Lord Lucifer Read online

  In truth, those should have been numbers one through three of the things she most loved about her husband. But since the priest had asked her to write it, and her mother would undoubtedly ask to see it, Diana had written what was expected of her. Number one was, of course, that he married her to save her family from poverty. It wasn’t at all true, and she knew it. But her mother had always needed a man to guide her hand, and so Diana had married Oscar and was expected to be grateful.

  Number two detailed her position as a married lady of the peerage. The next items included things that he had bought her, the servants who waited upon her, and the biggest lie of all, the family she was now surrounded by. Not her own, but his viperous children who sneered as they called her stepmama because they were older than she. And who had made her life into hell for the last twelve years such that her only true gratitude came from the knowledge of birdcalls and that her husband had shaved his mustache.

  Oscar stirred, and she looked up from where she was pretending to read in the indifferent light. Her husband snorted, grunted, and slowly roused himself. She waited, mentally taking a bet on whether he would settle back into sleep or push himself upright and demand tea.

  She bet on tea but hoped for sleep.

  She was right, and she counted that a win as he snorted a couple more times and cracked his eyes open.

  “Diana.”

  “Yes, Oscar, I’m here.” She stood and tugged on the bellpull. “I’ve rung for tea.”

  “Get me tea.”

  “An excellent idea, Oscar. Would you like me to help you sit up?”

  “Don’t need your help.” He coughed a little, and she handed him a handkerchief. Then she supported his arm as he maneuvered himself upright before she adjusted the pillows to how he liked them.

  “Ring for tea,” he ordered once he was settled.

  “Right away,” she responded as she tugged again on the bellpull.

  And just like clockwork, there was a scratch at the bedroom door. She opened it quietly, and tea was brought in. Diana sniffed, recognizing her husband’s favorite blend, then watched calmly as the tray was set down by the bed. As was their custom, Diana waited until the maid had left the room before sitting down beside her husband’s bed.

  “Tea, Oscar?”

  “Yes, thank you.” His voice was stronger this morning, having less wheeze and more breath. That was a good thing, she supposed, but she had been fooled too many times by a strong morning to expect a good afternoon. She simply took it for the gift it was and poured his lordship’s tea.

  She did not drink. She did not like his blend, and she had broken her fast more than two hours before. But she smiled as he sipped with shaky, arthritic hands and searched for a conversation topic.

  “There’s a house sparrow outside the window,” she said. “Can you hear it? Is it a male or female, do you think?”

  “What? No, I can’t hear it, but it’s female, I should think. They make the most noise in any species, right?” Then he chuckled in his phlegmy way at his joke. He forgot that his first wife had been the chatty one. Diana only spoke when she felt it necessary, which happened less and less these days. At least within this bedroom.

  He continued to chuckle while she waited for his valet to appear. She was rewarded after exactly four minutes—she watched the clock specifically—and was surprised because his valet normally appeared after two. What exciting thing had happened to cause the delay?

  The man knocked more brusquely than usual. And when her husband bid the man enter, they were both surprised to see not one servant, but two. His lordship’s valet Reynolds entered behind a burly footman she did not recognize. The large man kept his head down, but that did not disguise his muscles or the scars along the back of his hands as he carried in the implements used for his lordship’s morning toilette. He wore the livery of the house—shabby though it appeared—and he hunched slightly as if he were trying to hide his size.

  She arched a brow at Reynolds, but the valet kept his gaze carefully canted away as he smiled too fully at her husband. “Good morning, my lord,” he said heartily.

  Oscar wasn’t fooled. “Who is this?” His eyes cut to Diana. “Are you spending more of my money?”

  “Never, my lord,” she lied. Since Oscar’s illness, she’d had to manage all the bills, including the payments for the staff. She stepped such that she stood directly in front of the new footman. “I’m afraid I’ve forgotten your name.”

  “Egeus, my lady,” the man said, his voice surprisingly high for such a large man. “But most call me Gus.”

