Page 14 of The Devil Himself (The Devil You Know #1)

Thirteen

“ W ill there be anything else, my lord?” His man of affairs, Finley, closed the account book he had brought with him to Rys’s study, giving him an inquiring glance.

“I think that covers my accounts, Finley. Thank you for going out of your way to come here to meet with me.”

“I’m just so very pleased you’re on the mend, my lord. I was very concerned when I heard you had been injured.”

“Thank you, Finley. And I also appreciate your discretion in this matter.”

“You are a very good employer, my lord. I would not put that at jeopardy.” Finley’s eyes had gone wide, his cheeks pink.

“I’m glad you find that the case.” Luc stood, his arm barely twinging now. Thank God.

Finley rose as well, then stopped, snapping his fingers. “Oh, I meant to tell you, my lord. I thought you would want to know. I heard through the network of my associates that one of the Hallowarren holdings is being sold.”

“The devil you say.” He thought about that. “Which one?”

“Wyddan Abbey.”

“Never say so!” He had traveled there with Owen many times, and it was one of the original seats of the marquess’s line, situated in Wales. “Isn’t it entailed?”

“Yes, my lord.”

“How is it being offered?”

“Through an estate agent. Discreetly, but on the wide market nonetheless. It’s caused a buzz.”

“Ask for a hold for your employer. I need to speak to Lord Grey.”

“Of course, my lord. Right away. Shall I put down a deposit if it is required?” One of Finley’s eyebrows winged up.

“Yes.” He was not going to let Daffyd and Arthur sell off something so important to the Hallowarren title. Gareth had a right to that property. And it wasn’t done to sell a property entailed to the title without permission from the crown.

“Very good, my lord. I shall see to it sharply.”

“Thank you, Finley. I depend upon you.”

Finley left, ducking out the servant’s entrance in the back so as not to be seen.

And he went looking for Rys, who had kindly vacated his study so Luc could have his meeting. He encountered the butler first.

“Ah, Jarvis. Have you seen Lord Rys?”

“He is in the billiard room, my lord.”

“Thank you, Jarvis.”

“Shall I send tea?” Jarvis asked.

“And biscuits. My news will go down better that way.” He had a terrible sweet tooth, and Rys did not, but Rys adored cinnamon biscuits.

“Right away, my lord.” Jarvis gave him a small smile before setting off. He rather thought the fellow approved of him. That was fine, because Luc did have Rys’s best interests at heart.

He made his way to the billiard room on the second floor, his arm throbbing a little by the end of the climb. Honestly, if that was the worst of it, he would take it.

When he opened the door, Rys looked up from his shot, then smiled, eyes lighting up. “Are you done then, love?”

He would not think about how thrilling it was to move from my dear to love.

“I am. Though I have news.”

“Oh, damnation,” Rys said with some humor. “That has been bad of late.”

“It has indeed.” He closed the door behind him, knowing he had a few moments before the tea came. “Jarvis called for tea. I think he was very excited.”

Rys rolled his eyes. “Of course he was.”

Luc crossed the room to press his lips to Rys’s mouth, his hand on the back of Rys’s neck. He couldn’t help himself. He needed the contact.

“Mmm. Now that is far better than tea.” Rys kissed him again, then set the billiard cue aside to put both hands on his hips. “I like this wickedness.”

“You like all the parts.”

“The devil himself,” Rys murmured against his mouth.

Luc nodded, diving in for one more kiss before pulling away. It wouldn’t be long before they were interrupted, sadly. He crossed to sit at the other end of the big room, where a seating arrangement of settees and chairs had been placed.

Rys gave his mouth a regretful glance. “We’ll play that particular game again later, yes?”

“Yes.” There was nothing he wanted more, and the way his cock rose in his placket told him that he would get back to that sooner rather than later.

Rys watched him from across the room, a predatory expression on his face, until the knock came on the door, and a maid delivered the tea tray.

“Thank you, Molly,” Rys said.

“M’lords.” She curtsied, then left the room, the door snicking shut behind her.

Rys came to sit across from him, pouring tea, the pot looking absurdly small in his hands, just as it always did in Luc’s. “So, tell me this news.”

