A Gentleman’s Position(88)

Philip had feared Richard was pursuing some illicit agenda and had still stood by his side without question.

“He is the best brother in the world,” Richard said. “And I for one was very grateful for his intervention.”

“He was magnificent,” Francis said. “I would have thought you’d cooked it up with him if it was conceivable Cirencester would do such a thing.” He was sitting with Ash on his lap. The young nobleman looked subdued and rather miserable.

“And he has spoken to Warminster,” Richard added. “He went there today. I think he has become somewhat tired of Lord Warminster’s manner over the years, so I dare say he made his point with force.”

“I’m sorry for Warminster then,” Harry said wholeheartedly. He was terrified of Philip. “I shouldn’t thank Maltravers for letting me in for that dressing down.”

“I don’t suppose he’s pleased about that appalling pamphlet either,” Francis said. “My God. I suppose you’ve all read it by now?”

Richard had not. “For some reason, a copy has not reached my house. Since almost every gentleman I know appears to have been handed it by his valet—”

“I certainly was,” Julius said sourly. “Can I assume we all know who is responsible for that scurrilous libel?”

Everyone looked to Dominic. He hunched his shoulders, the very image of Mason, and growled, “Couldn’t say.”

“Naturally,” Richard said. “Was there a particular libel I should know about?”

“The pamphlet was designed to undermine Maltravers,” Dominic said, returning to his normal tones. “However, for verisimilitude, it included a certain amount of other scandal. And of course it was necessary to avert suspicion by making one of us a target.”

“Of course,” Richard repeated, with deep foreboding. “Ah, who…?”

“It suggested, among other allegations, that Julius has a peculiar habit of bestowing offensive names on ladies of pleasure during the act.” Dominic was entirely failing to keep a straight face. “With examples.”

“Your accursed werewolf—” Julius began, and stopped short as understanding dawned. “I see. That is Mason’s revenge, I take it.”

Dominic shrugged. “If you must insult Silas, you may face the consequences.”

Julius glowered. Harry patted his arm in a way that would have been comforting if he’d been able to stop grinning.

“We all make sacrifices, Julius,” Richard assured him.

“I did not make a sacrifice. Your valet and your werewolf made a sacrifice of me.”

“I’m sure you would have volunteered, had you been asked.”

“Oh, be damned to Julius’s reputation. It’ll do him good,” Francis said. “Richard, how in God’s name did Cyprian get that false letter into Maltravers’s hands? I know he had Ash write one—”

“He let himself into Skelton’s room while the man slept, searched it, and found the letter in his desk drawer,” Richard said. “Maltravers had sealed it, I suppose to discourage Skelton from reading it, so Cyprian had to break the seal to confirm he had the right one. He then went back to Quex’s, got Maltravers’s seal off his contract of employment, applied it to the false letter, and let himself into Skelton’s room again to put the counterfeit in the desk.”

“He must have nerves like hawsers,” Dominic said. “Good heavens.”

“Why the counterfeit? Why not just steal the letter?” Harry asked.

“To confuse matters and because he didn’t want Maltravers blaming Skelton for the letter’s loss,” Richard said. “But it seems that when Maltravers sent to Skelton for the letter, he passed it over without examination. A sealed letter from a drawer—why would either of them look closely? So Maltravers walked into White’s with the counterfeit in his pocket, which is something I shan’t soon forget.”

“That was the single worst moment of my entire life,” Francis said. “I thought that everything had gone wrong and all your promises had been in vain. You looked like a Roman statue, Richard.” He tightened his arm round Ash’s shoulders. “And you were magnificent, my Gabriel.”

“He’ll never speak to me again.” Ash’s voice was low. “Which is good, because I never want to speak to him again. It comes to something when my own brother wants to see me hang, and I try to make the world think he’s a madman.”

“And succeed,” Julius said. “Be damned to him, Ash.”

Harry went over to give Ash a hug. “He’s right. Maltravers started this. You had no choice.”