Chapter 4
Vaughn felt naked without his pocket watch. It had been a few days since he’d sold it, and he and Barnaby were now headed to Lothbrook. He kept reaching into his coat for the watch, and his hand came back empty.
The piece had belonged to his grandfather, handcrafted by Thomas Mudge himself, and it had been given to him by his own father when he turned sixteen. He’d had it for so long he’d forgotten what it was like not to have it sitting securely in his waistcoat pocket. It was the last thing of any real value he had left to sell.
But obtaining a ring for his future bride had been important. It sat safely in his coat pocket, but he kept checking the box to make sure it hadn’t vanished. Between his secret plan to actually seduce her for her fortune and using her to become acqua
