“Write to me if anything comes up before I see you next time.”
“I will.”
With that, Kane returned to the stables for his horse and made the trip back to the manor house. Various scenarios ran through his head as to what might have been the fate of those girls, and each one made his stomach roll in disgust. Whoever was behind these kidnappings, for that is surely what they must be, Kane would make sure they paid.
As he stepped over the threshold, he almost forgot his worries when he saw Heath descend the stairs in his formal dinner attire. The jacket and trousers were new and fit Heath like a glove, accentuating the toned muscles of his arms and legs. There wouldn’t be a woman at the dinner who wouldn’t swoon for him. His dark hair was combed back, but the strands refused to stay in place, threatening to rebel in a few mischievous curls. Kane’s cock stirred at the sight of him. What would he look like naked, his bare ass in the air with Kane riding him from behind? Kane dug his nails into his palm to calm himself.
“All ready for the evening?” Kane asked.
“I suppose.” Heath frowned.
“What’s the matter?”
“I do tire of these gatherings. It’s the same people, but I know it’s necessary.”
“Such is the life of the country gentleman.”
They remained quiet for a moment, struggling to find something to say.
“Was your meeting this afternoon successful?”
Heath perked up at the question. “Yes. I procured a contract to sell the sheep’s wool.”
“Excellent.”
They fell back into an uncomfortable silence.
“I should apologize,” Kane stated, “for not being a very good tutor.”
“What do you mean?”
“I wasn’t around today except for the morning, and I know some days we could do more instruction.”
Heath shook his head. “You have been a tremendous help. Besides, I would never have thought to reopen the brewery if not for you. You’ve done more than you can know.”
Heath looked like he was about to reach out for Kane when Jenkins came through the front door. “The carriage is waiting for you, sir.”
If anything was going to be said, it fell to the wayside.
“Have a good evening, sir.” Kane watched Heath leave, then went to the study for a drink.
It was close to dinnertime and his belly reminded him, so Kane went to the kitchen and asked for a tray to eat in the study. He enjoyed the staff but didn’t want any company tonight. He wanted to go over things in his mind regarding the missing girls.
Hopefully, Caroline would find someone in local law enforcement who would offer assistance. Kane couldn’t be watching the docks every night. They needed more manpower. Eventually, Kane settled onto the sofa and nodded off.
Before he knew it, he heard footsteps and the light tapping of a cane. His mind was still foggy from sleep, but once his mind cleared, he sat up and spotted Heath at the sideboard.
“Hello.”
Heath jumped, nearing dropping the decanter. “Good Lord, you scared the daylights out of me.”
Kane chuckled. “I’m sorry. I must have dozed off after my delicious dinner. How did your night go?”
A glance at the clock showed it was after midnight. He had been asleep for a while.
Heath sat next to Kane, like it was second nature to seek his company. After a sip of the alcohol, Heath spoke. “It was the usual pleasantries. Some talk about the weather, the price of cattle going up, the ongoing war, those types of things.”
“I’m sure the persistent Miss Wilcott was there as well.”