A Lover of Men by Julia Talbot

might as well be the best of friends.” Lelia smiled tightly. “Off we go, then.” She stomped to the entryway, shouting for Jack to bring her coat.
    “Miss Lelia.” Jack skidded to a halt in front of her. “If I may voice my opinion.”
    “No, you may not. My coat.” The knocker slammed against the door once more, and Lelia shrieked softly. “Oh, damn my nerves.”
    Jack leaped to open the door, and Lelia thought he was as overset as she was by all the comings and goings. The door had barely opened when Eustace and Amelie pushed inside, alarm clear in their expressions.
    “Lelia! We had a message that you were in grave danger. What on earth has happened now?” Eustace came to her, taking both of her hands in his.
    “I am in no danger save that of my head exploding! I need to find Phineas and Rafe.”
    “Who are you, sir?” Amelie asked, reminding Lelia Nicolas stood there, smiling.
    “Nicolas Marner. A friend of Mr. Gaudi’s.”
    Amelie clapped her hands with apparent delight. “Are you a spy, too?”
    “Er—” Nicolas looked to Amelie with wide eyes, appealing to her.
    “Oh, for Heaven’s sake. Jack, more tea and something to eat please. This time I will pour.” When Eustace stared at her, she flapped a hand in irritation. “I shall explain. Mr. Marner, if you would be good enough to go and find my future husband and his dear friend Mr. Gaudi?”
    Shoulders squaring, Nicolas fired off a salute. “Yes, ma’am. I shall return as soon as possible.” With that, he left them, nodding to Amelie and Eustace.
    “What a lovely man,” Amelie murmured, her cheeks pink.
    Eustace rolled his eyes. “Someone had better explain something to me soon.”
    “Oh, come and sit.” Furious, Lelia led the way to the parlor, which was so much less formal than the drawing room. Worry gnawed at her, but Rafe was out there, and now this Nicolas, who seemed perfectly capable of violence if need be.
    She had to believe one or both of them would manage to keep Phineas safe.
     
    ****
     
    Phineas woke, his head feeling as if someone was splitting it open like an egg. When he tried to open his eyes, he gagged, the light spearing into his brain. Good God, who had hit him from behind? Richard Mattheson had been standing in front of him. So who was the partner?
    He rolled to one side, which was when he found his hands bound behind him. He curled his hands into fists, testing the bonds, and pain shot through his shoulders. Damn. Someone had done a fine job binding him up. The rough, damp wood beneath him made him wonder if he’d been tossed on a ship, but soon enough he realized he was in some sort of mews, the smell of horse manure strong in his nose.
    Phineas opened his eyes again, slowly this time. A lamp hung on a beam, lighting his surroundings. Yes, definitely a small, private stable, and he lay on a walkway made of boards, which at least saved his attire from the mud and shit.
    They clearly had not known what to do with him once they had him.
    Phineas wiggled to a seated position, groaning softly when his head throbbed. He hoped none of his brain had leaked out of that crack…
    “We can’t just kill him! I was the last one seen with him. They’ll know it was me.” That was Richard, Ned’s bastard brother. His voice sounded as if he was just on the other side of the wall. “You’re such a coward,” another man sneered. “You should have just called him out in the first place.
    “As long as he was alone and miserable I was perfectly happy to let him be.” Richard sighed. “I’m not a killer.”
    “No? I imagine Moore would beg to differ. He thinks all of the attempts on his life and loves came from you.”
    “I know. Thanks for that, Uncle.”
    Well, now. That gave Phineas much to work with. If a bastard son had inherited Edmund Mattheson’s title, then the uncle must be maternal. Either Ned’s maternal uncle or Richard’s. Interesting that Richard maintained he hadn’t been the one to make the attempts