Lady Olivia And The Infamous Rake. Janice Preston

a stand-up argument here, with so many eyes and ears around.

      ‘I left later. I happened to come across her being accosted by some youths.’

      Alex hung his head at that. ‘I know I shouldn’t have left,’ he mumbled, ‘but, well... Marie Shelton! You know how it is...’

      Hugo did. That was the problem. He knew exactly how it was for Alex because, not so many years ago, that had been him. Only he didn’t have an impetuous and, seemingly, fearless younger sister to watch out for.

      ‘You should take care around Marie,’ he said. ‘She was put up to it by Sir Peter Tadlow, some scheme to get at your father through you. Did you meet up with him again, by chance?’

      Alex’s flush deepened. ‘What if we did?’

      ‘What happened, Alex?’ Freddie asked. ‘What did Tadlow want?’

      ‘We had a friendly game of hazard, after...after...when we were on our way back to Clevedon’s box. And we were all to go on to a gaming club together, only then I remembered Olivia and I came back for her. It’s not my fault she took it into her head to wander off alone, is it?’

      ‘You stupid young pup,’ Hugo growled. ‘Stay away from that pair and from Marie Shelton. They’ll fleece you for all—’

      ‘What is it to you?’ Alex’s eyes blazed as he thrust his face close to Hugo’s. ‘It’s none of your concern what I do and who I do it with. I can take care of myself. C’mon, Nev.’

      He pivoted on his heel and stalked away through the crowd. Neville, with an apologetic shrug, followed. Hugo heaved a sigh.

      ‘That,’ he said, ‘is an unhappy young man.’

      Freddie’s brows rose and he gave a rueful smile. ‘He is. He is...difficult, far too ready to fly up in the boughs. Even his father struggles to get through to him at times. He heeds his aunt, Lady Cecily, and sometimes his uncle, but seems to harbour some deep-rooted hostility towards the Duke. The trouble is... I was asked to keep an eye on him while the Duke and my sister are away, but I simply cannot go to all the places he can.

      ‘That is why I feel I must tell the Duke about tonight, despite what Olivia wants. Someone must keep watch over Alex.’

      ‘What about Avon? Surely he is better placed than you.’

      Freddie huffed a laugh. ‘They’re brothers. They get on well enough, but if Dominic tries to tell Alex what to do, Alex is just as likely to do the opposite. He can be like it with his father, too, only not so overtly—he has no choice but to accept his authority most of the time, especially now with the carrot of Foxbourne dangling in front of him.’

      ‘I’ll help you to keep an eye out for him,’ Hugo said, before he could censor his words.

      ‘You?’ Freddie eyed him with suspicion. ‘Why would you want to do that?’

       Why indeed?

      Hugo had made it his business in life never to put himself out for anyone and yet here he was...

      ‘He reminds me of myself at his age.’ That much was true, at least. ‘And it offends me that a man such as Tadlow would use a young man to punish his father. I should like to at least protect him from that. Only until his father returns, of course.’

      ‘In that case, I shall accept your offer with pleasure. The Duke should be back by midweek so it will be a weight off my mind if you can help me watch over him until then. Thank you. You will alert me if there is anything you feel I should know?’

      ‘Of course.’

      Freddie bowed and then limped away, leaving Hugo to return to Clevedon’s birthday celebrations, which were still in full swing, but without the guest of honour. Nobody could tell Hugo where Clevedon had gone, or how long ago he had left, leaving Hugo with no choice but to resolve to speak to him the next day.

      Tadlow and Marie were both there and Hugo joined their conversation. They already trusted him and he hoped to discover their plans for Alex, but Tadlow was too foxed to make much sense and, when his head sank to the table and his eyes closed, Hugo admitted defeat. He would have to try again when the man was sober. He tried to recapture the party spirit, but within half an hour he was stifling yawns and casting a jaded eye over the rest of the company as he wondered idly what the devil he was doing still there. His wandering gaze paused on Marie as her full lips stretched in a come-hither smile, one brow arching in invitation and her blue eyes aglow with promise. Hugo, however, felt not the smallest urge to respond. Instead, a pair of wide, black-fringed silver eyes materialised in his mind’s eye.

      This time it was a curse he stifled. He drained his glass and stood up. Marie reached out, slipped her hand beneath his coat, and curved her hand around his buttock, squeezing, but Hugo sidestepped, out of her reach. Unsettled, and with a quiet anger humming through him, he could not wait to get away. He was in no mood for more of these people. They could go to hell as far as he was concerned.

      ‘Goodnight,’ he said abruptly and walked away.