“There’s an estate man who’s listed Wyddan Abbey for sale.”

Rys’s brows shot up, his eyes flashing with smoky fire. “What?”

“They’re trying to sell off entailed properties.”

Scowling, Rys stood, going to a small escritoire in the corner of the room. Trust Rys to have a desk in every space in his house. A man of business. He dashed off a note, then strode to the bellpull to ring for a servant.

“Yes, m’lord?”

“See that this is delivered to Harris Manford at my club. Immediately.”

“Yes, sir.” The footman made off with all due haste.

“I told Finley to put a deposit on it to hold it for us.”

“Good. Good. Harris will deal with the rest.” Rys began to pace. “They’ve gone through their whole allotment already. Damnation, Luc.”

“It seems that way, yes.” Daffyd and Arthur would have inherited what their father left them when Owen died and was no longer administering a stipend. So if they’d gone through all that…

“It will serve them right when I buy the bloody place and make it my country home.”

“It will indeed. I know you spent a great deal of time there when you were young.”

Rys grabbed his cup, his white-knuckled grip giving away his agitation. Luc feared for the delicate china. “I did. It was my mother’s favorite estate, since it was so close to her own family home.”

“Well, between Finley and Harris, they will save it.” Harris Manford, Luc had learned during his stay at the club, was a force of nature, much like Rys. He got things done in a ruthless, single-minded manner with a smile on his handsome face.

“Perhaps you’ll go there with me when I travel down to look it over, assess its condition.”

Surprised, he blinked at Rys, but he recovered quickly, lest Rys think he did not wish to do just that. “I would enjoy that very much, assuming we have foiled whatever plot your brothers are attempting.”

“Naturally.” Rys’s jaw flexed as if he was grinding his teeth. “Bastards.”

“We’re running out of time.”

“I can only do so much. No one is reporting odd movements. Though now I shall have to bribe or threaten everyone they speak to in order to make sure nothing else is sacrificed for ready cash.”

“Perhaps it is time to step up our efforts. I could go see Hannah. Make myself a target again.”

“No.” Rys cut the air with his free hand. “No, I will not allow it.”

“Pardon me?” Luc raised an eyebrow. Then he munched a biscuit to keep from railing at Rys. He was his own man. No one allowed him to do anything. But Rys was clearly overset.

“You heard me, Luc. I cannot abide the thought of you being hurt.” Then Rys sighed, his gaze pleading. “Please.”

He sipped some tea to wash down the biscuit. “Thank you. I will stay out of sight for now, but I feel Hannah must know what’s happening.”

“One of my men has been slipping regular updates to her lady’s maid.”

“Clever.” The servants would be completely overlooked by Rys’s brothers. Of the three of them, only Owen had ever treated them like people.

“Thank you.” Rys inclined his head. “But I feel as though you’re right. We do need to step up our efforts to finish this. Perhaps it’s time I stepped into the ring.”

“What?” He stared, another biscuit halfway to his mouth. “Certainly not.”

“I am not as much of a gentleman as you, Luc. I am more likely to see a miscreant coming.”

“No. No, we can do this without either of us being a target.”

“Says the man who just offered.” Rys watched him steadily.

“Well, that was stupid of me.” His belly wanted to turn at the idea of Rys being hurt. He understood why Rys had been so forceful about it.

Rys barked out a laugh. “I will just go talk with Daffyd at Dionysus. That’s all. Maybe tip his hand, and then my men can snap him up.”

“Hmm.” Luc ate the cookie. “That has merit. But promise me you’ll not be unarmed or unguarded.”

Those dark eyes went hard, Rys pressing his lips together. “You have my word. He won’t get a chance to harm me.”

“Good.” He finished off his tea, despite the heat of it. “Now, about revisiting what we were about…”

“Shall we go where we won’t be interrupted?”

“Please.” Luc rose, his cock hardening in a rush. He wanted Rys’s hands on him. His mouth.

“I thought you’d like that idea.” Rys stood as well, laughing and taking his hand. “This is so much better than discussing my erstwhile family.”

“It is. I want you.”

Now that gaze darkened with lust. “Then come have me, love.”

And Luc would follow Rys anywhere when he said things like that.