Page 56 of Measure of the Stars

Delauney drummed hishands on his thighs as he leaned against the carriage.

“It’s been a while,” he said.

“Can’t rush these things, Laney.”Ned stood upwind with his pipe, his jacket draped over one arm.“Even Peter hasn’t come back from the garden yet.He wanted to see the new wall of statues.”

“The newwall?” Delauney asked.“Leo’s giving them too much money for the estate.”

“Well, he isn’t officially the Marquis yet,” Ned pointed out.“He’s going a bit far by giving them an allowance in the first place.”

“Don’t tellthemthat.”Delauney pushed away from the carriage.“I’m going to look for him.”

“You won’t go far being possessive this early in your courtship, Laney,” Ned teased.He paused, lowering his pipe, as a man emerged from the gardens.His glossy curls were disheveled, his right sleeve was ripped, and there was a bruise forming on the exposed skin of his upper arm.His eyes filled with tears when he saw Ned, and he raised a shaking hand to his hair.

“Peter.”Ned dropped the pipe in his rush to reach his husband.Peter stumbled into Ned’s arms, tears rolling down his cheeks.

“I tried to stop him, Ned,” Peter said.

“Stop who?”Ned pulled Peter closer to the carriage, out of sight of a gaggle of curious footmen.“What happened to you, Peter?Who hurt you?”

Peter’s gaze flicked to Delauney.“I saw Wes walking out of the ballroom with one of the gold cups from your parents’ table.I know he just wanted to get revenge for what they said about him and his brother, but I couldn’t just let him go.I didn’t...I didn’t think he’dstrikeme.”

“He couldn’t have,” Delauney said.He tried to wrap his mind around Peter’s words, but nothing connected.He couldn’t hold onto the idea of Wes stealing from his parents, let alone attacking Peter.

“Wes said he was going to speak to his brother,” Delauney said.“Are you sure he was stealing a cup, or just drinking out of one?”

“Maybe he was meeting his brother on the way,” Peter said.His hands wouldn’t stop shaking.The last time his hands had trembled like that, he’d just slapped Alain.Delauney tried to look into his eyes, but Peter’s gaze kept sliding away from him.

“What did you do, Peter?”Delauney asked.

“Delauney.”Ned’s voice was sharp.“I understand that you must be in shock at the moment, but my husband was justattacked.”

“Peter!”Footsteps pounded on the grass as Alain burst through a hedge, looking ragged and miserable.“Peter!”

Ned raised a hand as Alain raced toward them.“He’s all right, Alain.”

“No, he isnot,”Alain said.“He wrote to the de Mazets when we reached the harbor.They had Wes taken—”

“Alain,” Peter said.The tremor in his hands was worse now, but he clasped them together when he saw Delauney watching.“Alain, don’t.”

“They conspired to have Wes taken by your parents’ guards,” Alain said, turning to Delauney.Delauney felt a cold chill run through him despite the warm evening air.“They expected Wes to come here, because Peter told them in advance.He didn’t like what Wes did to Captain Lennox.”

“What did Wes do to...”Ned’s voice broke as he realized what that meant.“He was the sailor who whipped Lennox?And you brought him onto ourship?”

“You know what Lennox is like,” Delauney snapped.“Where is he?Where did they take him?”

“Alain, no,” Peter cried.

“We areverycross with you,” Alain said, and there was a rumble in their voice that made Peter go dangerously pale.“Allof us.They’re taking him to Lennox’s home in Duciel.”

Delauney cursed.He shot Peter a look that must have been truly terrifying, because Peter cringed back in Ned’s arms.

“He nearly killed Lennox,” Peter said.“And he told such terrible lies about him...”

“Lies?”Delauney asked.“Did Ned never tell you why I left Lennox’s crew?”Ned looked down, guilt in his eyes.

“Ned?”Peter asked, his voice faint.

“I didn’t want to sully your memory of him,” Ned said.Peter clutched his hair, tugging at his dark curls.