  “Mr. Egeus, how do you come to help us today?” She guessed that one of their regular footmen had become ill and sent his brother or cousin or something to fill in. That sometimes happened as servants tried to gain employment for their family members. But in this, she was completely wrong as he ticked his head to the hallway.

  “Mr. Lucifer hired me on, my lady.”

  “Lucifer!” she gasped. “What a name!”

  “I believe it’s meant to frighten those who displease him.”

  It was ridiculous, and so she meant to tell him. She would not have anyone with such a name in her household. But before she could say such a thing, her husband began to laugh. It was a wheezy sound, but she recognized the fuller notes beneath it. Since being bedridden, Oscar had developed a macabre sense of humor.

  “That must be him, then,” Oscar said as he waved at the doorway. “Come on in, man. Tell us how you came to be the devil himself.”

  Diana had been looking at the new footman, so when Oscar gestured behind them, she spun around with a nervous kind of speed. She did not like people sneaking up behind her. And when she saw the man standing in the doorway, she liked it even less. For a brief moment, she considered the truth that it was Lucifer himself come to destroy her life.

  The man had dark hair, dark eyes, and dressed to match the sinister name. Though his clothes were worn, they were dark as sin, and he made no attempt to hide the scar that cut through his hair as if a heavenly warrior had cleaved his head a few inches above his right ear. She didn’t recognize him, and yet she felt a jolt inside. A shock that cut off her breath and made her heart squeeze tight.

  She must have made a sound because his gaze cut to hers. Such weight there in his simple regard. As if living shadows loomed behind his eyes to reach out and grab the unaware. But then she remembered other eyes. A boy tumbling at her feet through her bedroom window and promising to return in the morning with enough money so they could wed.

  Lucas.

  The memory was so strong that her jaw went slack in shock. But then she blinked and refocused. This man was hard. He stood lightly on his feet, and his eyes caught every movement in the room. And though he bowed to Oscar, she felt as if he tracked her movements as an owl did a mouse. And if she had to imagine him as a boy, he would be nothing like the earnest young Lucas she remembered.

  “Do you come to spirit me away to hell?” her husband asked with good cheer.

  “Oscar, please!” she gasped. “Don’t say such things.”

  “Oh, come here, my dear.” He held out his hand, and she crossed the room to grasp it. His thin skin cool, and the knuckles thick, but it was also familiar, and she found reassurance in his feeble grip. “A man dressed in black cannot scare me,” he said. “Tell me your tale.”

  It sounded as if he were ordering a bard to play for him. And as she expected, Mr. Lucifer did not oblige beyond the most cursory response. “I fought against Napoleon and learned that names had power against the superstitious.” He waggled his brows. “And the Frogs were a superstitious lot.”

  Oscar chortled. “I wager they are. Did they run like babies crying for their mamas?”

  “And wet themselves along the way.”

  Oscar laughed so hard that he began to choke, his breath coming in frightening wheezes. And when he regained some of his strength, he waved Mr. Lucifer closer. “Tell me more,” he rasped.

  “No, Oscar,” Diana
interrupted. “You need to finish your tea first. And give Reynolds time to finish your toilette.”

  Oscar dropped back against his cushions, his breath finally easing. “She likes me smooth,” he said as he scratched at his chin, and Diana felt her cheeks heat. That was not something to discuss with strangers, let alone this dark man.

  Mr. Lucifer executed a perfect bow, but when he rose, his gaze was serious. “My lord,” he said in a tone that felt like a whisper but was nonetheless heard by all in the room. “I have been sent by the lady’s brother to assist for a short time while you are indisposed.”

  Diana’s head snapped up. “Elliot? Why would he send…” Her voice trailed away. She knew damned well why he would send someone to her household. With Oscar in his bed, she had been forced to confront Oscar’s greedy heir alone. Geoffrey was a blighter through and through. He gambled, he caroused, and he came often to steal the silver to pay off his debts. And when she confronted him with his crimes, he threatened her.

