Thomas nodded. He knew there was nothing he could do to convince his friend to stay behind. And the truth was, it was reassuring to know that Duncan would be by his side.
If I had any questions remaining about my wisdom in trusting him, that’s put them to bed. Of course he can be trusted. Only a great friend would walk into danger for my sake, time and again.
“Besides,” Duncan said, “she’s my cousin. This matters to me almost as much as it does to you. Henry has been tampering in my family’s affairs. What kind of man would I be if I didn’t confront him?”
Thomas nodded. “I suppose there’s some truth to that,” he said. “Well, just know that I’ll be very glad to have you by my side, Duncan. Knowing that I have a friend with me makes this all much easier to face.”
“What will you do if we find him?” Duncan asked.
“What do you mean?”
“We’ll have to decide whether or not to turn him over to the constables,” Duncan said.
“The constables are already looking for him. We’ve already told them what he did.”
“I know. But if we find him, should we bring him in ourselves?” Duncan asked. “That might be a difficult thing to face. Perhaps it would be enough simply to get answers from him—to find out why he betrayed us, and to tell him all we know.”
Thomas shook his head. “That would satisfy me,” he said. “I won’t deny it. But it wouldn’t guarantee Lady Valeria’s safety, and in the end, that’s what this is really all about. I want her to be safe from harm. That can’t happen while Henry is still free.”
“Do you really think he would act against her once again, after we’ve told him that we know everything he did?” Duncan asked. “I confess, it occurs to me that he might be shamed out of it.”
“I don’t think we can count on that,” Thomas said. “We thought we understood what kind of man Henry was, but we were wrong. We’ve always been wrong about him, haven’t we? His nature, his true nature, is much darker than anything we ever suspected. So I can’t trust that he will make the right choice, that his decisions will be affected by shame or the realization of what he’s done. I can’t trust him ever again.”
“It’s tragic,” Duncan said. “You’re right. I know you’re right. And yet, I can’t forget the years the three of us have spent as friends. Henry has been my closest companion, other than yourself. To know now that he was never who I thought him to be—I don’t know. It’s a difficult thing to realize.”
“Yes, it is,” Thomas said. “But it’s better to know.”
Duncan nodded his agreement.
“Perhaps once we’ve found him you ought to ride for the constables,” Thomas said. “I can keep him where he is while you bring them back.”
Duncan glanced at him. “You don’t really think I’m going to agree to that, I’m sure?”
“No, I suppose not,” Thomas said.
“It’s too dangerous for either of us to be alone with him,” Duncan said firmly. “What we’ll have to do is find a member of his household to go for the constables while we hold him.”
“But why would they do that?” Thomas asked. “They’re going to be loyal to Henry, not to us. They won’t do as we ask. In fact, I’m sure they’ll do all they can to prevent us from apprehending him in the first place. If there’s one thing I know about Henry, it’s that he was always kind to those who served him. He knew how to get what he wanted from people, and he almost always did it by treating them well. I’m sure his servants are the most loyal you could ever hope to find.”
“You’re probably right,” Duncan said. “We’ll just have to hope that someone is willing to take our side, in the name of doing the right thing. It’s always possible that someone will put morality above loyalty.”
Thomas nodded. It was certainly possible. But he knew that they couldn’t count on it. This was going to be very difficult.
It would be emotionally complicated, too, turning his best friend in like this, knowing what it would mean for Henry’s future. But that was something he would just have to face. He forced himself not to think too hard about what they were about to do. He knew that he would just need to be strong and to get through it. There would be time to mourn the loss of his friendship when it was all over.
Right now, I need to be focused on what Lady Valeria needs.
As though he was following Thomas’ thoughts, Duncan said, “What did you and Valeria talk about when we left you alone in the sitting room?”
Thomas hesitated. He wasn’t sure how much of what had happened he wanted to share. That had been a very special moment.
“We talked about the future,” he said at last. “About what will happen when Henry is apprehended, and I’m free from the darkness Crowle has cast over my life.”
“And what conclusions did you reach?” Duncan asked. “Whatwillhappen?”
“You’ve known all along that I’d like to court her again,” Thomas said.
“True,” Duncan said. “But I haven’t known how she felt about the matter. Did she give you any indication as to whether she would be interested in having you back?”
