Page 46 of His Forbidden Duchess
Chapter Eighteen
“What?” Eloise blinked at him, not quite believing what she was hearing.
He had marched in and rescued them from what was sure to be a terrible night, but marriage? Had he really suggested they were engaged?
It must surely be a ploy.
“As I said,” Felix continued. “I am as good as family.”
Mr. Carlisle narrowed his eyes at Eloise. “Is this true?”
Eloise looked from the creditor to Felix. Felix turned to look at her properly, and he spoke in a low whisper.
“We are to marry, Eloise, as you well know,” he snapped, his eyes flashing with something she didn’t understand. “You shouldhave told me about this sooner so that we could have made the announcement earlier.”
Eloise stared at him for what felt like forever, but she eventually nodded. It was her only option to resolve the debt and be free of Carlisle and his men. She had to protect her family at all costs, and Felix was an infinitely better choice than Mortcombe. She could worry about Jeremy’s reaction later.
She turned defiantly to Mr. Carlisle, boldly taking Felix’s hand as she did so. “It is true, Mr. Carlisle. The Duke and I are due to be married soon.”
“Oh!” Lady Danridge’s cries turned to sobs, and she dabbed at her face with her handkerchief. “Oh, thank you, Your Grace. Thank you so much. I do not know how we could ever repay you.”
“Mother, please!” Eloise snapped. “Do not act as though this is news to you.”
Felix puffed out his chest and declared, “I will be repaid with the love of a good woman as I always knew I would.”
Eloise took in a deep breath to calm her frayed nerves. She knew Felix was only saying the words to convince Mr. Carlisle although she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of joy in her heart.
Me? A good woman?
Mr. Carlisle laughed derisively. “You andher? Please, Your Grace. You will have to do more than that to convince me you are in love with Eloise Manning.”
Felix glared at him, and Eloise felt his hand slip from hers. He stepped toward Carlisle and snarled. “You will keep the name of my future wife out of your dirty mouth, or I will wipe it out for you.”
“And the other thing, of course, is that you are too late,” Mr. Carlisle continued, and Eloise’s heart sank again. “I have already been generous enough to give them an extension until next week. I’m afraid your pretty little fiancée will be coming with me.”
She was grateful for Felix’s gallant efforts, but she should have known it was too good to be true.
Felix’s face darkened in a way that Eloise had never seen, rage and fury swirling in his eyes. He took a menacing step toward Carlisle, his shoulders high and his fists clenched.
“Donotspeak of her like that.”
Carlisle laughed, not the slightest bit intimidated, then put two fingers in his mouth and whistled.
“You may be a duke, Your Grace, but you do not get to throw orders around in my world.”
Eloise winced at the sound, but Felix stiffened. Carlisle’s two lackeys stopped their search and were by his side in an instant, but Felix was prepared.
His stance shifted, his body coiling like a spring. He spared Eloise a brief glance, his eyes warning her to stay back, and then he moved. Eloise watched, fascinated and terrified all at once, while her mother continued her sobbing.
The first of Carlisle’s henchmen, a brutish figure with a shaved head, lunged at Felix. Felix sidestepped with practiced ease, just as he did when he fenced with Percy, and he caught the man’s wrist, twisting it sharply.
A pained grunt escaped the man’s lips, and Felix used the momentum to pull him forward. He crashed into the polished mahogany sideboard, joining the shattered ornaments on the floor.
Before the second man could react, Felix spun, driving an elbow into his stomach. The lackey doubled over, gasping for breath. Felix seized the opportunity, planting a swift kick to the back of the man’s knee, forcing him down.
Eloise cowered, but she could not pull her eyes away from the scene. She wondered how often Felix had needed to use his fighting skills, and while the violence made her shudder, the fact that he was doing it all for her and her family filled her heart with love.
“Oh! Oh!” her mother cried, and Eloise rushed to her side.
