He laughed grimly and took another swizzle from the rum. Hell, with Manchester vowing to destroy him, he had no way to gain entry into London in order to find Ryan and convince Lilli that he still wanted her. He’d nearly have to be married to the old bugger to open the doors he needed.
Or married to his granddaughter.
Picking himself up off the floor, Drex set his bottle aside. Marry her. Yes.
Perfect! But how? He’d have to be someone of importance. He was no duke.
Just the son of a prostitute from London’s Whitechapel district.
And an earl.
Greg had warned him that Christina would be considered soiled goods by the ton now that she was back in London. If Manchester had any intention of marrying her off, the old goat would have to settle for a social climber or fortune hunter for a grandson-in-law. Hopefully, a wealthy earl’s illegitimate son would be good enough.
And once married to Lilli, he would find a way to make her happy while demanding Ryan’s release. All that he required was a new disguise—and contact with his father. To achieve both his ends, he could put up with the selfish cur for a few months.
Drex changed his soiled shirt for a clean one and donned his mask. In moments, he strode to the deck, eager to find Hancock. He ignored the glare of bright sunlight and the pounding in his head, and focused on the rousing effects of the salty wind in his face.
“Hancock!” he shouted.
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“Aye, Cap’n?” His first mate came running, then observed, “Ye be dressed in clean clothes.”
Resolve bolstering him, Drex nodded. “Turn the ship about. We’re going back to London.”
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The Lady and the Dragon
Chapter Thirteen
Drex sneaked into England via Cornwall. The damp wind and biting mist mirrored his emotions. Stormy. Gray. Uncertain.
Success at this scheme was paramount. Ryan, if still alive, wouldn’t live long in his condition. Drex had wasted precious time on self-pity, and he regretted it now. And before another man saw how fun and fiery his Lilli was, Drex had to win her, as well. If he failed now, he risked losing them both forever.
After weeks of turbulent travel and sleepless waiting, he stood before his father’s St. James Square door on a chilly Tuesday evening, trying to swallow his pride and contempt.
He knocked. A haughty, shriveled man opened the door and looked down his long nose at Drex. “Yes?”
“I’m here to see Ashmont.”
The man sniffed. “Do you have an appointment?”
“No,” he said between gritted teeth. “But—”
“I’m afraid he’s not at home,” the butler cut in.
The old man began to shut the door in Drex’s face. He lodged a foot inside the portal before it closed.
Drex pushed the door open again. “I think you’ll find he’s at home for his son.”
The butler stilled. “His son, you say?”
He nodded. “Drexell Cain.”
Raising a brow, the butler opened the door. “Wait here.”
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Drex concentrated on the richly carpeted entry hall. A pedestal cupboard stood beside the wall to his right, crowned by a matching urn. A landscape painting hung farther down the wall, looking indolently expensive, a symbol of wealth.
God, he hoped he could fit into this selfish, sanctimonious society for Lilli’s sake. Once married to her, he would reveal himself and make his past transgressions up to her, while working toward Ryan’s release. Taking in the opulence around him, he wondered if his simple plan was impossible. He’d known squalor and danger his whole life. How would he ever fit in here?
To his left, Drex spotted his father cantering down the stairs minus a coat, cravat askew. His open mouth and wide eyes spoke volumes about his surprise.
“You’ve come.” His father paused at the bottom of the stairs, a burgeoning smile crossing his features.
Drex shuffled his feet and coughed, fighting the ever-present urge to tell the man he’d always viewed as a selfish knave to go to hell. “I have.”
“To stay?”
“For the foreseeable future,” Drex replied.
The smile that overtook the earl’s face transformed him from a distinguished fifty to boyish. “A joyous day, indeed. One I never thought would come. Come and sit. You look tired.”
The earl gestured him upstairs, then down a red-carpeted hallway. He threw open the last door to reveal an elegant drawing room with walls of pale pink.
The intricate wealth of the carved ceiling and Sheraton furnishings took Drex aback. If the man had walked away from his responsibility years ago, instead of marrying beneath him, why was he willing to share it all with his by-blow now?
Once seated, his father gestured him to the ivory fringed chair nearest the fire. “You’ve given up the…other pursuit?”
“For now, at least.”
The earl leaned forward. “You’ve arranged Ryan’s release?”
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“No, that’s why I’ve come. I have another plan, which requires your assistance.”
His smile grew wider. “By all means, yes.”
“This isn’t about sentiments,” Drex warned. “I need your position within the ton and your title, not a father-son rapport. You left a sixteen year-old girl pregnant with twins. In my estimation, a man cannot behave with less honor than that.”
The earl held up his hands to ward off any further barrage. “Drexell, I swear I had no notion Faith had conceived.”
He laughed bitterly. “You were bedding her. Certainly, you knew pregnancy was a possibility.”
“I’d hoped for it,” his father countered, surprising Drex. “I had asked her to marry me, more than once. I thought if she conceived, she would be left with no choice but to wed me. Instead, I returned from an evening at White’s to find her gone.
“I searched. For two years! I could find nothing. I knew my family had a hand in keeping us apart, but no amount of cajoling would persuade them to talk. When I voiced my fears that she was pregnant, my father replied that children begotten on such a woman weren’t worth having.”
Drex drew in a deep breath. The man’s explanation sounded plausible, especially since his mother had never offered one, but he wasn’t interested in forming a bond with the man.
“I’d prefer to leave the past there,” Drex said.
“As would I, now that you’ve come here. I should like to learn about your brother and your childhood, as well as—”
“Ryan could be dying as we speak, for Christ’s sake,” he growled. “I only plan to stay long enough to accomplish two things, then I will return to Louisiana.”
“You have your mother’s directness.” The earl sat back in his chair, hands folded, expression restrained. “You said you’ve come for help and not sentiments. What do you need to accomplish your two tasks?”
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Drex braced his elbows on his knees. “A position in society and enough clout to marry Christina Delafield.”
The ensuing silence hung over the room like a black pallor. His father’s quiet, expressionless response nettled his nerves.
The earl rose and poured two brandies, then gave one to Drex. “Your intention is to secure Ryan once you’ve wed?”
At Drex’s nod, his father asked, “And what of your marriage after Ryan is released? Will you have it annulled and leave us?”
“In my attempts to save Ryan, I besmirched Christina’s good name, which makes her my responsibility. I am not the sort of man to abandon a woman in need.”