A Promise of Tomorrow by Rowan McAllister Read Free Book Online Page A

mercifully let him go, barely breaking her tirade longenoughto nod inhis direction.
    But though he hadn’t been exaggerating his claim, sleep simply would not come. As he lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, his mind kept returning to the beautiful young man he’d collected with his nephew, his own unusual reaction, and the mystery surrounding Allen’s troubles.
    He supposed it was understandable that the young man wouldn’t want to come inside and experience the wrath of Lady Ashton in full temper, but why had he been so pale and agitated? Charlotte wasn’t that frightening, after all. And why had the young men’s partingexchange beenso mysterious?
    James had had the feeling there was a world of meaning in the few words the boys had exchanged that he was not privy to, and it worried him. What had happened? Why did Allen need to leave London?
    The twins were being surprisingly circumspect about the whole affair, and it left himmore than a little concerned, and not just for the sake of his family. Allen had looked so lost and miserable across from him in the carriage that he’d wanted badly to reach out and gather him up, to cradle him in his arms until that lost look left his eyes.
    That thought, and the riot of emotions the young man inspired in him, had kept him scowling out the window of the carriage and at his nephew for far longer than he might ordinarily have done. But, realizing he was probably making the situation worse, he decided to lighten the mood and allow some of his natural good humor to show through. Teasing his nephew had put himback on familiar ground and eased the tensionwithinthe carriage a bit.
    He was glad he’d made the effort when he saw both young men relax. However, though he’d coaxed a smile out of Andrew, Allen’s lips had remained pinched and his eyes worried. That had disappointed him more than he’d wanted to admit, even to himself. He’d reallywanted to see the youngmansmile.
    Which, of course, brought his thoughts full circle, back to the feelings he’d been trying to push out of his head since the moment he’d met the man.
    James rolled his eyes at himself and finally gave up trying to sleep. He’d brooded for hours, his mind going ’round in circles, to no avail. It was not his nature to spend hours in contemplation. His sister called him a man of action, just like their father, and he’d have to admit that most of the time, she was right. He didn’t know what it was aboutAllen that had gotten himso spun up, beyond the obvious, but he was damned sure he wasn’t going to keep on like this. Mooning around like some fool boy was just damned childish and beneathhim… and he’d done more ofit inthe past few weeks thanin allofthe past few years combined.
    Pulling himself together, he washed and dressed, choosing not to wake his valet. He donned his coat and decided a brisk walk inthe pre-dawn air would be just the thing to put him in a better humor. There were a few servants about on the main floor, but he knew it would be hours before the family rose for the day. He would have plenty of time for a walk before he would be missed by anyone. Wilton let himout the front door without comment, and he set offat a brisk pace inno particular direction.
    He was feeling immensely better by the time he returned to the square. The slightly cool, damp air and the exercise had helped him decide that the mysteries of last night simply weren’t his business. His niece and nephew were old and wise enough to be trusted to ask for help if they were in any real trouble, and their parents would likewise keep them safe, so there was really no reason for him to involve himself further. Allen would be leaving London soon; in fact, he was probably already on his way out of town, and there would be an end on it. Mystery or no mystery, there was absolutely no good reason for himto get involved.
    He thought he’d convinced himself of this line of reasoning right up until the very moment he spotted