Page 16 of Drowned in the Pleasure of a Devilish Baron
“And am here now.”
John considered him over the top of his teacup. “Yes, you are here now. Why? Mother and I have been so perplexed since our little Sarah here told us you wanted to speak with me.”
“I would like to begin courting your sister with the intention of marrying her.”
The sentence could not have had more of an impact on the room if he had ripped off his shirt while saying it. John nearly dropped his teacup as he shot forward from the wall, and Lady Marlow’s pale face whitened still further, giving her the appearance of a very thin, very severe ghost.
Sarah, amidst it all, sat still, a hint of a smile on her sweet lips. He met hers with a smile of his own, wishing he could be nearer to her.
John seemed to sense this and looked at his mother.
“Sarah, go to your room.” Lady Marlow said between pursed lips.
“Mother, please—”
“Now.”
The lady’s tone brooked no argument. With a reluctant glance at Felix, Sarah left the drawing room.
I might be mad, but to me it sounded as if Sarah just smacked the bottom step a few times with her feet.
Pretending to stretch his neck, he looked around the wall’s edge where the stairs were. When he spotted just a glimpse of white fabric on the other side, he bit back a smile.
“What has led to this request?” Lady Marlow asked, bringing his attention back to the matter at hand.
“In truth, the request has been a long time coming,” he said. “Lady Marlow, I care very deeply for your daughter. I will take care of her for the rest of her life to the very best of my ability. With my betrothal, I vow to never stray, to never harm her, and to be the husband that she deserves.”
“Be that as it may,” John said, walking around the edge of the couch to join his mother. “What does ‘the best of my ability’ mean to Sir Felix Andrews, Baronet?”
Felix frowned. “I don’t catch your meaning.” Though he did. This was the part of the conversation that was sure to cause issue, and he had hoped that they would not arrive there quite so quickly.
John puffed impatiently. “Don’t be naive, Andrews. In whatmannerdo you intend to keep my sister?” he said. “I’ve seen your cottage on the hill, been there many times myself. What makes you think I’d sentence my sister to a life there?”
Felix could not resist a pointed glance around the empty, cold drawing room where the three of them were currently sitting. “It may not be a manor, but it is a safe place to call home. I will provide for her the best I can.”
“There’s that word again.” John made to stand, but a gesture from his mother stopped him. He fidgeted irritably on the couch instead. “The best you can. Whatisthe best you can do?”
“I am no Marquess, no Earl or Duke. If you allow your sister to marry me, she will not be rich. But she will always have enough to eat, a safe place to lay her head at night, and a loving husband,” Felix said.
At this, Lady Marlow snorted, a sound that shocked the two men. “Forgive me, Sir Felix, but do you honestly expect us to send her to you when the best you can offer is to keep her fed?”
“I’m not— I wasn’t saying—” She had flustered him. He took a breath and started again. “I apologize if I made myself unclear. I was not saying I would only keep her fed. She will not have to worry about anything, should we marry.”
“I don’t want platitudes,” John said, leaning forward. “I want exact numbers. Tell me your financial situation.”
“I have the land. The house. The garden and our staff. It is an acceptable arrangement.”
But John was shaking his head. “I want real details,” he repeated.
Felix shifted in the hard wooden seat. Below him, the ornate details of the carvings seemed to be grinding through his trousers. Though there was no fire in the grate, he felt very warm. “What details are you demanding?”
“I want to know what you expect to support my sister with,” John snapped impatiently. “Have you got tenants? Crops yielding profits? How do you make a living, and how will you support her?”
“I have no tenants. For now, I have no crops that yield profits, though that is something I am actively exploring. I live off of the profits from my garden, renting out my carriage, and a piece of land that is rented by a farmer.”
John raised one cool eyebrow. “That cannot be very much.”
“As I said before, living with me will not provide your sister a life of luxury.” Felix put his hands on his knees and spoke from the heart. “But I will do whatever it takes—whateverit takes— to ensure she never wants for anything. And I will stand by her for the rest of her life.” He stopped and looked his old childhood friend in the eyes. “John, I love her, and she loves me. What could mean more than that?”
