“This,” Chase said grimly, “is the man I told you about. The one I thought was my friend, but wasn’t.” Chase looked at Marcus. “Before anything is said, I must speak. T—there is something I must tell you.”

“We already know,” Marcus said. “You were out in your phaeton and you accidentally hit a woman.”

Chase winced. “Yes. I should never have been drinking while—”

“Wait.” Marcus lifted his foot and prodded Harry. “Tell him.”

Harry shook his head. “I am not a man to be made a fool of, Treymount! I demand—”

“That’s it,” Anthony said with unperturbed calm, “back into the rug you go.”

“No!” Harry said, scooting away from Anthony. “No! I just—I can’t—what the hell do you want?”

“The truth,” Marcus said.

Devon leaned toward Stephen and said in a low voice, “There is an Easy Way to learn things, and a Hard Way. Some people always seem drawn to the Hard Way.”

Harry sighed. “Oh blast it! I cannot believe—you know I could go to the constable and—”

“And what?” Marcus asked, obviously amused.

“Tell them we forced you to ride inside a rug for a day?”

“It was longer than that,” Harry said defensively.

“We let you out to get a drink of water,” Anthony said.

“And we fed you,” Devon added. He looked at Stephen. “I voted against that, but Marcus has a humanitarian streak.”

“Oh all right!” Annesley snapped. “May I at least stand?”

Anthony seemed to consider it. “No.”

“No? Why not?”

“You might run. And while I know I could catch you, I just ate, and I’ve no wish to unsettle my stomach.”

“I,” Annesley said in a lofty tone, “will not run.”

“Very well. But if you try—” Anthony balled his huge fist and slammed it into his other palm.

Annesley gulped. “There is no need for that.” He clambered to his feet. “I’ll tell you everything, though I think this is grossly unfair.”

“Unfair?” Chase asked.

Annesley shrugged. “I owe you an apology. I should never have extorted money from you.”

Everyone waited.

“And?” Marcus said, his cold gaze pinning Annesley.

The rogue rubbed his neck wearily. “And there was no…you know.”

“No what?” Chase asked.

“No accident. Well, there was an accident, but the woman was unharmed.”

“What?” Chase started forward, but Harriet held him in place.

Annesley sighed. “After that night, I went out and found her. She was in the first hospital I went to. I paid her ten pounds to disappear.”

“Was she hurt?”

“A scrape or two. Nothing more.” Annesley met Chase’s gaze and gave a rueful shrug. “It just seemed like too good an opportunity to let pass.”

“Tell him what else you did,” Devon said.

Annesley sent a cutting glance at Devon.

Devon lifted his brows, a chill to his gaze. “Who put you in the rug the first time?”

Annesley’s jaw tightened. He turned back to Chase. “I borrowed your bill from White’s and used it to make a promissory note.”