Lady In Distress (The Langley Sisters Book 3) (16 page)

“I have work to do, gentlemen, so I’m afraid I must decline.”

They both snorted, and then laughed loudly.

“What?”

“Us, ha ha. If only Finn could hear you call us gentleman.”

“You are,” Finn said. “By right of birth.”

Ben waved a hand about as he attempted to control his laughter, while Alex sobered enough to grab Luke’s arm and urge him across the street. They seemed to enjoy pushing him about, and the fact that he let them was surprising.

Minutes later, Luke found himself seated at a table with a tankard of ale and hot pie in front of him.
 

“We are gentleman by birth, so you’re right there, but the thing is, Luke, we are not in Finn’s mold, no matter how much he’d like us to be.”

“Name me anyone who is?” Alex said after a large mouthful of ale. He then used the back of his hand to wipe his mouth, after Ben had done the same. He’d found that about noblemen. They were happy to take others to task about manners, but rarely showed any themselves.

“He’s a stickler for society’s rules, Luke, and devilishly smart, which always made it hard to trick him. But we managed,” Alex said, sharing a secret smile with his brother that told Luke there was much Finn did not know about them.

“Yes, if he knew half of what we got up to, the rest of his hair would be gray by now.” Ben look pleased with himself.

“You’re still gentleman,” Luke added.
 

“True, but you seem more concerned with that than we do.” Alex looked at him. “One of our best friends is Ace.” When Luke didn’t appear to recognize the name, he added. “Oliver Dillinger. Have you heard of him?”

“I have.”

Oliver Dillinger was one of the new breed of men, a man born into poverty who had stepped over the divide to enter the world many believed was beyond him. Industrialist and investor, the man had his fingers in many pies and he had a fearful reputation for being a hard businessman.

“Not much is known about him. His father was a miner, but he decided that wasn’t for him and left home at twelve. Ace then came to London and the rest is just speculation on the part of many and embellished over the years, so that now he has a reputation that he either deserves or doesn’t.”

“And he’s never confirmed or denied any of them?” Luke questioned.

Alex shook his head. “From working through the more outrageous tales, we came to the belief that he was one of the best bare knuckle fighters in London for many years, and then ended up as the protector in a brothel.”

Luke whistled at the man’s colorful past.

“He’s now one of the wealthiest men in England. He has many irons in the fire, and owns a vast amount of property.”

“And he is a bruising boxer,” Ben added.
 

“How do you both know him?” Luke said, intrigued.

“He boxes at my club and is the head of the locomotive consortium that Finn and I are involved in.”
 

Luke watched the brothers pass looks between them which he interpreted. “Unless you are going to tell me of a hideous crime you are about to commit, I can tell you that what is spoken between us today will not be shared with either your brother or Will.”

“The thing is, Luke, we got into a spot of trouble one night a few months ago. Walking home from a…”

“Brothel, Ben? For pity’s sake, man, it’s ridiculous how at our age you cannot bring yourself to say the word, yet have been frequenting one for years.”
 

Luke laughed at the look of disgust on Alex’s face.

“Brothel,” Ben added, glaring at his brother. “And we were set on by ten men.”

“Five,” Alex corrected, rolling his eyes.

“We held our own for a while. Alex is a bit soft, a fencer you know, but hopeless with his fists—”

“I can fight, and it was not I that was knocked to the ground!”

He hadn’t laughed like this in ages. Watching Finn’s brother was like watching his siblings. No one could get a word in without the other disputing that word. “And?” he said when they didn’t appear to be stopping.

“And as Alex has stated, I was knocked to the ground. They started into me with their boots and Alex was trying to stop them when, suddenly, Ace appeared. He pulled the men off and between the three of us we were able to send them on their way.”

“And Finn has no idea about this?” Luke questioned.

“He knows some of it,” Ben said. “Ace had to help carry me home and it was Finn who thanked him. They are acquainted through this, but also through business. Will knows Ace, too.”

He would
, Luke thought. Will knew everyone of power in England and if he didn’t, he learned about them, and then imparted the knowledge to Luke. It had always been Will’s way, to talk to Luke about everything that went on in his life. Consequently, Luke knew a great deal about a great many people.

“You should meet him.” Ben rose to his feet, followed by Alex, so Luke did the same.
 

“I’m not sure why?”
 

“Because you’ll like him,” Alex said simply, to which Luke had no reply.
 

He found himself once again walking down the street as the twins laughed, talked and argued with each other, and soon they were entering a gray stone building. Luke smelt sweat and heard the rumble of voices as they climbed stairs and entered a large room. He heard the sound of fists connecting with flesh and then the shouts from the spectators as he watched a man stumble backwards.
 

“Ace is fighting,” Ben said, moving to where the biggest man Luke had ever seen was taking on another big man, who appeared dwarfed by the colossus. He’d heard of this man’s reputation, but had not heard it was equaled in stature.
 

Considering Luke, Finn and he were not small men, it was saying something that Ace would outstrip them in both weight and height.
 

“That’s Ace,” Alex said unnecessarily, as they moved closer.
 

Ace was stripped to the waist. Luke could see the bands of muscles on his chest and across his shoulders. His hair was long, and tied back to form a long black tail between his shoulder blades. With his body slick from sweat and the savage expression on his face, he looked a man who would be best to have on your side at all times. Wincing as he rammed his fist into his opponent’s stomach, Luke watched the man’s knees buckle and he fell to the ground.
 

“Hasn’t been beaten, to the best of my knowledge,” Alex said softly. “And Ben is, to date, the only one who’s managed to survive the longest in the ring with him. But you’ll never hear me say that out loud, or with any pride.”
 

