A Gentleman’s Position(60)

“Thirty years ago, that was,” Mother Knab muttered. “And the poll who did it was acquitted too, so don’t you go saying it’s dangerous. If it gets fellows to the point, where’s the harm?”

David toyed with the idea of having Lord Maltravers “accidentally” throttled, but discarded it. The last thing they needed was for Lord Gabriel’s letter to be found among a dead man’s papers.

They tried a few more places before Zoë had to go to work. David gave assurances of his mother’s health to the few who remembered her, smiled at a dozen jests about his hair, and didn’t get anything else useful on Maltravers.

He could have done some good with a really filthy bit of scandal, something to disgrace his lordship and make his word worth nothing. But there was nothing shameful in using whores, and the gentry would scarcely care if his lordship was rough with them. Impotence was no use either. It was an easy slur against a man but no more.

Aphrodisiacs, though. He’d heard a lot about those, growing up. Gentlemen who couldn’t do their business often sought desperate remedies, and heaven knew what was in those potions, but some of them did damage. All the whores knew men with slurred speech and snarling tempers. Mad as a hatter, they’d tell each other. Stay away.

Vanbutchell’s Nostrum was no more than a harmless concoction, but if Lord Maltravers had that habit…

Advantage, David thought, and went back to Quex’s.

“So, what, you’re applying to be Maltravers’s valet?” Silas asked later that evening. David had whistled him up to Quex’s, and they were drinking gin and making plans before David went to give the Ricardians their instructions in the private rooms. There were some things the gentlemen didn’t need to know. “You don’t reckon he’ll think you’re there on Lord Richard’s bidding?”

“He might,” David acknowledged. “Then again, it’s known I fell out with my lord, and Lord Maltravers believes that his rank makes him a more desirable master. There is a chance he’ll take my approach at face value. It doesn’t necessarily matter.”

Silas gave him a look. “What are you brewing?”

David grinned. He knew it looked forced, because it was. He was not looking forward to this part of the play.

Silas clearly saw that in his face. “If you need me at your back—”

“I don’t, but I have a different sort of job for you. How do you feel about getting in the gutter again?”

“Born and bred there. Be a pleasure.” Silas cocked an eye at him. “How’s his lordship?”

“In the private rooms.”

“Aye, very good. I’d almost believe I said where. You coming back, Foxy?”

“We’ll see. It depends. On how this goes, for a start,” he added to forestall the obvious question.

“It had better go all right, then. I don’t want to go to France, and his lordship’s not doing so well without you.”

David was not going to ask for details. “I didn’t know you cared.”

Silas gave the snarling grin that had led Julius Norreys to name him “Dominic’s werewolf.” “Aye, and of course you don’t either. I just need someone to play backgammon with. The house is a tomb in the evenings now Harry’s moved out. What’s this job, then?”

—

Richard waited in the private rooms, watching the others. David had asked him to assemble a select group at nine of the clock: Dominic, Francis and Ash, Julius and Harry. Neither of the lawyers, since they would be going well beyond the law. All of them were on edge waiting to hear what, if anything, David could do.

“I damned well hope your valet has something useful to offer,” Francis muttered, stalking the length of the room for the fifteenth time. “Where is the man? He said nine.”

“It’s two minutes past,” Dominic said. “And he isn’t Richard’s valet, and I for one would be grateful if you would calm yourself. You’re setting my teeth on edge.”

“Forgive my lack of consideration,” Francis snapped. “I suppose you would approach this situation with sangfroid.”

“In fact, he did,” Julius said. “You may recall Mason came within a whisker of being arrested for high treason, and Dominic was as cool as a cucumber throughout.”

“And barely made it to the privy afterwards before I cast up my accounts,” Dominic added. “You have all my sympathy, Francis, I just wish you’d stop wearing holes in the carpet. Listen. There’s someone coming.”

David opened the door. “Good evening, my lords, gentlemen.”