The Rebellious Rake (The Notorious Nightingales #4)

Chapter 10

CHAPTER TEN

R am rented the lower floors of a large house not that far from where the Nightingales lived, which had not been a conscious decision; he’d simply chosen one of the first places he’d seen. He was not someone who cared overly much for possessions or had a need to live in luxury, so the place had been suitable and nothing more than that.

Upon returning home, he gave the dog a run in the small garden that was perfectly kept by Mr. Malcolm, who was the landlord along with his two sisters. Mr. Malcolm’s sisters made his life a trial; most days Ram heard him being scolded for everything from the stoop of his shoulders to the volume of his sneeze. He had never met a more henpecked man.

Once inside, Curaidh proceeded to wander around the room that held his bed and a few other essentials, sniffing, and then settled on the blanket Ram laid out for him. He’d poured water into the only vessel he had, a crystal glass, and lowered it beside the dog.

Stripping off his clothes, he washed thoroughly before climbing into bed. Lying in the darkness with Curaidh snuffling softly in slumber, his thoughts went to Flora. She’d been brave to do what she had tonight, and he was here in this room because of her. That led his thoughts to whoever wanted to inflict harm on him. Ram could think of no enemies but those he’d left behind in India. As his eyes felt heavy, he would think more on this tomorrow. Right now he needed sleep.

He woke in the early hours of the morning to the sound of himself whimpering as he fought free of the men dragging him down into the sewer. The sounds he made roused Curaidh enough to have him climb onto the bed. The dog settled down beside him and lowered his head onto Ram’s chest. Ignoring the foul stench, he’d placed an unsteady hand onto his body. They’d then both drifted off to sleep again, and he had not woken until morning.

The thump of a fist on the door roused him and Curaidh, who leaped off the bed, barking loudly.

“Yes, thank you, that will do,” Ram said. “We do not allow noise or, I think, dogs in this building.” He would need to check that.

The thumping on his door got louder.

“Who is it?” Ram demanded, thinking he’d better show caution after last night.

“Open up, Ram!”

Gray had always been the overprotective type. It seemed having a wife and babe was not enough for him; he had to worry about Ramsey too.

“Go away!”

“Now!” Gray bellowed back. The murmuring outside his door told Ram his cousin was not alone. Walking along the strip of carpet that was used at every Crabbett Close wedding, he opened it and found Alex and Theo there. The youngest male Nightingale and number four in the sibling lineup, Theo was a mischievous blue-eyed devil who tormented his siblings mercilessly .

“Hello, Curaidh,” Theo said, bending to pat the dog. “You still smell.”

“Why are you here, Gray? With Theo and Alex?”

“They called early to see Ellen before their meeting, so I brought them with me so between us we can make you see sense.”

Theo was a young man now, losing all traces of the boy he’d been, and was looking more like Leo and Alex every day. He saw pieces of Bram in him too.

“Apologies, Ramsey, but he was quite insistent we accompany him,” Alex said with an innocent smile that was fooling no one. You couldn’t make a Nightingale do what they didn’t want to do, especially Alex. He may appear easygoing but was in no way malleable.

“I hope you brought food, at the very least, for rousing me at the inhospitable hour of—” He squinted at the clock. “—ten,” Ram said, his voice raspy because he had as yet not used it enough this morning.

“Ellen and I agree you need to move in with us,” Gray said. “You can’t live here any longer. Tell him.” He then looked at Alex and Theo.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Ram said, wandering back inside barefoot, which was not entirely comfortable on the cold floors. “I am not moving in with anyone. Besides, it appears I have a dog now too. I need to provide it with a stable home, and as I explained last night, I am purchasing one.”

“Gray thought you’d say that, so someone will have to move in here with you,” Alex added. “My vote is Mungo.”

“We can’t completely discount the fact it wasn’t him who had me abducted,” Ram drawled.

“Devonshire Sinclair told me about a Bow Street runner who has recently retired. He could be just the man,” Gray said, ignoring his attempt at levity. “He could move in with you. ”

Ram spun to face the men, who had followed him inside. “I am not having someone move in with me. I will take care and not go out at night unless necessary. Now stop fussing, Gray.”

His cousin folded his arms and gave Ram his best Scotland Yard detective glare, which may work on some people, but Ram was not one of them… and neither were the Nightingales.

“Go away. I have yet to drink a cup of anything or eat a mouthful.”

“I will take Curaidh out for a walk so he can do his business while Gray continues to hound you,” Theo said, “which he excels at.”

