When they reached the man, he was again paused before the townhouse door. He stood and stared at it briefly, and then muttering under his breath, the fellow suddenly turned. He just as suddenly paused and jumped back when he found Richard standing in his path.

Daniel peered at the man curiously as Richard asked, “Is there something I can assist you with, sir?”

For some reason the question made the man’s eyes widen incredulously. “What?”

“I am Lord Radnor.” He held out one hand. “Can I be of assistance?”

Daniel couldn’t help noticing that the gentleman stared at the offered hand as if it were a viper. He then scowled and said grimly, “Surely you jest, my lord. After all you have cost me with your shady dealings, you think to act like you do not know me?”

Daniel raised his eyebrows at this response as Richard let his hand drop to his side. It seemed obvious to him that this man must have had dealings with Dicky this last year and—not unnaturally—was mistaking Richard for his brother.

“Why do we not go inside and discuss this?” Richard moved past the man.

The fellow turned to watch him open the door, then suddenly whirled back and started forward. Daniel thought the man was simply going to leave and took a moment to debate whether to stop him or not. After all, they may gain some information from him about George’s doings as Dicky this last year, he thought. But before he could make up his mind, the older man jerked a black and ivory pistol from inside his jacket and instead of passing Daniel, stopped and pressed the weapon to his side. Glancing back toward Richard then, the man said, “Why do you not go in there and fetch the girls back to me while your friend and I wait out here instead.”

Daniel was a bit startled by this unexpected turn of events, but not much alarmed for two reasons. First of all, they were standing on the street in plain view of anyone passing and no sane person would pull the trigger there. Of course, the fellow had been talking to himself, so perhaps he wasn’t all that sane. But Daniel also wasn’t that worried because the man was obviously a member of the nobility and he’d mentioned the girls who could only be the Madison sisters. Daniel was beginning to suspect he knew who the man was and why he’d looked familiar. And if he was right, he was pretty sure that the likelihood of being shot wasn’t very high. Well, at least not on purpose, Daniel corrected himself wryly, as he noted the way the man’s hand was trembling.

Richard turned back, and then paused as he took in the situation.