“Denshire, don’t be an idiot!” Kendra snapped with an authority that sliced through the angry voices. “Christopher is not at Thorsay House. You’re the one who sent him to a school so dreadful that apparently he was forced to run away. And whose fault is that? God only knows what may have happened to him, but you won’t find him here!”

Lucas gave silent thanks that they’d moved Christopher to a safer place. The sooner they got him out of London, the better.

Denshire spun around at the sound of Kendra’s voice. “You!” he snarled as he grabbed at her.

Lucas chopped the side of his hand across Denshire’s reaching wrist. He knew a great deal about bones and nerves and where best to strike. Denshire howled and lurched back, holding his injured wrist with his other hand.

“Who the hell are you?” he barked as he glared at Lucas.

“I’m Foxton and I’m Miss Douglas’s bodyguard,” Lucas said calmly.

“You don’t look like a bodyguard,” Denshire said suspiciously. “I’ve seen you sniffing around my wife before.”

“She’s not your wife anymore,” Lucas pointed out. “You’re the one who falsely accused her of immoral behavior, then divorced and threatened her. Which is why she needs a bodyguard.”

“Divorce is an ugly process,” Kendra put in helpfully. “But it does mean I’m free of you. Go away and stop bothering the inhabitants of Thorsay House!”

“I’m not leaving!” he growled. “You have my son in there and you have no right to keep him. The law says he’s mine, and by God, I’m going to go in there and get him!”

Lucas frowned. Denshire was crazy enough to come back some night and set fire to the house if thwarted now. “Mr. and Mrs. Brown, would you be willing to allow Denshire to search the house, accompanied by you and me so that he can see that his son isn’t here?”

“I won’t have that man in my house!” Mrs. Brown snapped.

A sentiment Lucas understood. Kendra was looking homicidal, so it was up to him to calm things down. “It’s understandable that a father would be concerned with the whereabouts of his son,” he said in a mild, unthreatening voice. “It’s equally understandable that you wish to protect your home from intrusion, Mr. and Mrs. Brown. But for everyone’s sake, it might be best if the house is searched in order to prove that Christopher isn’t here.”