“Good boy,” Gray said, not insulted.

“He’s a Nightingale, of course he’s a good boy,” Alex added.

Ram threw Theo a clean necktie, which he fixed around the dog’s neck. He’d need a collar and other items. Where did one go to find dog things?

“Curaidh, behave,” Ram said. The dog threw him what he thought may be an insulted look.

“You could have died!” The words exploded out of Gray after Theo left.

It was rare to see his cousin anything but collected, and Ram understood that was because Gray cared about him.

“I know that and have promised to ensure I take no more risks, but even you must see I cannot have someone watching over me constantly, Gray.”

“I don’t want anything to happen to you!”

“There is no need to keep yelling, Gray. Ram is here and safe,” Alex said. He was now wandering around the room, picking up things and studying them.

Gray exhaled loudly.

“I like all the color in here,” Alex added .

“I like color. It reminds me of India.”

Ram had been raised there, and while his parents were traditional inside their home, their servants hadn’t been in theirs. Ram had spent many long, happy hours when he was in their care with their families.

He had large pillows in bright colors scattered around the floor and vibrant silks draped over the end of his bed. The scent, too, was a memory of the life he’d left behind when he returned to England. A bowl of dried flowers and oils gave off a wonderful scent.

“It suits my purpose.”

“When I see this, I realize how drab Englishmen are,” Alex added.

“We are not here to discuss Ram’s rooms, Alex. Have you come up with any reason why last night happened?” Gray demanded.

“Just attempting to ease the tension,” Alex said.

“I fear it is a lost cause, Alex. My cousin will not be mollified.”

“I quite like having you around,” Gray muttered.

“Thank you, I quite like being around,” Ram replied.

Ram had thought about last night in the early hours of the morning when he couldn’t sleep and had come up with only one reason those men had attempted to take him.

His father’s past actions had forced Ram and his mother from India, and he’d wondered if someone had come here to finish what they’d started after his death. He looked away from his cousin and friend not ready to tell them that story yet.

“You cannot take this lightly, Ram.”

“Gray, three men tried to do something to me last night, and I have no idea what, but I can assure you it was not sit down and eat cream cakes. I know the danger and have my pistol, knife, and fists. I cannot be shadowed everywhere I go, as they may not strike again.”

Ram wandered behind a screen and removed his dressing gown, then nightshirt. Pouring cold water into a basin, he washed quickly.

“They targeted you deliberately, which you all but confirmed with your words, Ram, hence my concern,” Gray said in what was supposed to be a calm voice but wasn’t.

He understood his cousin’s concern and that it came from a place of love. But he would not cower inside or have a minder protecting him.

“I know where there is a house you can buy,” Alex said, changing the subject.

“Lovely, I will look at it today,” Ram said. Now he’d decided to purchase a house, he found he liked the idea very much.

“Ishaan showed up again this morning, and then I saw three gold rings like yours, Ram. Ruby, emerald, and sapphire,” Alex added. “I also had my siblings flash through my head, which suggests to me a family connection to the rings.”

Ram stepped out with a clean pair of boots now in one hand.

“Your father had one brother only,” Gray said, shooting Ram a look.

“There are two actually,” Ram said slowly. “Uncle Brandon was the middle brother.”

“Really?” Alex said.

“You never told me that,” Gray said, looking annoyed.

“To be honest, I didn’t know him,” Ram said. “Uncle Brandon disappeared when I was a baby. No one talked about him. I remember seeing a painting of the family once and asking who he was. The only answer I got from Father was that my uncle was mad, went to sail the world, and never returned. We left for India when I was ten, and my parents never mentioned him again.”

“That’s odd, but then families are that and more,” Alex said.

“The brothers all had rings. I wear Father’s.” Ram held out his hand to show the gold band with the emerald. “Uncle Brandon had a ruby in his, and Uncle John, who was the eldest and has also passed away, had one with a sapphire. They were given to them by their grandfather.”

“But why am I being shown them?” Alex asked. “Unless this business with you in the sewer has something to do with your father and his brothers?”

“I don’t see how it could.” Ram wasn’t lying exactly when he said that. Because it could be as a result of his father’s actions, but until he knew more, he wouldn’t be mentioning what his father had done. He’d promised his mother he’d tell no one. “But as my stomach is now empty, I can’t think of such weighty matters. Come, we shall eat somewhere before our meeting.”

They all trooped outside into the bleak, cold day and found Theo standing there, chatting to Ram’s landlord, Mr. Malcolm.

