays with his family. It was through him that I met my first courtesans, was introduced to the carnal side of life.”

“Oh.” A blush stained her cheeks. “I had no idea you knew him that well.”

He shrugged. “We were fast friends after that, and through his friends, I formed a few connections that would eventually serve me well in the future for business and investments.” Briefly, he pressed his lips together.

“Shortly before Easter, when marks came out that would give students one last chance to correct our scholarly trajectory for the year, we were called into Professor Maxwell’s office. ”

When Charlotte did nothing except stare at him with expectation, he sighed.

“He was one of the only professors to take an interest in his students. Of course, he warned us both that unless we buckled down and took the rest of the course work seriously, we ran the risk of failing the year. That was terrifying to me because I had been a fantastic student the rest of the time, and I wished to graduate with high marks or a least a couple of honors.” Damn, his life had been destroyed after meeting William.

“I vowed to do better, which meant limiting my time with William. He, however, couldn’t care less.

There was no need for him to have honors, for he would be a viscount someday. The fool laughed at Professor Maxwell.”

Charlotte frowned. “I had no idea William was that rude.”

“Oh, he’s a proper nodcock.” And Edwin didn’t want him around her any longer.

“In any event, the two argued about William’s marks, and it was only Maxwell’s benevolence that was keeping William in university instead of being tossed out.

” He shrugged. “Things grew quickly heated before I could intervene. The next thing I knew, William had snatched up a brass letter opener, and he lunged at Professor Maxwell, stabbed him in the neck, apparently right in the jugular.” Damn, but he could still smell the metallic scent of blood.

“Unfortunately, the professor bled out so quickly. There was nothing I could do.”

“And you both panicked after that, I’ll wager,” Charlotte said with round eyes.

“Yes. William tossed the letter opener away while I vomited. It was the first time I’d ever witnessed violence like that.

Sure, my father was often a drunkard, but he’d never been violent toward me.

” As he rubbed a hand along the side of his face, Edwin stared at her.

“We didn’t know what to do. I wanted to tell someone.

William landed me a facer, said we needed to keep mum.

We fled the scene. From what I gathered, someone found the professor’s body the next morning. ”

“Oh, Edwin, I’m so sorry you were put in that position.”

“So am I.” He nodded, for the tale wasn’t done.

“Bow Street was involved after that, and it was fairly simple to discern that we were the last ones to see Maxwell, for he’d written the meeting on his schedule.

” There was nothing he could do but shrug.

“Before we were interviewed, William’s father arrived at Cambridge.

Perhaps William had dispatched a courier; I don’t know, but money turns the world.

” That was the way it had always been, and he hated it.

Still did to this day. “Anyway, the viscount found me. I told him I was going to Bow Street and planned to tell them the story, for the truth needed to be revealed. The viscount denied his son had done that, said it was a bit of fiction I’d invented, for William had denied everything, had even sworn I was the one who’d killed Maxwell. ”

Charlotte gasped. “What a bastard!”

That tugged a grin from Edwin. “Indeed. But I was adamant and quite incensed that I had been betrayed like that. The viscount said that William had everything going for him. Unlike me, who wasn’t of the ton and had a shady background besides.

He offered me five hundred pounds to take the blame, to tell Bow Street I was the one who’d killed the professor. ”

By this time, Charlotte was perched on the edge of her chair. “Did you take the bribe?”

Heat seeped up the back of his neck. “Yes, for I was desperate and needed money to start the next phase of my life after university, but I hated myself.” Moisture welled in his eyes.

It was his dismal history, and he was ashamed to reveal it to her.

“To this day, the coins are in my safe in London. I have never spent them.”

Charlotte’s lips formed an “o” of surprise. She blinked. “Why?”

“It was very much blood money. Meant that Professor Maxwell’s life meant nothing.

” He forced a hard swallow into his tight throat.

“So I confessed to a crime I didn’t commit and went to prison for a handful of years while William had the life I always wanted.

Three years into my incarceration, his father died, and he became the viscount. ”

“Dear God, Edwin. That’s horrible.” She sprang to her feet. “It’s egregious, even.”

“I agree, but it is in the past. My reputation was destroyed. So was my life. I didn’t graduate Cambridge, obviously.

Once I was released from prison, I immersed myself in building myself back up by any means necessary, including aligning myself, temporarily, with questionable people until I could make better decisions. ”

“And during that time, you and I met, fell in love.”

“Yes. We married, and I was so damned happy. Knew I had at least that five hundred pounds hidden away to fall back on that we could live off if things were bad.” When a tear leaked onto his cheek, he dashed it away.

“God, I wanted nothing more than to be the man you needed, a man you were proud of. A year later, I came to William with an investment question, needed someone with influence to support me in a business endeavor and he had recently taken the title.”

“What happened?”

Edwin shrugged. “He refused, saying he didn’t keep company with criminals.”

“What?” Her outrage was adorable, and he appreciated it.

“I reminded him that he was the murderer, that I’d been paid to take the blame, but he said I was wrong, clearly bent in the head.”