What a Reckless Rogue Needs (The Sinful Scoundrels, #2)(103)

After the waiter brought the brandies, Harry sipped his and regarded Colin over his glass. “What news do you have?”

Colin’s expression turned a bit abashed. “I will be a father by late summer.”

“Congratulations,” Harry said. Damn, his friends had become domesticated. He’d never thought he’d see the day. When he signaled the waiter again, Harry ordered beefsteak, potatoes, and cheesecake for his friends.

“Harry, do you still keep rooms at the Albany?” Colin asked.

“Yes, I still have my old rooms.” He’d found them rather comforting. After all of the events that had sent his world spinning, he appreciated the familiarity, including the shabby furnishings.

“What have I missed while I was gone?” Harry asked.

Bell shrugged. “Pembroke lost more hair. Old Lord Leighton is in love with the widowed Lady Atherton, but she swears she prefers her sherry to him.” He paused. “I almost forgot. Justin’s former friend George wrecked the second curricle his father unwisely purchased for him.”

Harry laughed and shook his head. “Some things never change, I suppose.”

“My family is growing,” Bell said. “Stephen is three now, and we have an infant daughter, Sarah.”

Bell had changed a great deal. When they had first met, he’d been rather guarded. Over the course of one season, he’d become an indispensable friend to both Harry and Colin. Bellingham was definitely the sort of fellow one could count on.

When the waiters brought the food, Harry’s stomach growled at the scent of the sizzling beefsteak. He’d not even realized he was famished, but then, he hadn’t eaten well lately. Now that he was relaxing with friends, he wolfed down the beef, potatoes, and cheesecake.

After the waiter brought the coffee, Justin rose. “Please excuse me. Paul just arrived, and I’m planning to trounce him at the billiards table.”

“Go on, then,” Bell said. “Hail a hackney and don’t make a lot of racket when you come home. You do not want to face your mother’s wrath.”

When Justin retreated, Harry said, “You’ve certainly tamed his rebelliousness. Well done.”

Bell set his coffee aside. “He only needed guidance. I suppose we’ll keep him after all.”

“What about your family, Harry?” Bell asked.

He shrugged. “My girl cousins haven’t changed much, but my mother threatens daily to introduce me to the latest beauty on the marriage mart.”

Bell and Colin exchanged amused glances.

“What?” Harry said suspiciously.

“If you decide to get a lag shackle, we could form the old married men’s club,” Bell said.

“Ha-ha,” Harry said, setting his cup aside.

“That reminds me,” Bell said. “Laura invited you to dinner in a sennight.”

Harry narrowed his eyes. “Let me guess. I will be seated next to a lovely lady that your countess has chosen just for me.”

Bell’s shoulders shook with laughter. “Laura will be heartbroken if you do not attend, but don’t feel the least bit obligated.”

Harry snorted. “I just remembered a pressing engagement.”

“How are you holding up?” Colin said.

He’d known Colin since they were boys at Eton. “Well enough, I suppose.”

“Your uncle was an exceptional man,” Colin said. “I have fond memories of spending summers with you at his farm.”


“After his funeral, I kept expecting him to walk into the room,” Harry said. “He was like a father to me.”

“The good principles he taught you will live on inside you,” Bell said, touching his fist to his chest.

It helped to talk about his uncle with his friends.

After they finished their coffee, Bell turned to Harry. “When I came home from the Continent all those years ago, I found the estate business rather overwhelming. Your uncle’s steward and secretary are competent?”

“They are, but I’m not.”

“You’ll manage, but if you need advice or assistance, do not hesitate to contact me,” Bell said. “All the same, I have the greatest confidence in you.”

“I appreciate the offer,” Harry said.

Bell retrieved his watch. “Ah, damn, it’s getting late. I promised Laura I would return before midnight.”

“I must go as well,” Colin said. “My wife and I have an early appointment with an architect. Pity me. Angeline is determined to tear down half the town house I just bought.”

Harry laughed, but truthfully, he was a bit disappointed. In the old days, they would smoke cheroots and drink well past midnight. The differences between himself and his married friends weighed heavily on his mind. He enjoyed their company, but his friends’ priorities had shifted to their families. Nothing would ever be quite the same again.

Harry followed his friends downstairs, where they all donned their outerwear and walked out of the club. His breath frosted and the cold air chafed his cheeks as he shook hands with his friends.

“Can I give you a lift?” Bell said.

“No, it’s only a few blocks,” Harry said. “The streetlamps are lighted and a walk will clear my head.”

The misty fog swirled around him, but it wasn’t too dense tonight. Soon he must buy a carriage. He’d need one for inclement weather, and now that he was a bloody duke, he supposed he ought to have a decent vehicle for traveling. God knew he’d inherited an enormous fortune and could afford whatever caught his fancy. He’d always thought money would bring him happiness, but it hadn’t. Perhaps in time he would feel differently.