“You’ll forgive me, Mr. Hellion, but we can’t have dogs here. My sisters would never allow it.” The man looked ready to weep. He was not terribly brave, and who could blame him considering his sisters were constantly haranguing him.

“Completely understandable, and I had planned to purchase a property, so I shall move as soon as I have secured one,” Ram said. The man appeared so relieved, he looked ready to weep with joy now.

“Take your time, and I will tell my sisters you are to move, so they are not to worry about the dog.” He hurried up the path and disappeared inside, shutting the door quietly behind him, as a sister, Ram wasn’t sure which one, loathed a door banging. Ram tried to close it as loudly as he could every time he walked in and out of the house.

“Excellent, I will show you the property that I think will be suitable once our meeting is concluded,” Alex said.

Ram had been coerced, forced, whatever you wanted to call it by the Nightingales into investing his money. Since the day he’d started, he’d accrued a tidy sum and found he had actually enjoyed it, which had been a surprise. He didn’t excel at much but this was one thing. He was polite and excessively good at flirting and being an excellent guest, but nothing of substance, or so his father had always told him. Now, however, he was good with money and found he quite liked that.

“Theo, you and the dog go back to Crabbett Close because Uncle Bram is taking you for your fencing lesson this morning,” Alex said. “We shall collect Curaidh after. Perhaps ask Mungo to bathe him, but do so from a distance and do not, under any circumstances, tell him that directive came from Ram.”

“Which it didn’t, to be fair.” Alex waved Ram’s words aside.

“I can’t believe I let Mungo name him,” Ram said.

“ Coo-ree ,” Alex said slowly. “It sounds nothing like it is spelled.”

“I shall see you all later, then,” Theo said. “I am about to take my uncle apart with my foil.”

“Then I shall take you apart soon,” Alex added.

Ram patted the dog, and told him to behave for Theo.

“I own a dog,” he said, watching it trot away. “Yesterday, my biggest concern was ensuring I got to Appleblossoms Bakers in time to purchase apricotines before they ran out, and now I am the owner of a dog. Plus, someone likely wants me dead or for a ransom… or something else nefarious.”

“Don’t remind me,” Gray muttered .

“I’m curious as to what has you out of the house so early, Alex?” Ram asked. “Shouldn’t you be eating at your own table and not accompanying me to a tea shop?”

“My wife is visiting her family, and I needed a reason not to go with her, so I said Ellen asked me to call about an important matter and then I had to attend a business appointment.”

“Enough said.” Ram raised a hand. Alex’s mother-in-law was a horrid woman who believed herself a great deal better than just about anyone else. She was officious and rude, and those were her good points.

“It was nice to meet Flora’s brother last night. He seems a good sort,” Gray said.

“Yes, he and Flora have always been the closest of the Thomas siblings,” Alex said.

“The eldest sister is not nice?” Ram asked.

“Madeline is nice enough but an odd sort with strong opinions,” Alex said. “Flora, too, is strong-willed, but I found her easier to like when we were children.”

“She reminds me of Ellen,” Ram said. “Surely it is better to be strong than weak if you are a woman?”

“I did not say it was wrong or right, Ram. I’m merely stating Flora’s not the type to be dictated to by a man—which is a good thing,” Alex added.

“Exactly like my wife, then,” Gray said.

Ram huddled into his greatcoat as they walked down the path, dodging around those foolish enough to be out in such weather. The cold made the tip of his nose turn red. His boots splashed the water gathering in puddles, and he thought longingly of his bed. He shouldn’t have answered his door.

“I do love Christmas,” Alex said.

“It’s not for weeks yet. ”

“Ah, but the buildup, Gray. The mince pies and cake. The carol singing.” Alex sighed.

“I do like fruit mince pies,” Ram conceded. “Ah, we have arrived,” he added, looking at the sign ahead, which had a large teacup.

“I believe they have scones here that make the angels sing when they are buttered and slathered in jam,” Alex said.

“As you are not now, nor ever will be, declared an angel, I’ll take your word for that,” Ram said.

They entered and found the hum of voices that told him they were not the only ones seeking a reprieve from the elements. The scent of baking and clink of cutlery and crockery was comforting, and like Alex, he knew that food was in his near future. His mood was suddenly lighter than it had been a minute ago.

“Hello, Mr. Hellion!”

Looking for the owner of that voice, he found Lady Tidley and her two best friends a single table away from the one they were about to take. His mood was suddenly dark again.

“Find another table,” Ram said out the side of his mouth. “Fast.”