leaves Liddy."
"Liddy?"
"Yes. For some reason the Duke of Chisolmwood picked Liddy for his daughter-in-law and did whatever it took to get her."
"But why would knowing his daughter would be a duchess be so difficult for Father to accept?"
"Did something happen...between Chisolmwood and your father?"
"Hell, I don’t ever remember Chisolmwood’s name being mentioned in our home."
"Maybe there was a reason...his name was...never mentioned," Gabriel said, knowing his words were slurred.
"If there was, I’m not aware of it. I’ll ask Harrison." Austin was silent for several seconds, then said, "I received a message this morning."
Gabriel closed his eyes. "From whom?"
"From Thorn."
Gabriel struggled to open his eyes and fought to make his way back through the haze. "Why the hell didn’t you tell me before you poured laudanum down my throat?"
"After Lydia finished with you I didn’t think you could stand much more."
Gabriel fought to stay alert. Thorn was the agent who issued their orders. Whatever Austin received had to be important.
"I have to return."
"When?"
"The end of next week. There’s a ship leaving on the twenty-third."
Gabriel experienced a wave of unease. "I’m afraid you’ll have to make this trip by yourself."
Austin laughed. "Are you worried that I’ll get lost without you?"
Gabriel answered him on a lighter note than he felt. "There’s always that possibility."
"Hardly, my friend. If I do, Thorn will find me. He has that uncanny knack."
Gabriel blinked twice as the haze clouding his eyes grew thicker. "Do you know what I regretted when I thought I might not survive? That I was going to die without knowing Thorn’s identity."
Austin laughed. "It’s amazing, isn’t it? For more than a year we’ve taken orders from a man we’ve never met." Austin leveled a serious expression at Gabriel. "Do you have any idea who he is?"
Gabriel shook his head. "All I know is...the man’s phenomenal. He knows exactly where to send us and what we’ll find when we arrive. He knows when every meeting is going to take place and what orders are going to come down before our commanding officers know. He’s got to have connections."
"Do you think he’s a member of the nobility?"
Gabriel had already considered the possibility and knew he probably was. "That would explain how he has access to information only a very few in England have."
"Is he the reason you knew about the papers the Russian general had?"
Gabriel nodded. "I got a note...with a thorn." He wouldn’t be able to stay awake much longer. Austin must have realized it too. He reached over to squeeze Gabriel’s shoulder, then stood.
"I’ll give our mysterious Thorn your regards if we meet." He extinguished all the lamps in the room but one. "Now, get some rest. We’ll talk more tomorrow."
Gabriel watched his friend take another step out of the room and stopped him. "Will you do me one favor before you sail?"
"Anything. What do you need?"
"A place...to live."
"You’re not ready to leave. Harrison won’t hear of it and neither will I."
Gabriel wanted to laugh but couldn’t. "It won’t be today, but—" He paused. "...soon."
"It’s Lydia, isn’t it?"
"Staying here isn’t good for either of us."
Austin stepped back into the shadows on the far side of the room. "Damn Chisolmwood for what he did to you and Lydia. Damn Father."
"Things worked out for the best, considering. You and I would have gone to the Crimea. I would have come back...like I am." Gabriel rubbed the ache in his leg while he waited for the laudanum to completely take over. "At least now...Liddy will have a partner...to dance with at all those balls she’s so fond of attending."
"And what will you have?"
Gabriel breathed a heavy sigh. "I have a small estate...brothers are managing while I’m gone. When I’m well enough...I’ll go there. I always intended to...live in the country."
"But that was when you thought Liddy would be there with you."
Gabriel
"Liddy?"
"Yes. For some reason the Duke of Chisolmwood picked Liddy for his daughter-in-law and did whatever it took to get her."
"But why would knowing his daughter would be a duchess be so difficult for Father to accept?"
"Did something happen...between Chisolmwood and your father?"
"Hell, I don’t ever remember Chisolmwood’s name being mentioned in our home."
"Maybe there was a reason...his name was...never mentioned," Gabriel said, knowing his words were slurred.
"If there was, I’m not aware of it. I’ll ask Harrison." Austin was silent for several seconds, then said, "I received a message this morning."
Gabriel closed his eyes. "From whom?"
"From Thorn."
Gabriel struggled to open his eyes and fought to make his way back through the haze. "Why the hell didn’t you tell me before you poured laudanum down my throat?"
"After Lydia finished with you I didn’t think you could stand much more."
Gabriel fought to stay alert. Thorn was the agent who issued their orders. Whatever Austin received had to be important.
"I have to return."
"When?"
"The end of next week. There’s a ship leaving on the twenty-third."
Gabriel experienced a wave of unease. "I’m afraid you’ll have to make this trip by yourself."
Austin laughed. "Are you worried that I’ll get lost without you?"
Gabriel answered him on a lighter note than he felt. "There’s always that possibility."
"Hardly, my friend. If I do, Thorn will find me. He has that uncanny knack."
Gabriel blinked twice as the haze clouding his eyes grew thicker. "Do you know what I regretted when I thought I might not survive? That I was going to die without knowing Thorn’s identity."
Austin laughed. "It’s amazing, isn’t it? For more than a year we’ve taken orders from a man we’ve never met." Austin leveled a serious expression at Gabriel. "Do you have any idea who he is?"
Gabriel shook his head. "All I know is...the man’s phenomenal. He knows exactly where to send us and what we’ll find when we arrive. He knows when every meeting is going to take place and what orders are going to come down before our commanding officers know. He’s got to have connections."
"Do you think he’s a member of the nobility?"
Gabriel had already considered the possibility and knew he probably was. "That would explain how he has access to information only a very few in England have."
"Is he the reason you knew about the papers the Russian general had?"
Gabriel nodded. "I got a note...with a thorn." He wouldn’t be able to stay awake much longer. Austin must have realized it too. He reached over to squeeze Gabriel’s shoulder, then stood.
"I’ll give our mysterious Thorn your regards if we meet." He extinguished all the lamps in the room but one. "Now, get some rest. We’ll talk more tomorrow."
Gabriel watched his friend take another step out of the room and stopped him. "Will you do me one favor before you sail?"
"Anything. What do you need?"
"A place...to live."
"You’re not ready to leave. Harrison won’t hear of it and neither will I."
Gabriel wanted to laugh but couldn’t. "It won’t be today, but—" He paused. "...soon."
"It’s Lydia, isn’t it?"
"Staying here isn’t good for either of us."
Austin stepped back into the shadows on the far side of the room. "Damn Chisolmwood for what he did to you and Lydia. Damn Father."
"Things worked out for the best, considering. You and I would have gone to the Crimea. I would have come back...like I am." Gabriel rubbed the ache in his leg while he waited for the laudanum to completely take over. "At least now...Liddy will have a partner...to dance with at all those balls she’s so fond of attending."
"And what will you have?"
Gabriel breathed a heavy sigh. "I have a small estate...brothers are managing while I’m gone. When I’m well enough...I’ll go there. I always intended to...live in the country."
"But that was when you thought Liddy would be there with you."
Gabriel
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