Page 54 of Drowned in the Pleasure of a Devilish Baron
The other man sighed and looked at the speaker at last. “I would imagine it is perfectly clear what we should do next. We have made our threats, and given the man plenty of time to respond. Now we have to follow through.”
“Follow… through?”
“Yes. Follow through. We have made the threat, and now we have to carry it out.”
“But we only threatened general harm. Nothing specific. What could we do?” He lowered his voice. “And don’t you think now we are taking it a bit too far?”
His partner did not seem to hear the last sentence as he packed his pipe, a small smile on his face. “If he will not listen to reason, then we do something to stop it. Something that there is no coming back from. Something like...” He looked at the other man and struck his match, the small fire flaming, lighting his face in an eerie glow in the dark room. “Fire.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“I’m going for a walk,” Sarah said, tying her shawl over her head so she would not have to bother with a parasol. It was a glorious day outside, the sun shining brightly, not a cloud to be seen.
“Perhaps I should join you,” her mother mused, poking at a cloth with her needle. “It would be good to take in some fresh air.”
Sarah’s face heated at the thought. “Oh, but the sun is so bright, Mother. It will be difficult to keep your complexion safe.”
Her nose wrinkled at the idea. “How horrible. Stay inside then, or you’ll do your own complexion harm.”
“I’ll be careful,” she promised. “And just go to the stables and back to visit Piper,” she named the oldest and sweetest of their mares. “Would you like to join me for that?” she asked, knowing her mother would decline.
“Certainly not,” her mother’s attention turned back to her needlework. “I cannot imagine why you enjoy visiting such smelly creatures. Go on, but be quick.”
With a smile, Sarah walked slowly to the front door, not wanting to give the appearance of haste whatsoever, and walked outside.
Nut must have made it to Cunningham Manor this morning, because an answer to her note was already waiting for her in the pouch. Unable to wait, she glanced over her shoulder and tore it open.
Sarah,
I will ask more about this Lord Ashton tomorrow, but I wanted to tell you what I learned from Leonard right away. Leonard knows him well, but only by reputation, they have never been properly introduced as he has spent the past few years in Italy.
He is a winemaker as well, his family is very well known for their wines. You may know this already. The wines are quite good, Leonard tells me, and expensive. More so than Whitfield Wines. He said he might describe him as a business rival, though of course he does not play into that type of business at all. He is far too genteel for that!
I will ask more tomorrow. A few ladies are coming for tea, perhaps they will know something more about him. Why are you asking? I have the most terrible feeling of foreboding about this…
Juliet
Another winemaker. In a different world, perhaps this would have been cause for excitement between Sarah and Juliet, both married to titans of the wine industry. They could have used it to ensure they saw one another often, maybe their husbands could have bonded over the shared interest. Instead, she was only disappointed. Though she appreciated greatly the speed of Juliet’s response, the note had held little new information for her, just that Leonard knew of the man.
She put the note in her pocket and pulled out the carrot for Piper as she walked to her stall. Patting the mare’s gray muzzle, she fed her the carrot and thought about what she might reply. Should she tell Juliet the truth? Why was she resisting that thought?
Later, as she sat at her desk with a fresh piece of paper before her, she decided she knew why it did.
Juliet,
Thank you for writing so quickly. I had dinner with the gentleman and had the misfortune of learning all about his family’s business. To be honest, I found him insufferable. It is perhaps unkind to say so, but it is the truth and I cannot lie to you.
My family expects me to marry him.
Writing those words on the page made her nearly gag. This was why she was so hesitant to tell Juliet. Seeing those words, written in black and white before her, made the whole situation seem real. Made the possibility of a life without Felix real. She brushed tears from her eyes and gritted her teeth. No time for wallowing now.
My family expects me to marry him. You can imagine Mother’s delight at making me a Countess. I miss Felix desperately. Every day that I am locked inside this house, unable to see or speak to him, is torturous. Your notes feel as if they are the only thing keeping me from going mad. Please find out more about Lord Ashton if you can. I will be forever in your debt.
Sarah
The next morning, when she entered the stables, Nut was there.
“Good morning,” she said with a smile. “I have another note for you.”
