“I’m on half-pay. It’s not the same as being discharged. Technically, I am still an officer, and still capable of being called up to serve. But in reality, a man with my . . . difficulties would be overlooked when it came to calling up soldiers on half-pay.”
“Ah, I see,” Thornstock said. “As long as you can legitimately wear the uniform, that’s fine with me. And ladies do find officers in uniform appealing, don’t they, Sis?”
Something flared in her gaze. “So I’ve heard.”
The duke smirked at her before continuing his interrogation of Joshua. “What about regular attire? You’d hardly want to wear your uniform to accompany Gwyn on her shopping jaunts, for example.”
“Oh, Lord,” Gwyn said. “He’ll be going with me on those, too?”
“As long as Malet is a threat,” Joshua said, “I will be going with you everywhere.” He returned his attention to the duke. “I have regular clothes that should be perfectly appropriate.” Granted, some of them might be moth-eaten and out of fashion, but he wasn’t about to admit that to Thornstock, duke or no.
“If you need a tailor,” the duke said, “let me know, and I can recommend one who can fit you out.”
Joshua fought the urge to laugh in his face. A tailor. Thornstock clearly hadn’t ever had to deal with a dearth of funds or he would realize how absurd his offer was. Lack of a reliable tailor was the least of Joshua’s problems. “Thank you.”
As if Lady Gwyn guessed the reason for Joshua’s terse reply, she said, “Or if you’d rather, one of my half brothers could loan you a few things.”
“I appreciate the thought,” he said. This conversation had begun to grate, and the one thing he must not do in front of these two was lose his temper. That would very quickly ruin any chance he had of going to London with them. “I do have one question for the duke. Where will I be residing while in town?”
Thornstock frowned. “I assumed you’d be willing to stay at the Armitage town house with Mother and Gwyn. Knowing that you’re there to look after them will relieve me, and because Mother is also your aunt, that should make it perfectly respectable. And Sheridan will be there eventually.”
“Why wouldn’t Major Wolfe stay withyou?” Lady Gwyn asked.
Was she blushing? Impossible. Unlike his own sister, Lady Gwyn never blushed. Still, her cheeks seemed scarlet just now, and the mere thought of her blushing sparked an unwise fire in his blood.
The duke narrowed his gaze on her. “Because I don’t want him to, for one thing.”
“Of course not.” She flashed her brother a calculating look. “How silly of me to think you might give up some of your bachelor habits for a month or two.”
“How typical of you to assume that’s why,” he said lightly, though his eyes were ice. “The truth is, Wolfe can’t very well protect you if he’s living in another household.”
“Itwouldbe best for me to reside with you and your mother, Lady Gwyn,” Joshua said. “Though I don’t know about the propriety of it.”
“It’s not the propriety I care about,” Lady Gwyn bit out. “It’s the idea of having my every action scrutinized!”
“I’ll do my best to give you your privacy at the town house,” Joshua said, “but when we’re in public, I should accompany you most plainly, so that Malet doesn’t even attempt an attack.”
The woman seemed unsure how to answer that.
“I agree with Wolfe,” Thornstock said. “Now, on to another matter, sir. Have you a weapon smaller than that flintlock pistol I see peeking from your greatcoat pocket?”
“Actually, it’s a seven-barreled Nock pepperbox.”
“Good God, I’ve never seen one, though I knew they existed.” Thornstock held out his hand. “May I look at it?”
Joshua handed over his weapon. He was proud of it, having purchased it from a fellow marine officer when the man had retired.
Thornstock looked it over with a clearly admiring gaze. “This is quite a pistol. No wonder you frightened Malet off. I take it you have to turn the barrels manually?”
Joshua nodded.
Thornstock handed the pistol back to Joshua. “Unfortunately, you can’t go haulingthatabout in society. The ladies will swoon to see a mammoth weapon like that.”
Lady Gwyn snorted. “Men! We don’t swoon at everything.”
“Youdon’t,” Thornstock said, “but even you must admit that you’re not the average lady.”
Truer words had never been spoken. Shoving his pistol back into his greatcoat pocket, Joshua smiled thinly. “In any case, my Nock pepperbox should do for circumstances outside of society. Though it appears rather the worse for wear, it still fires effectively.”