Luke shook his head but remained silent as the big man pulled his opponent to his feet and sat him on a chair which had been provided. He then took a cloth, and began to wipe himself down. Climbing from the ring, the man they called Ace then came towards them.

He had fought enough people himself to know this man would be an ox to fell. Luke had battled many foes at Will’s side, some big, others mean, and they had learned to fight dirty to come out on top. He had little doubt that those skills would be frowned upon in here.

“Alex, Ben.” As expected, Oliver Dillinger had a deep rumbling voice that sounded like approaching thunder.
 

“Ace, like you to meet a friend of ours, Luke Fletcher. Luke, meet Oliver Dillinger.” Luke and Dillinger eyed each other as Ben introduced them.
 

“Mr. Fletcher, I’ve heard of you.”

“Mr. Dillinger.” Luke accepted the handshake. “I can’t imagine in what capacity.”

“Do you box?” the man then said, nodding towards the ring behind him.

“No.”

“Not in a ring, at least,” Alex added. “I’ve heard the stories about you from Finn,” he added when Luke raised an eyebrow. “How you all fought your way out of a few situations in India.”

“Care to try?”

“As I have no wish to wear my nose under my ear, Mr. Dillinger, I will have to refuse your kind offer,” Luke drawled.

Alex hooted with laughter, and the giant before him smiled. The gesture made him suddenly appear human and less like a statue of a Roman god.

“With Ben,” he clarified. “He’ll be nice to you as you’re friends.”

And like the rest of the day had been, before he knew what was happening, he was stripped to the waist and in the ring. Of course, if he hadn’t been curious he would never have allowed them to get him in here. Luke had been his own man for many years, even though he served another.
 

Ben circled him a bit, taunting him, but Luke had been taunted by Will, who could annoy a saint into retaliation, so he simply smiled and landed a blow to Ben’s chin that pushed him back a few steps.
 

Hoots came from Alex, and Luke heard the rumble of Dillinger, but he focused on Ben, who was suddenly no longer laughing but deadly serious.
 

They battled, each trading blows in, until finally the fight was called to a halt. Luke winced as he stepped through the ropes. His ribs hurt, as did his jaw.
 

“It’ll be you that I’ll send Finn after, if my eye is black for our appointment this afternoon, Ben.” Luke said accepting the cloth Alex handed him and wiped the sweat from his body. The exercise felt good. All the pent-up feelings that Bella produced in him had needed an outlet, and Ben had been it.

“That’s right. Finn said you’d found out that the man doing his accounting was swindling him.” Ben wiped his body as he spoke. Luke was pleased to note a bruise forming on his chin; at least he was not the only one who would bear a few marks tomorrow.

“According to our brother, no one is Luke’s equal with numbers, and he can find any discrepancies, do tallies and mathematic computations without a drop of sweat beading his brow,” Alex said.

Luke felt Dillinger’s eyes on him again as he began to pull on the rest of his clothes.

“I would be grateful for your advice if that is indeed the case, Mr. Fletcher.”

“Are you being swindled then, Mr. Dillinger?”
 

“Yes, Mr. Fletcher, I believe I am, and I’d be willing to pay you for your expertise.”

Luke thought about that as he shrugged into his jacket. Turning to face the giant, he came to a decision. “How about I assist you and you find me a house here in London?”

Oliver Dillinger stuck out one large hand. “Deal.”

CHAPTER NINE

Bella didn’t want Luke to be the one to drive her and Thea to the ball, yet could do nothing to stop him as she had heard Will saying that Moses was ill and, at such short notice, there was no other. She was nervous and tense and hadn’t wanted to add to those feelings by seeing him also this evening. But here she was, after being primped and pampered, and dressed in the most beautiful gown she had ever owned, walking towards the carriage, where he stood, awaiting them.
 

“Good evening.” He smiled at them all, but his eyes found and caught hers.

“Thank you for stepping in like this, Luke. We could have hired someone, but Will said you insisted.”

“I enjoy driving, Livvy. You have nothing to thank me for.”

“I did not see you today, Luke.” Will took his wife’s hand and helped her into the carriage after they had greeted him.

“I had business to attend to, Will. Did you need me for anything in particular?”

“Nothing that can’t wait until tomorrow.”

Luke helped Thea into the carriage next and then turned to hold out his hand towards Bella, and she could do nothing but place her gloved fingers into it. They closed briefly, trapping hers inside.

“I hope your evening is everything you wish it to be, Bella.”

“Thank you. I hope so, too.”
But I wish you were coming with me. With you around, I always feel stronger.
 

“I don’t remember ever feeling this nervous,” she said once she was settled inside and the carriage began its journey

“It is no different for me, Thea.” Bella pressed a hand to her stomach, where the churning was making her feel ill.

“Big breaths, little sisters,” Will said. “The men of society are about to be thrown back on their heels by your arrival and I would ask only one thing of you.”

“What?” Bella and Thea asked at once.

“Make sure you do not fall for one of those young idiots with inflated egos and little intelligence, I beg of you.”

They managed a nervous giggle.

“I believe my sister found the last one.”

“Bella Langley, you little witch. Are you saying I have a huge ego?” Will’s eyes twinkled as he teased them. Bella knew he was intent on making them relax, but she feared his efforts were not working.

“No, silly,” Thea said. “She meant you had no intelligence.”

Will growled at his sister which made her laugh again.

When the carriage stopped, she and Thea shared a nervous glance.

“At least Livvy is here with us,” Bella said.

“And I am here, too,” Will added.

“And you,” Bella whispered, looking around her as Luke helped her down from the carriage, moving to one side to let the rest of the family follow.