  She shook her head. She was the older sister, Elliot, the younger heir. He might be old enough to manage his own affairs now, but she’d be damned if he insinuated himself into hers. She’d had precious little say in her life. She would not cede control of it to anyone.

  Unfortunately, while she was sorting all that out in her mind, Mr. Lucifer took advantage of her silence. “You see,” he said as he gestured to her. “She knows, my lord. There are dangers in London, and sometimes they invade a man’s home. Especially one who is temporarily weakened by an illness.”

  “Temporarily, huh?” Oscar scoffed. “Yes, yes,” he agreed. “I still have hopes to walk again.”

  “Of course, you will,” Diana soothed, but she was quieted by a wave of Oscar’s hand.

  “Elliott sent you?” he asked.

  “Yes, my lord.”

  “And does he pay you as well?”

  “Yes, my lord.”

  Oscar’s gaze cut to Mr. Egeus. “And him?”

  “Yes, my lord.”

  Then he grunted. “Very well.”

  “Oscar!” Diana cried out. “We don’t need my brother’s interference.”

  Her husband looked at her and shook his head. “He’s got a good head, your brother, and a fat purse. If he wants to add to my servants out of brotherly fear, then we shall indulge him.” He squeezed her hand. “You need to be protected, my dear. You’re too delicate to risk.”

  She wanted to snatch her hand away at that. She was the farthest thing from delicate, but her petite frame gave everyone the impression that she was a child barely out of leading strings. It was enough to make her want to rip out her blonde ringlets.

  She didn’t. She’d had long experience managing her husband and her household. So she smiled at Oscar and squeezed back. “But you shall have the ruling over their actions, yes? Elliott may pay for them, but they abide by your rules, do they not?”

  Oscar nodded. “Of course. I am the king of my own castle, am I not?”

  “Of course, you are.” She turned and fixed Mr. Lucifer with a dark stare. “And I am the queen.” The smile she gave him was as hard as a diamond. “If you would follow me, Mr. Lucifer, I shall explain your duties while my lord finishes his morning ablutions.”

  His smile matched hers, though it felt like it glittered with a great deal more relish than hers. “I await your pleasure, my lady.” And he made it sound as sinful a statement as if it had been uttered by the devil himself.

  Which was ridiculous, and yet the words sent shivers down her spine.

  Chapter Three

  Lucas trailed through the house behind Diana. His eyes drank her in as he watched how she moved, how her shoulders were stiff, and her chin held high. And though he walked behind her, he replayed the way she had deferred to her husband and yet still commanded the bedroom. When she said she was the queen, he believed her. The girl in his memory had grown up to be a woman worthy of reverence and protection.

  Which was now his job, and he couldn’t suppress the lump of joy that he could finally—after twelve years of regrets—be of service to the goddess he had failed so long ago.

  He kept pace with her as she descended through the house until he came to the housekeeper’s room. As they went, he watched all the servants—even the butler—follow her movements with steady, sympathetic gazes. That told him that she was a fair queen who had made good choices in those who served her. But it wasn’t until they stepped into the kitchen that he realized the depth of their devotion to her. Everyone greeted her with a gift. The kitchen-maid held out an apron to her, the cook pressed a scone into her hand, and even the butler set a teapot down just as she entered the housekeeper’s room. She smiled graciously at every one of them, thanked them, and then sat down in her chair before pouring herself some tea.

  All without saying a word to him. In truth, he felt like he was about to get a dressing down from a superior officer. And so he stood at attention while he waited, his gaze taking in everything about him.

  First and foremost, he thought it was odd that she chose to speak with him from the housekeeper’s room belowstairs. Wouldn’t the female head of the staff be upset by the mistress taking over her place of work? But as he glanced at the papers on the desk, he realized all were written in Diana’s neat hand. So, Diana had taken over the housekeeper’s duties, probably as a way to economize.

