Invisible Man League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen の小説・ストーリー

BOOK FIVE: His Wicked Embrace League Rule Number 11: A man should remember from time to time to be a gentleman, even if he thinks he may have forgotten how. Excerpt from the Quizzing Glass Gazette, April 28, 1821, the Lady Society column: Lady Society is quite curious about a certain gentleman named Mr. Lawrence Russell. His elder brother, the Marquess of Rochester, is quite infamous indeed as a member of the League of Rogues, but as for Mr. Russell himselfthe rumors abound.

The thought of her walking away from him, of her turning her almond-dark eyes away from his… it gnawed at his insides with a savagery no bullet or blade had ever caused. He pushed himself up, restless, tugging off the bloodstained black shirt he still wore. The fabric peeled away stiffly, dried streaks of red clinging to the skin of his forearms. He tossed it carelessly on the floor before unbuttoning a fresh crisp white shirt. The contrast was sharp—his tall frame cloaked once more in elegance, his dark trousers pressed, his cuffs gleaming with silver. The outside world would see a polished, powerful man. But inside, his veins pulsed with the weight of a fear he refused to admit.