little pistol into the waistband of my trousers. I adjusted my shirt to hide it and prayed Lady Harcourt didn't notice it missing from her skirt pocket until she was far from Lichfield Towers.
"Upstairs again with you, Half Pint," Gus said cheerfully.
I walked ahead of them out of the parlor. As we passed the front door, I heard the wheels of a carriage roll away and breathed a sigh.
"You like our Lady Harcourt, eh?" Gus chuckled as we headed up the stairs. "She ain't for the likes of you. Not even if you were ten years older."
"Is she married?" I didn't know why I wanted to know more about the woman. It wasn't like I would see her again. But I found her intriguing. I supposed it was because I'd never met anyone like her before, and it was unlikely I ever would again.
"Widowed," Seth said. "Her husband was Lord Harcourt, from a very ancient and noble line. He was much older than her, and some say she married him for his money and title."
"But you don't?"
"There's never been a whiff of scandal associated with her."
"Why would there be?" Gus said. "She knew which side her bread were buttered on. She'd be a fool to give it all up for a bit of prigging."
Seth rolled his eyes. "Don't be so vulgar, particularly when speaking about Lady Harcourt. She's a true lady, in every sense of the word."
"Except by birth."
"She wasn't noble born?" I asked.
"Nah," Gus said. "School master's daughter. Caught the eye of old Lord Harcourt and got him to the church quick, before his grown children knew what was happening."
"They never said a word against her, though," Seth protested.
"That we know."
"By all accounts, they liked her instantly. One can see why."
"'One can see why,'" Gus mimicked. "One is in love with her, isn't one?"
I saw Seth punch Gus in the shoulder out of the corner of my eye. "You can't know what his family thought of her," I said.
Seth squared his shoulders. "I can and I do. My mother moves in the same circles as the Harcourts." He sighed. "Or used to."
Gus groaned. "Seth's been dying for you to ask about him. Likes to make sure even the prisoners know he's from toff stock."
"There have been other prisoners besides me?"
"Nah. Matter of speech. You're our first."
"That explains why you're not very good jailors," I muttered.
I expected a thump on my arm for my insolence, but Gus only snorted a laugh. Seth didn't seem to have heard me. Although I was curious about his background, and why his circumstances had become so reduced that he'd wound up working as a thug for Fitzroy, I decided not to ask. It was better not to get too friendly with my captors, since I might have to hurt them.
I entered the tower room with a loud sigh, although I was pleased to see A Study In Scarlet on the dressing table near the other books. It wouldn't hurt to while away the afternoon reading it. I couldn't use the pistol and attempt an escape with both Seth and Gus in the room. The barrel was single shot. I would have to wait until there was only one of them.
"Don't think about running off this time," Gus warned. "Death ain't going to be happy when he hears of it."
I shrugged. "I don't care."
"You should. He's dangerous when he's in a rage."
"I'm sure he is, but it's not me he'll be angry with. As a prisoner, my duty is to escape. As my jailors, it's your duty to keep me in here. Which one of us failed?"
Gus swallowed. "What d'you think he'll do to us?" he said to Seth.
Seth gave him a smug smile and patted his shoulder. "He won't do anything to me. I was holding the tray and didn't have my hands free. You were the one supposedly on guard."
"That ain't fair."
"Life isn't fair. If it were, I'd be spending my evenings deflowering virgins instead of cleaning up the sick of a gutter snipe."
"Ha! You couldn't deflower a flower."
"That doesn't make sense. And I'll have you know, the ladies fell over themselves to get to me when I used to attend balls."
"You had money and a good name, then," Gus said, striding for the door.
"Upstairs again with you, Half Pint," Gus said cheerfully.
I walked ahead of them out of the parlor. As we passed the front door, I heard the wheels of a carriage roll away and breathed a sigh.
"You like our Lady Harcourt, eh?" Gus chuckled as we headed up the stairs. "She ain't for the likes of you. Not even if you were ten years older."
"Is she married?" I didn't know why I wanted to know more about the woman. It wasn't like I would see her again. But I found her intriguing. I supposed it was because I'd never met anyone like her before, and it was unlikely I ever would again.
"Widowed," Seth said. "Her husband was Lord Harcourt, from a very ancient and noble line. He was much older than her, and some say she married him for his money and title."
"But you don't?"
"There's never been a whiff of scandal associated with her."
"Why would there be?" Gus said. "She knew which side her bread were buttered on. She'd be a fool to give it all up for a bit of prigging."
Seth rolled his eyes. "Don't be so vulgar, particularly when speaking about Lady Harcourt. She's a true lady, in every sense of the word."
"Except by birth."
"She wasn't noble born?" I asked.
"Nah," Gus said. "School master's daughter. Caught the eye of old Lord Harcourt and got him to the church quick, before his grown children knew what was happening."
"They never said a word against her, though," Seth protested.
"That we know."
"By all accounts, they liked her instantly. One can see why."
"'One can see why,'" Gus mimicked. "One is in love with her, isn't one?"
I saw Seth punch Gus in the shoulder out of the corner of my eye. "You can't know what his family thought of her," I said.
Seth squared his shoulders. "I can and I do. My mother moves in the same circles as the Harcourts." He sighed. "Or used to."
Gus groaned. "Seth's been dying for you to ask about him. Likes to make sure even the prisoners know he's from toff stock."
"There have been other prisoners besides me?"
"Nah. Matter of speech. You're our first."
"That explains why you're not very good jailors," I muttered.
I expected a thump on my arm for my insolence, but Gus only snorted a laugh. Seth didn't seem to have heard me. Although I was curious about his background, and why his circumstances had become so reduced that he'd wound up working as a thug for Fitzroy, I decided not to ask. It was better not to get too friendly with my captors, since I might have to hurt them.
I entered the tower room with a loud sigh, although I was pleased to see A Study In Scarlet on the dressing table near the other books. It wouldn't hurt to while away the afternoon reading it. I couldn't use the pistol and attempt an escape with both Seth and Gus in the room. The barrel was single shot. I would have to wait until there was only one of them.
"Don't think about running off this time," Gus warned. "Death ain't going to be happy when he hears of it."
I shrugged. "I don't care."
"You should. He's dangerous when he's in a rage."
"I'm sure he is, but it's not me he'll be angry with. As a prisoner, my duty is to escape. As my jailors, it's your duty to keep me in here. Which one of us failed?"
Gus swallowed. "What d'you think he'll do to us?" he said to Seth.
Seth gave him a smug smile and patted his shoulder. "He won't do anything to me. I was holding the tray and didn't have my hands free. You were the one supposedly on guard."
"That ain't fair."
"Life isn't fair. If it were, I'd be spending my evenings deflowering virgins instead of cleaning up the sick of a gutter snipe."
"Ha! You couldn't deflower a flower."
"That doesn't make sense. And I'll have you know, the ladies fell over themselves to get to me when I used to attend balls."
"You had money and a good name, then," Gus said, striding for the door.
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