  Next, he noticed all the touches of a well-used office. Paper and ink were placed at easy use, and there were the inevitable stains on the dark wood desk. There was a tiny vase for a few spring flowers set on the windowsill. He recalled that she liked wildflowers and—at sixteen—had often woven them into her hair or clothing. But most importantly, he saw that she reclined at ease in this place. A mistress should not be one of the servants, and yet here she was as relaxed as if this were the lady’s parlor.

  “You should not work as a housekeeper here,” he murmured. The words were spoken low such as to not be overheard. “It demeans your station and upsets the servants. They deserve a place to be at ease, and they cannot do it with you here.”

  Her eyes shot up to his. “You are dismissed, Mr. Lucifer. I shall inform my brother that your services are not needed here.”

  Dismissed? Good lord, she thought he was here as a true hire and not because she desperately needed some protection. He leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. “So, Elliott was wrong? He didn’t witness your stepson assaulting you? And stealing silver from the house?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Just who are you to Elliott?”

  He took a moment to absorb her words. Could it be that she didn’t recognize him? It wasn’t possible! But of course, it was. Just because he’d thought of her every day and night since he’d abandoned her on her wedding day didn’t mean that he figured so prominently in her thoughts. It had been twelve years, after all, and yet the blow was so deep as to make his breath catch.

  “Answer me, Mr. Lucifer!” she snapped. Then she rolled her eyes. “My God, that is a ridiculous name, and I will not use it.”

  Her outrage gave him enough time to recover his breath. But when he spoke, it was with an extra measure of coldness. “I will answer when you do, my lady,” he said. “Did your stepson steal the silver?”

  She blew out a breath. “You know he did.” She glanced past his shoulder, through the open door, to where most of the staff loitered within earshot. “I paid off his debts and told him there would be no more quarterly money until after I was repaid. I’m afraid he misunderstood and came looking for his allowance.”

  He frowned. “You paid off his debts? To whom?”

  “His debts,” she snapped. “To his landlord, his valet, and even his club. All paid.”

  “But not his gambling debts.”

  She shook her head. “Those are his own affair.” She snorted. “And he would not suffer the humiliation of having a woman dispense the money.”

  Of course not. Pride was one of Geoffrey’s biggest downfalls. “And so he assaulted you in anger and to mak
e you pay him.” The words burned his throat as he said them. The idea of that blighter laying hands on Diana was the only reason he’d come out of hiding.

  Diana did not deny it, which made him see red. But he kept it under control even as she tried to turn the tables on him. “I have answered your questions, now answer mine. Who are you to Elliott that he would put you in my household?”

  He swallowed, still hurt by her blindness. “Do you not recognize me, Diana? I thought you of all people would remember me.”

  He watched her eyes widen at his softer tone. Did she recognize his voice? Or perhaps the way he said her name. But just in case, he made it clear.

  “I came back,” he said. “On the day you married. I came back—”

  “Stop!” She turned her head away, but not before he’d seen the glisten of tears on her lashes. “Stop,” she repeated again. “That day is long gone. I have ceased thinking of it.”

  “I haven’t,” he said. “I joined the army that very day. I couldn’t face that I had failed you.”

  Her hand jerked sideways as if she were shooing away his words. “It was an impossible task. Three thousand pounds in a single night. No one could—”

  “I did.”

  Her head jerked upward at that, but she didn’t speak.

  “I got all the money, but only by turning everyone I met into an enemy. I played deep and well, but it was not enough. I tricked friends and enemies alike to get the rest. I lost my honor that night, but I counted you worth the cost.”

  “Lucas,” she whispered, his name voiced with anguish, but it still warmed him to hear her say his name aloud.

  “So much money, but I could not have done it again. And three thousand was not enough to support you for the rest of our lives. I certainly couldn’t have protected you when those who lost everything to me came looking for my hide.”

  Her breath caught. “You were beaten?”

  “I would have been if I’d remained in London.”

  “So, you joined the army.” She sounded as if she couldn’t credit the thought.