Page 112 of A Deal with her Forbidden Duke
In the end, he had stepped away from the window.
He sat down at his desk and Felix sat in the chair opposite as though he owned the very room. Alexander cleared his throat and began to sign the contract, aware of the other man’s eyes on him. The tension thickened for Alexander until he eventually looked up.
“Yes?”
Felix crooked a smile at him. “I have watched your movements from afar. Not only business but… everything else.”
Alexander said nothing; he only nodded. Ago onsort of gesture.
“Something is off,” Felix continued. “With your business, for I believe there is more there below the surface. I will not press but Iamaware. If ever you wish for a supporter of anything… else happening, you may count on me. However, I do not think it is only business. Am I correct?”
Alexander’s eyes narrowed in a glare. If the Duke of Kingswell continued to push, he would find his contract torn up.
“I have heard about your marriage,” Felix said. “Dare I suggest there is trouble in paradise?”
Setting down his quill, Alexander clasped his hands. “No, you may not suggest.” His voice had a warning edge to it.
Felix only smirked but did not push further, clearly knowing not to provoke his new business partner.
“I merely comment as I could not help but know that Lord Halthorpe is Madeleine’s brother. You two are friends, no?” At Alexander’s silence, Felix continued. “It is a curious coincidence that my wife is also my best friend’s sister.”
“Yes, and why should I care?” Alexander asked flatly.
Felix shrugged, flexing his hands casually on the arms of the chair.
“I had trouble in my marriage in the early days. Of course, those troubles have gone now, and we have been married a happy long while, but back in those days, another duke approached me with advice after going through the same thing as well. I would like to impart it on you.”
Before Alexander could refuse him to do that, Felix began to speak again.
“He said that one must look out for one’s own happiness, and that your wife’s brother shall see that, too.”
Alexander scowled. Such problems did not occur for him, at least not ones that he had not already handled and solved.
“Thank you,” he said anyway, making it clear he was not entirely impressed. “And… congratulations on the birth of your son. Iwish you and the Duchess of Kingswell many beautiful years as a family.”
For a brief moment, as Felix nodded, Alexander wondered if anybody had ever wished his own father such things with his mother and Alexander when he was a baby.
Had anybody looked upon their marriage and thought they deserved to have a long, happy life?
He shoved those thoughts aside.
“Thank you, Alexander. I do hope your situation will resolve soon. In the meantime, I look forward to doing business with you.”
Alexander merely nodded as Felix showed himself out, clutching their new contract.
The study was painfully empty as he looked out into it. His entire townhouse was, and he could not bear it.
Halfway down the hallway, he stopped short.
Why was he letting Donald Cluett, a desperate man who had needed to fake his own death just to escape his own mistakes, rule his life in such a way?
He was torturing himself just to appease one man who held no power over him.
Donald had rescinded his title. Alexander already held rank over him but now he simply towered above the man. He could do anything to Donald and it would not matter for the man had, quite literally, dug his own grave.
Why had he let such a piece of filth force him away from his wife?
His strong, silver-tongued Madeleine, with whom he had pictured a future that was happy—that was different to the life he had seen his parents have.
