Page 85 of Drowned in the Pleasure of a Devilish Baron
“So, perhaps this is your last chance to do the right thing.”
She could nearly hear her words land as John came to a stuttering stop, looking down at her with his mouth dropped open. She held his gaze unflinchingly. Right now, in this moment, he was her only hope.
Lord Ashton, just a few steps ahead of them now, frowned. “What is it?”
“Last chance, John,” she repeated quietly. “Do the right thing. I know you can.”
John looked between her and Lord Ashton, who made an impatient, ‘hurry up’ hand gesture, to Lady Marlow, who was still smiling brightly, though her eyes were narrowing as they did not continue their march forward. His face took on a strained expression, as if he were fighting with himself internally.
“Sarah—” he began.
But just then, from behind them, came the sounds of the heavy church doors swinging forcibly open. Each of them swung around to look at who this interloper was, to see Felix, Leonard, and Charles, the three flanked by two men she did not know.
“Felix!” she cried out, tears filling her eyes.
“I’m here, Sarah, and thank God I’m in time,” Felix said, looking at her warmly. “I’ve brought the constable.” He nodded to the massive, hulking man at his side.
“This wedding has to stop at once,” the constable said in tones of ringing authority.
“Can he do that?” hissed Lady Marlow to no one in particular.
“He certainly cannot,” Lord Ashton said.
“He can,” said the constable. “Because he is here to arrest the would-be groom.”
“Pardon me?” Ashton said, his chest puffing up. “Have you any idea who I am? I don’t know what you are playing at, sir, but I shall have you know—”
“Bring them in,” the constable yelled over his shoulder, decisively cutting off the Earl.
Behind him, a troop of men dragged in three prisoners. At the sight of them, Lord Ashton’s face went white as he staggered a step backward.
Felix addressed everyone, his tone clear and carrying. “The past few days, Lord Cunningham and I have been investigating the arson that occurred on my land and on a large, costly Whitfield Wines shipment. These attacks were pointed and direct. Then we were attacked on the road by these men here,” he gestured to the prisoners, “Who attempted to kill us.”
Sarah gasped, her hands covering her mouth as she scanned him to be sure he was all right.
Felix caught her eye and smiled. “Luckily, we were unhurt. With the help of the private investigator, Mr. Cast, the men confessed.” He pointed one hand directly at the man at the head of the church. “Broderick, Earl of Ashton, paid these men to destroy everything and to kill us.”
Everyone’s heads swiveled to look at Lord Ashton, whose face was so white his dark eyes stood out in stark contrast. “I will not listen to this nonsense! Who can even imagine such a thing! I certainly played no part in this!” He raised a shaking hand to his head, attempting to casually flick back his hair from his forehead, and for the first time, Sarah noticed a long, fleshy pink scar on his pinky finger. For a reason she could not name, it sent a feeling of disgust through her.
“This is utter madness!” Lady Marlow piped up, glaring at Felix. “Why must you always cause my family so much trouble? Leave at once and allow them to be married properly.”
“I’m afraid he can’t do that,” Leonard said to her, his voice kind. “This is far too serious a matter to wait.”
He turned to Lord Ashton. “Do not attempt to weasel your way out of this, Ashton. There is far too much evidence for that. The workers reported hearing men speaking a foreign language that day, which turned out to be Italian. We further found an Italian-cut coat among the wreckage.” He gestured to the Italian prisoners. “This man has a long burn up his arm, consistent with the burn we found on the coat he left behind,” he said.
One of the prisoner’s sleeve was pulled up by his jailer, showing everyone a dark burn from wrist to elbow.
Leonard raised a stack of pages, water-stained and marked up from long travel. “And just to be sure there is no doubt at all, besides the confessions that each of these men gave us, I also have all of your letters, specifically requesting these things be done. With the help of my dear friend Charles, we were able to discover these. Allow me to read a passage.” He cleared his throat theatrically. “’This man, Felix Andrews, is trying to gain a foothold in the wine business himself, which will grow Whitfield Wines. I’ve further heard he has designs on my bride-to-be. This cannot be allowed to happen. End him.’”
Lord Ashton’s face blanched, then tightened with fury. “What choice did I have?” he shouted, and even from where she stood, Sarah could see a spray of spittle leave his lips. “Whitfield Wines has been outpacing us more and more each year. I had had enough! It was time to do something, to take charge! My family’s wine business, which has stood for generations, was crumbling, and it was all because ofyou,” he spat at Leonard, who only raised his brows coolly.
“And you!” Ashton turned to Felix, who did not react at the vitriol now being aimed his way. “You were going to profit off of nothing more than luck and having your sister marry someone more important than the two of you could ever be! And then,” he gave a hard little laugh, throwing back his head. “Then you have the nerve to shoot for the first lady to truly capture my attention.” He shook his head, hair flying wildly as he did. “It could not be borne! It could not!” He shook a shaking finger at Felix. “I would have left you alone, out of it entirely, had you not reached for more than what was yours to have.”
Felix smiled, the patient smile of an adult speaking to a child. “Did you not think to try and make your business better, rather than depend on the destruction of another?”
Ashton’s face suffused with color. “How could I? When Whitfield Wines continued to grow, the more prominent families of thetoncanceling their orders with us in order to place orders withhim? He was ruining me!”
“That’s enough out of you, I should think,” the constable said, moving toward him.
