A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel (The Doomsday Books, #2)

by K.J. Charles

“I said right now!” Emily snapped. “Or I’ll send for the Doomsdays to do it!” “I can break down my own doors,” Rufus said. “Get me an axe.”

“Is this a priest’s hole?” “We’re not Catholics, Oxney.”

“And who knows about it?” “Me. And you, now. To be honest, I liked having somewhere that nobody could find me.”

“Luke!” He moved his hands and looked up, and Rufus simply grabbed him, heaving him out of that accursed box and into his arms by main force.

“Oh God, oh God, don’t let go. Rufus. No, I am not all right. It was so dark,” Luke said into his shoulder. “So dark and so quiet and they left me in there—” “Who?” “Conrad, Matilda, Pauncefoot. Don’t let go!” “I won’t.” Rufus was trying to hold all of Luke in his arms at once. It wasn’t physically possible, but he didn’t let that stop him. “I will not let you go, I will never let you go. I have you. You’re safe.”

“My Doomsday. The end of my world.” “Oh God.” Luke gave a little hiccuppy noise. “This is dreadful. I only meant to seduce you so I could find the money and look what you did.” “What?” “Seduced me. You’ve got my balls and my spine and my heart and my soul in the palm of your hand, and I love you desperately. I wish I’d said weeks ago, I wish I’d told you—” “And instead you re-invented your handwriting to make my life a little easier. For God’s sake, stop talking.”

“You found your gold?” “Don’t expect me to be excited,” Luke said. “I already lost you over it, so to discover I was going to die for it—Joss was right. It’s ill-omened.” “Nonsense,” Rufus said. “You never lost me, and you’re not dead. You read too many novels.” “I’m not reading another Gothic novel as long as I live. At least there weren’t amphibians in there.”

If Luke developed a taste for obscure historical references, Rufus might run screaming.

“I blame your grandfather,” Luke said. “And the years of inbreeding, obviously, and Conrad and Matilda’s grotesque overweening pride, but in large part your grandfather. You can’t keep people under your thumb like that and not squash them out of shape.”

“We’d better go and make sure it’s safe. I want you to have it.” “Why?” Rufus turned to him, and ran a gentle thumb over the face that turned up to his. “You wanted control of your life. You want a home, and a safe place, and to put the past to rest, and to help Sir Gareth. I want you to have all of that.”

Also, Rufus?” “Mmm?” Luke grabbed him, tugging his head down, and kissed him. “I adore you, seigneur.”

Luke would keep the other five thousand. He’d earned it, in a way, and it made Rufus happier to know that his lover and secretary was a man of independent means who could stay or leave at will. A choice, he’d said, as if Luke had a meaningful one of those where Rufus was concerned.

“It sounds as though Oxney deserves a rest. I do like him, and I’ve waited a very long time to see you happy, you little wretch. Er, you should know Joss is also downstairs, allying with Oxney against the children.” Luke dropped the papers he was picking up. “You’re joking.” “Let me get those. No, not at all. They hit it off at once.”

“Did I tell you, Emily was set to have the Doomsdays storm Stone Manor when I went missing?” “Of course she was, and thank the Lord she didn’t. I had to sit on Joss to stop him going after the Conrads as it was. Did you doubt they’d act for you?”

“I’ve spent a deal more time thinking about what I wanted to gain, and resenting what I didn’t have, than noticing what I actually had. That’s obtuse.”

“I said you had no ethics. Clearly you don’t. But you do have morals, albeit very Doomsday ones, and—oh, come here.” He gave Luke a hard hug. “I’m proud of you.”