Page 26 of The Devil Himself (The Devil You Know #1)
Twenty-Four
H allowarren House rose, enormous and stately, just as Luc remembered it from younger days spent with Owen there.
He had been to many a house party at Owen’s ancestral home, and he always found it rather imposing and somewhat cold.
Rys’s parents and the generations before them had never failed to maintain a keen sense of what it meant to be a marquessate, he supposed.
Gareth seemed tense as they pulled up in front of the house, his shoulders going up around his ears. Luc reached over to ruffle the boy’s hair. “I do understand, but don’t forget that you’re the marquess now. You decide how this will proceed.”
Gareth looked up at them with those smoky gray eyes so like Rys’s, and Luc thought he liked that idea. “I’ll remember that.”
“Good.”
Sauce Box Joe knocked on the door to give them warning that he was going to open it and then pulled it wide so they could emerge. He bowed slightly, pulling his forelock. “You stretch your legs, gents. I’ll make the rounds and make sure all is well.”
“Very good.” Rys smiled at Gareth. “I would imagine that the servants are going to start spilling out like alarmed ants at any moment. They have no idea you’re coming, so they will be upset that there was no warning.”
Gareth rolled his eyes. “They’re always upset with me about something.”
Luc had to snort at that because his servants were always yelling at him about not giving them warning, about not consulting with them, not allowing them enough time to get what he wanted accomplished. They were like family, his servants, at least in his country house, and he adored them all.
“Not all of them will be put out. Is Mrs. Laverty still the housekeeper?” Rys asked.
“She is.” Gareth smiled back. “And Cook still makes the best raisin buns.”
“Ah, I remember those with incredible fondness.” Rys rubbed his belly, making humming sounds, which made Gareth laugh.
These tiny insights into Rys’s good memories of childhood warmed Luc’s heart. The man underneath the Devil Himself was complex and layered, and he truly enjoyed getting to know this Rys just as much as he did the naughtier version who ran the club in London.
Although Luc wanted to reacquaint himself with the naughty version as soon as possible.
It had been torture sitting in such close contact with Rys for so many hours and not being allowed to touch him or kiss him.
He understood, though, that they were on a mission, and that this was not a pleasure trip.
As if reading his mind, Rys caught his gaze and gave him a wicked grin.
Moments later, the front door did open, and several servants spilled out, gawking at them and then springing into a flurry of action.
The butler Luc recognized as the same one who had been there when he was a youth and all through the house parties he’d attended—although he couldn’t remember the fellow’s name—scurried over to them.
“Master Gareth. I mean, my lord. We did not expect you. Are you opening up the house?”
“’Tis only going to be a short visit, Tyrell,” Rys said gently. “Gareth needed to get away from school for a day or two.”
Tyrell’s eyes widened, his mouth dropping open. “Lord Rys. What are you— I mean, how good to see you!”
“Thank you, Tyrell. It’s been a trying journey, and the men accompanying us could use food and comfortable lodging.”
“Of course.” Tyrell looked at Gareth, who sagged for a moment before he drew himself up.
“Just a simple meal for us for luncheon, Tyrell, but we’ll take dinner together tonight in the dining room.
In the meantime, have the marquess’s chamber cleaned for my uncle, and the chamber on the other side of it for Lord Angelsey.
They would like a bath drawn, as would I. ”
“Just fill the bath in the master dressing room,” Rys agreed. “Lord Angelsey and I will both use that tub, as it is big enough.”
He hoped his cheeks weren’t as red as they were hot. He could just imagine them both using it. At the same time.
“Just so, my lord.”
Sauce Box Joe appeared like smoke, moving silently for such a big man. “Looks fine, sir. Like to speak to you for a moment in private, though, iffn you don’t mind.”
“Not at all, Joe. We’ll go to the study. Do you want to wash up before luncheon, Gareth?” Rys was like an army officer, marshalling forces and giving orders.
“I will, thank you.” Gareth headed inside with the butler, Tyrell, and as they entered the house, the housekeeper, Mrs. Laverty, met them in the foyer, her eyes misty, a huge smile on her face.
“Good day to you, Lord Angelsey. Lord Rys!” She engulfed Rys in a hug, and Rys’s expression of surprise was comical as hell. “Welcome home.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Laverty.” Rys gave her a gingerly hug in return.
She released him to beam at Luc. “So good to see you here. Thank you for bringing both of my boys home.”
“You’re very welcome.”
“Mrs. Laverty, Tyrell. I need you both to know that if Lords Daffyd or Arthur should arrive, they are to be turned away immediately.” Rys gave them both a grave look. “There’s trouble with Gareth.”
Mrs. Laverty pressed a hand to her bosom. “Oh, those awful boys. We’ll do it, won’t we, Tyrell?”
“Naturally. Master Gareth is the marquess now.”
“Cold luncheon is fine. I need to meet with Joe here, and then Lord Angelsey and I will clean up and we can all eat.” Rys inclined his head, and then they were off to the study.
“Very lordly of you, Rys,” Luc murmured.
“I will bite you,” Rys told him.
Joe snickered but sobered quickly once the door shut behind them.
“All right, m’lord. Here’s the difficulty.
This house is a nightmare to keep safe like.
There’s two terraces with their own entrances.
Two servants’ entrances: one in the kitchens, one for other service people.
The main doors. And then there’s all the ground floor windows. ”
Luc’s gut clenched. “And Arthur would know them all.”
“Yessir.” Joe nodded. “Now. We’ve got three men with us, and Mr. Deacon’s men should be joining us right soon to report where he is on the road. But I’ll need footmen to watch the windows and doors we can’t cover. And I don’t know how many servants are loyal to the young man or to his uncles.”
Rys, who had sat behind the desk as if he belonged there, tapped his fingers on the wood. “I know Mrs. Laverty is loyal. I’ll ask her who can be trusted. You do what you can, Joe, and Lord A here and I will help anywhere we can. I believe Arthur will just try to barge in, not sneak.”
Luc nodded slowly. “I can see that. He’s sly, but at the same time, he will feel very secure in his place here. He’ll come in making demands and ordering servants about.”
Joe chuckled. “That would make it the easiest.”
“Good man. Let me know if there are any other difficulties.”
“I will.” Joe stood from his seat and sketched a terrible little bow before leaving the room. Obviously he was not accustomed to being with the “quality”.
“Alone at last,” Luc said, grinning at Rys, but the words gave him a little thrill deep in his belly.
Rys stared at his mouth, his silvery eyes gone a deep smoke color. “So we are. What do you think we should do about it?”
“I suppose we need to think about luncheon,” Luc teased.
Mouth twisting in a wry smile, Rys stood and stalked around the desk to him, leaning down so that both hands rested on the arms of the chair he sat in. “I suppose we should, but I would much rather think about this.”
Rys bent and put his mouth to Luc’s, his kiss deep and hard and hungry as if Rys had waited far too long just to get a taste of him. He understood. Luc felt as if he’d waited weeks, not
Luc opened up and let Rys in, their tongues tangling.
He understood exactly how Rys felt. All of those hours sitting in a carriage with him had been like torture, both of them keenly aware that Gareth was right there, and that they could not entertain even the slightest impropriety.
Somehow, that had made it all the more urgent that they do exactly this.
When Rys pulled away, they were both panting, and Rys’s heated stare held a wealth of warning. “After luncheon. In the bath. I will not be put off any longer than that.”
His cock ached as it pressed against the fall of his trousers, and Luc reached up to caress his lover’s cheek. “I don’t want to put you off, so I promise you I’ll be ready.”