Page 124 of The Duke's Indecent Match

“That’s not how it seems to work.”In truth, he had no idea why his luck always worked out like that.Sometimes, he considered it fate’s apology for saddling him with his father.

“Well, I’m off to home.It’s late.”Drake made a show of yawning widely.

“I as well.”Christian shook his head.“My carriage is down this way.Do either of you need a ride home?”

Taking ducal carriages into the Warren was not wise—one was likely to return to find the coachman gone or dead and any ornamentation on the thing stripped.

But Drake shook his head.

“I have one at the end of that street.”He gestured vaguely in the opposite direction that Christian had indicated.“I will likely see you tomorrow or the day after.”

“Good night,” Matthew said, frowning, because something about Drake’s demeanor was bothering him.

“Good night,” Christian echoed, and looked at Matthew as Drake ambled off down the street, hand stuck in his pockets.It was so very casual.Too casual.“What about you?”

“Ah…” Matthew reached into his pocket and pulled out his lucky coin, causing Christian to groan.

“You cannot even take a ride home without using your coin?”

“I am not sure I am ready to go home.”

“You cannot be serious.You cannot stay here; you will be coshed and robbed.”

“That does not sound like the kind of luck I have.”Matthew grinned at his friend.Being hit over the head and his pockets emptied was not something he’d ever worried about, no matter the sum of money he carried or where he was.He’d never had it turn out badly before; why would things change now?Sadly, the same could not be said for things like his carriage, which is why he’d taken a hackney into the Warrens.

He flipped his coin into the air.

Should I follow Drake?

The question did not need to be asked aloud, thankfully, since he did not know what Christian would think.He was not entirely sure he understood the impulse to follow his friend and see what he was about.The man had just turned down another street.

The coin landed in his hand, and he swung it over to lay it flat on the back of his opposite wrist.

Heads.

He was to follow Drake.

Shrugging his shoulders, he grinned at Christian.

“It seems my night is not over yet.”

Rolling his eyes, Christian shook his head.

“If it was anyone but you…”

“But it is me.I will be fine.”He was a touch concerned about Drake, though.“You are more than welcome to accompany me if you are worried about it.”

Christian hesitated, then nodded his head, sighing again.

“I am going to beat you if I end up being the one coshed and robbed,” he grumbled as Matthew turned to go in the direction Drake had departed, and Christian joined at his side.

“You can always go home.”

“No, because if you do end up dead in the streets tomorrow morning, I’ll be furious at myself for not having been at your side on the night your luck ran out, and everyone else will be furious at me.”

Matthew chuckled.It was not like Christian to be alarmist; of all his fellow dukes, Christian tended to be the one with the most sense of adventure, which just went to show exactly how dangerously Matthew was behaving right now.But such was his confidence in his luck.

“I will do my best to keep us from becoming another set of tragic dukes,” he said.Though, of all of them, Christian had the least responsibilities, other than to his tenants.Matthew had his grandmother to take care of.Both of his sisters, neither of whom he’d been close to, had been married off years ago by his father, the same years as their debuts.