Daniel wanted to believe him. In fact, he did believe him. Hugh had never been a liar. Nor did he possess a vengeful nature. But was it possible Hugh had been duped?
“How do I know your father can be trusted?” Daniel asked. “He has spent the last three years in the pursuit of my death.”
“And I have spent the last three years convincing him that this”—Hugh curled his lip and waved his hand over his ruined leg—“was as much my fault as yours.”
“He would never believe that.”
“No,” Hugh agreed. “He is a stubborn ass. He always has been.”
It was not the first time Daniel had heard Hugh refer to his father in such terms, but still, he was taken aback. There was something about the plainness of Hugh’s tone that was unnerving.
“How can I know that I will be safe?” Daniel demanded. “I returned to England on the strength of your word, on your belief that your father would honor his promise. If something happens to me, or if, God help you, any member of my family, I will hunt you down to the ends of the earth.”
Hugh did not need to point out that if Daniel was killed, there would be no hunting to be done.
“My father signed a contract,” Hugh said. “You have seen it.”
Daniel even possessed a copy. So did Hugh and Lord Ramsgate, and Hugh’s solicitor, who was under strict instructions to keep it under lock and key. But still . . .
“He would not be the first man to disregard a signed document,” Daniel said in a low voice.
“Indeed.” Hugh’s face was pinched, and there was a long-standing look to the shadows under his eyes. “But he will not disregard this one. I have made sure of it.”
Daniel thought of his family, of his sister and mother, and his rollicking, giggling Pleinsworth cousins, whom he was just beginning to know again. And he thought of Miss Wynter, her face springing to the forefront of his mind. If something happened to him before he had the chance to know her . . .
If something happened to her . . .
“I need to know how you can be so certain,” Daniel said, his voice dropping into a furious hush.
“Well . . .” Hugh brought his glass to his lips and took something deeper than a sip. “If you must know, I told him that if anything happens to you, I would kill myself.”
If Daniel had been holding anything, anything at all, it would have crashed to the ground. It was a remarkable thing that he did not crash to the ground.
“My father knows me well enough to know that I do not say such a thing lightly,” Hugh said, lightly.
Daniel couldn’t speak.
“So if you would . . .” Hugh took another drink, this time barely touching his lips to the liquid. “I would appreciate if you would endeavor not to get yourself killed in an unhappy accident. I’m sure to blame it on my father, and honestly, I’d rather not see myself off unnecessarily.”
“You’re mad,” Daniel whispered.
Hugh shrugged. “Sometimes I think so. My father would certainly agree.”
“Why would you do such a thing?” Daniel could not imagine anyone else—not even Marcus, who was truly a brother to him—making the same sort of threat.
Hugh was silent for a very long while, the unfocused stare of his eyes broken only by the occasional blink. Finally, just when Daniel was sure that he would never answer, he turned and said, “I was stupid when I called you a cheat. I was drunk. And I believe you were drunk, too, and I did not believe you had the ability to beat me.”
“I didn’t,” Daniel said. “All I had was luck.”
“Yes,” Hugh agreed. “But I don’t believe in luck. I never have. I believe in skill, and even more in judgment, but I had no judgment that night. Not with cards, and not with people.”
Hugh looked at his glass, which was empty. Daniel thought about offering to refill it, then decided that Hugh would ask if that was what he wanted.
“It was my fault that you had to leave the country,” Hugh said, setting his glass on the table next to him. “I could not live with myself any longer, knowing that I had ruined your life.”
“But I have also ruined yours,” Daniel said quietly.
Hugh smiled, but it only touched one side of his mouth, and neither of his eyes. “It’s just a leg.”
But Daniel didn’t believe him. He didn’t think Hugh believed himself, either.
“I will see to my father,” Hugh said, bringing a briskness to his tone that signaled their interview was coming to an end. “I do not believe he would be foolish enough to have been responsible for what happened to you this evening, but just in case, I shall remind him of my threat.”