very well. âDid we have a profitable night?â
âWe always have a profitable night. Youâre going to die a wealthy man, Jack.â
Her voice contained a sadness that he didnât miss. He knew she objected to the importance he placed onmoney. He grinned. âWealthier than Iâd anticipated. The Duke of Lovingdon left me a fortune.â
Her green eyes widened. âWhy?â
âBloody hell if I know.â His fingers dug into the leather of the chair. âDid you ever speak to him?â
âWhy would I?â
âHe visited here on occasion.â
âYou know I avoid the gaming area as much as possible.â Fine liquor made their customers friendlier than they might have been otherwise and caused them to misjudge their own appeal. The gaming area was not the place for a lady who wished to avoid the advances of men.
âHe was also an acquaintance of Lukeâs grandfather. I vaguely remember meeting him at the Claybourne residence, showing him the locket.â
âWhat locket?â
The locket contained a miniature of his mother. The night sheâd sold him, sheâd given it to him with the admonishment, âNever forget that I loved you, Jack.â
Loved . Heâd never known what heâd done to lose her love. In time, heâd stopped trying to figure it out. Heâd put all his mental abilities toward surviving.
The day heâd met Lovingdon, heâd been in Claybourneâs garden, studying his motherâs features as drawn on the miniature, trying to determine if she would be disappointed in him if he didnât take advantage of all that the earl was offering him. Heâd hated being in that fancy house. It had reminded him of anotherâ¦
Jack shook his head. âItâs not important. I thought perhaps youâd spoken with him at Claybourneâs.â
âNot that I recall.â
âI donât suppose it matters. Whatâs important is foryou to know I agreed to serve as guardian of his heir, so I may not be around as much as usual.â
âWhy you?â
âThat seems to be the question everyoneâs asking, and again, I havenât a bloody clue.â
âI think youâll make a remarkable guardian.â
Jack laughed. In spite of being raised on the streets, Frannie possessed a bit of innocence when it came to Feaganâs lads. She always believed some goodness resided in them, even when it was buried so deeply they couldnât find it themselves.
âAre you going to tell Luke about your change in fortune?â Frannie asked.
âI already did. I saw him earlier.â He squinted. âI donât think heâs quite forgiven me for my part in his parentsâ death.â It had been only two months since Luke had learned the truth of that fateful day twenty-five years ago, a day that had changed all their lives.
âItâs not your fault. You were only a child. You didnât know what the man had planned when he paid you to lure the family into the alley.â
Thatâs what Jack had claimed, and it wasnât entirely a lie. He hadnât known specifics, but he knew evil when it stared at him. Heâd ignored his suspicions because heâd wanted the sixpence. He lived with the regret every day. He hoped the same wouldnât be true of the bargain heâd struck tonight. He slapped the top of the chair. âIâd best get to my business, make sure all matters have been taken care of so Iâm free in the morning to oversee arrangements regarding my new possessions.â
âI suppose congratulations are in order,â Frannie said softly.
Jack couldnât shake off an ominous sense of foreboding. âCondolences, most like.â He winked at her. ââNight, Frannie.â
He strode down the hallway, stopped in his office to gather up his tobacco and pipe, and continued on to the door that led outside. He stepped into
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