Page 37 of Daring the Forbidden Earl
I suppose I have been imbibing a great deal, of late… Although, not as much as I was before Johanna and I shared our first kiss. That must be progress.
Satisfied with himself, Mark retreated to the drawing room and settled into his favorite armchair. A fire flickered in the grate, radiating warmth throughout the peaceful room. By its orange light—for he had closed the drapes earlier that morning while trying to nap, considering he had not slept much last night—he began to work through the pile of letters, hoping to find one from Johanna.
Instead, a few letters into the stack, his eyes flitted across the inky scrawl of a much more unsettling note. One that all but dissolved the giddy sensation in his chest.
Lord Sinclair,
You cannot escape justice, and you cannot escape my wrath. I have tried to be patient, and I have tried to be righteous, but it seems you will only continue to ignore me. However, I am not the sort of man who allows himself to be ignored, not when the stakes are so high.
I will give you one chance, and one chance only, to remedy the situation. If you do not take this opportunity, you will force my hand, and I will no longer have cause to be honorable in my pursuit of justice.
Meet with me on Friday evening, at ten o’clock, at the western entrance of Hyde Park. Come alone and unarmed, for if you turn this into a duel, you will not win.
Yours Sincerely,
HS.
Mark shivered despite the warmth, as he reread the letter again and again, wondering if there might be some mistake. Indeed, though he already knew who had sent it, he had to rack his brain to recall the Baron of Dresday’s full name: Henry Steele.
Of course you would not put your title upon a threat such as this, you coward.
He shook his head and threw the offending article onto the table in front of him, not wanting to look at the poisonous words a moment longer.
“Why now?” he groaned in exasperation. “I have never shared my bed with Miss Steele! Iwillnot be manipulated into marrying her, when I have done nothing wrong! You will not come between me and Johanna. I shall never allow it.”
Chalke poked his head into the drawing room. “Did you call for me, My Lord?”
“No!” Mark snapped, immediately feeling guilty. It was not Chalke’s fault. Indeed, though it grieved him to admit it, Mark knew he was entirely to blame for this. If he had not created a legacy for himself as a known lothario, he would not be in this predicament in the first place.
And to think, I took such pride in being so promiscuous. Is this supposed to teach me a cruel lesson? Have I not been taught enough of those?
Chalke visibly flinched. “Apologies, My Lord.” He shuffled out of the drawing room, leaving Mark alone with the vile letter that might well trap him in a fate he did not want.
“It is not fair,” Mark whispered, plucking up the letter once more. “And what do you mean, Lord Dresday, that you will ‘no longer be honorable in your pursuit of justice’? You were not honorable the other day, storming into my house in a fury.”
He closed his eyes and tried to think of a plan. He supposed he could go to Lord Dresday directly, before Friday evening, and try to plead his case. Perhaps, if Miss Steele were present, he would be able to get her to admit to her lies. Then again, it might end up being a case of his word against hers.
No one can actually force me to marry… can they?
He stood abruptly and went to his writing desk, scribbling down a quick note to Johanna, to meet him that evening. Now, more than ever, he needed to be near her, if only to bring back that bubble of happiness that Lord Dresday’s letter had just burst.
Pocketing it safely, for he would not risk losing another potentially incendiary letter, he headed out of the drawing room. He passed Chalke in the entrance hall and came to an awkward halt.
“I apologize for my curt words, Chalke. I received some bad news,” Mark explained, though that was all he would say.
Chalke dipped his head. “Is there anything I can do?”
“I wish there were,” Mark replied.
With that, he walked toward the front door and exited the townhouse, thinking of only one destination. His friends would know how to help him, even if it meant telling the truth about his feelings for Johanna. Surely they—particularly Kenneth—would be able to put any gripes aside, for the sake of protecting Mark from this threat.
I have to resolve this, before it is too late. And not just for myself.
For if Lord Dresday came for Mark, and found himself refused once more, there was every chance that Johanna might end up in the firing line. Or, worse, with her heart broken once more.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Mark paced Liam’s study, struggling to find the words to explain himself. He had collected Kenneth on his way to Liam’s townhouse, and his two dearest friends were now looking at him with a mixture of expectation and concern. And why would they not, when Mark had not yet said a word about why he had gathered them?
