Free Always His Earl by Cheryl Dragon Page B

He charged into what used to be his mother’s bedroom and saw Myles sitting on the bed.
    “You didn’t join the navy on your own?” George stood over the other man.
    “No. Why would I choose that over you? My father forced it on me. It was my punishment. He found out about us.” Myles shook his head. “We were all in London for the Season. My father and brother dragged me off to a brothel after one late party. I wasn’t being social enough with the young ladies. After my mother died, those two were always drinking, whoring, and gaming. They paid a woman to give me confidence. I went in and couldn’t perform.”
    Myles’ face burned like the noon sun on deck. George knelt down as he felt the world shifting beneath his feet.
    “You’re not a good liar.” George smiled.
    “Never have been. Though war teaches you some skills, I suppose. I tried to pay her off to say I’d done the job. But my father and brother were listening at the door. We went back to the house, and Father tossed my room like I was a thieving servant. He found your notes to me.”
    George shook his head. “You and Claire deserved better than the family you were born to.”
    “Father wouldn’t look the other way. He lost his mind. I told him we’d go into business together. No one would know.
    “Basil would marry Claire and we’d all be one family. I tried to convince him his grandson would be an earl.” Myles rubbed the back of his neck.
    “He didn’t believe you? Or didn’t care. Your father never liked me.” George’s shock grew. What Myles had to endure alone... Old man Harris was the devil. He hadn’t only threatened George but his own son.
    “A young man with a title and more money than he’d ever need? If you had married Claire, Father would’ve loved you. Your honor got in the way. In that one discovery, he had all the power in the world over me. He threatened to expose you. I pointed out it would ruin our family as well, and I’d be hanged while you’d end up in exile somewhere.”
    “So he shipped you off into the navy.” George hugged the man he’d hated for so long.
    Myles nodded. “He said if I went to see you before, he’d spread the word you were seen at a Molly-House after I’d left. He’d bribe people to back his story. Even have our servants claim you’d abused them. I knew he’d do it. Since I never heard anything, I assume he never actually had to.”
    “Not that I’ve ever heard about. Why didn’t you write to me? Tell me it was all your father’s doing?” George sat next to Myles.
    Myles leaned back. “He said if I had any contact with you, he’d expose you. If you knew, you might have confronted him, and he’d make good on the threats. He had your notes so he could prove it. He also promised he’d disown me if I left the navy or if I contacted you. He could ruin us both and walk away. He still had his heir so Father had no use for me. I could’ve taken it. With a little warning, I’d have run off somewhere, but trapped on a navy vessel there was no out.
    “If the men on the ship caught wind of my tastes, I’d be arrested. Sex with men because there are no women is acceptable, but if you wouldn’t rather have a woman, you’re a criminal. If the navy found anything in my letters, it’d be the same problem. You have a title and people counting on you as well. Going into exile would’ve been devastating. After seeing what trouble our notes caused, there was no way I’d dare put anything in writing that could be misconstrued.”
    “I don’t blame you. Your father was a bastard. I thought you went to the navy for variety and escape. Your father told me...” George pressed his lips together. “He deceived us both. He had the whip hand, and we fell for it.”
    “It wasn’t a game. He’d have acted on his threats if we stepped out of line. Plus, he’d enjoy it. Taking down an earl. Look at what he did to Claire. She never did anything wrong. I have to know all the truth. What did he