He sighed and began to make his way across the pub toward the crowd around Henry, but before he could do so, he froze in his tracks.
One of the gentlemen standing there was Lord Milton.
Thomas felt a rush of animosity surge through him. He still hadn’t forgotten the way Lord Milton had behaved at Lady Earlington’s dinner party. When he closed his eyes, he could see the positively stricken look on Lady Valeria’s face as Lord Milton had hurled those vile accusations at her.
And now, here was Henry, talking to the gentleman like they were old friends.
How could he?
Thomas strode across the room. Henry spotted him as he approached and waved him over. “Thomas!” he said. “You made it!”
Thomas looked around. “Where’s Duncan?” Surely Duncan wasn’t going to abide Lord Milton’s presence in their midst.
“He decided not to come,” Henry said, rolling his eyes. “He really has become a bit of dead weight lately, hasn’t he? If I didn’t know better, I would say that he simply doesn’t like to have fun.”
“I suppose he has other things on his mind,” Thomas said.
“True, true,” Henry said congenially. “What with his cousin in town. I suppose he has to make her his first priority, at least for the time being.”
“She’s still here, is she?” Lord Milton asked rather coolly.
“Why wouldn’t she be?” Henry asked. He sounded surprised. “She came here to live with Lady Earlington, as I thought you knew all too well!”
“Well,” Lord Milton said, “after the disaster that was Lady Earlington’s dinner party, I rather thought she might have sent Lady Valeria away. She can’t afford to have such scandal and disgrace in her own home, after all. I know Lady Earlington is sensitive to social matters.”
“And so you thought she would send her own niece away?” Henry asked. “Do you think she has no capacity for human kindness?”
“I think Lady Earlington’s capacity for kindness is beyond reproach,” Lord Milton said. “If anything, she istookind. Lady Valeria’s brother is a common criminal, and Lady Earlington may awaken to discover that her niece has stolen from her and fled Earlington Manor. If you ask me, the young lady ought to be locked up.”
“Really, now,” Thomas said. “That’s quite enough. You’ve made your feelings about Lady Valeria known, Lord Milton. We all heard what you’ve had to say. Now, for goodness’ sake, be done with it. No one came to the pub tonight to gossip about that poor young lady.”
“That poor young lady,” Lord Milton said scathingly. “I see that she’s hoodwinked you as thoroughly as she has Lord Harlston. If you ask me, the two of you are just blinded by her good looks, and are unable to see the treacherous serpent lying in wait beneath.”
“How can you speak of a young lady so cruelly?” Thomas asked.
“I know you wouldn’t prefer that I wait until we come face to face again,” Lord Milton said. “I saw the look on your face at Lady Earlington’s dinner. You didn’t like the way I spoke to Lady Valeria there, did you?”
“Nobody liked it,” Henry said. “It was rude and unpleasant. You shamed that poor young lady, and you embarrassed the rest of us.”
“Wait a moment,” Thomas said. “What do you mean, wait until you come face to face again? When do you imagine you’ll ever see Lady Valeria again? I can’t fathom that she would go out of her way to seeyou.”
“Well, she’ll be at Lord Harlston’s dinner party the night after tomorrow, will she not?” Lord Milton said. “So I imagine I’ll see her there.”
Startled, Thomas turned to Henry. “You invitedhim?”
“Calm down, Thomas,” Henry said. “Let’s get you a drink.”
“I can’t believe you invited him.”
Lord Milton was laughing. He turned to one of his friends to whisper something, and Henry took Thomas by the arm and pulled him away and over to the bar.
“You know he outranks you,” Henry said quietly. “He’s an Earl. You’re a Baron.”
“I know what I am,” Thomas snapped. “What difference does that make?”
“He could do you serious damage,” Henry said. “You don’t want an argument with him.”
“Yououtrankhim.”
