Page 45 of Chasing Benedict
“Have a care, Sterling,” his father warned, rounding the desk to stand between them. “You may treat your son as you see fit, but I will not see mine threatened in his own home.”
Sterling sneered at the earl. “My threat doesn’t concern Alex’s well-being, but if he doesn’t marry the lady of your choosing, Benedict’s life will be made quite unpleasant.”
“You son of a—”
Alex’s outburst was cut short as his father’s arm shot out to hold him back just as he was about to advance on the viscount. Sterling watched him with cruel amusement twisting his lips. The man would surely have pummeled him into mincemeat, but Alex didn’t care. The threat to Benedict was too real, and Alex knew the viscount was cruel enough to truly make his son suffer.
“Have you ever been to Bedlam, boy?” the viscount taunted. “Ever seen the cramped cells the insane are kept in, heard their screams of torture as they are burned and drowned and beaten?”
Alex’s stomach curled at the image of Ben in such a place, desperation clawing up from the depths of his soul. He had to find a way out of this for them both. All couldn’t be lost. They still had a chance. Alex had to believe that, else he might succumb to despair.
“You would never have Ben declared insane,” Alex replied. “If word spread that the Sterling heir was a madman, they might speculate as to the cause. Perhaps he was born that way … perhaps it is in his blood, passed down by his father.”
“I would rather have the ton speculate over my bloodline than allow my title to pass to that deranged gomorrhean! And I’ll take the Vautrey name down with me if I must!”
“No!” the earl exclaimed, panic raising the pitch of his voice. “That will not be necessary. We’ll do it. Alex will be married within the next month. And you will instruct your son to stay away from mine, or there will be consequences.”
“Father!” Alex cut in.
“No,” his father replied, mouth firm with determination. “I have allowed you to act as you please for far too long. It is time for you to bow to the responsibilities of being my heir.”
“The choice is yours,” Sterling added. “Either find a respectable lady to settle down with, or I will have your lover committed to an asylum for the rest of his days, and word will spread through society that the future Earl of Vautrey is a filthy buggerer.”
“That will not be necessary,” the earl interjected, his voice quavering with panic. “We will do it. Give us time.”
Alex’s eyes began to sting with coming tears, but he held them back, refusing to give the viscount the satisfaction. He turned to walk away without a word, needing to be alone. He needed time to develop a new plan, but it would seem he didn’t have long. Alex would stay awake as long as it took; he would not lay his head down before he’d figured out a way to free both he and Ben from this trap.
As he entered the corridor, he faintly registered the viscount’s voice.
“If I do not see a betrothal notice in the papers by the end of the week, I will take that as a refusal and act accordingly.”
“You dare to stand here and threaten my son—”
“A threat will seem like nothing compared to facing the hangman’s noose,” the viscount bellowed, cutting the earl’s outburst short. “You would do well to remember that. You might outrank me, but I have the upper hand here. Do as I’ve demanded, and your precious son will be safe.”
Alex fled to his chambers, the tears finally falling once he was alone. Hamond had made himself scarce. Perhaps word had spread among the staff of the viscount’s visit, in which case his valet likely knew what was going on. Sinking to the floor, Alex leaned against his door and fought the hysteria tearing him up inside. He felt like a cornered animal, uncertain whether it was best to fight or surrender lest he be ripped to shreds. Being destroyed might not be so bad; Alex liked to think himself resilient. But Ben … he could never allow anything bad to befall the person he loved most. If he risked defying both their fathers, Ben would suffer far more than Alex would. The viscount did not have affection for Ben as Alex’s father had for him. Despite the earl’s readiness to go along with Sterling’s plan, Alex knew the man loved him. Fear was what drove him now.
Alex didn’t allow himself to wallow in self-pity for too long. He had to get word to Ben, somehow warn him what their fathers were up to. Perhaps Ben could help come up with a solution. Regardless, he needed to feel connected to Ben in any way he could, and a letter was the best he could do tonight. He would slip it to Hamond, who had his ways of ensuring it would land in Ben’s hands.
Going into the sitting room attached to his suite, Alex retrieved his writing box and began preparing to compose a letter. This was where his father found him when he entered through the bedchamber. Two large footmen flanked him, discreetly averting their eyes as the earl stood before him.
“Alex,” he said, his voice gentle. “You know what must be done.”
Alex shook his head, a fresh wave of tears humiliating him. “I can’t. I know you don’t understand me.”
“You are still my son. You’ve simply lost your way. It happens more than you might think. Boys who attend college … well, they … they often toy with unnatural urges. But, a gentleman should grow out of such folly, and you are beyond the age of such choices.”
Alex pushed his writing box aside and shot to his feet. “Do you think I would be this way if I had a choice? That I would want my desires to be the sort that could land me in gaol or the pillory? A man was killed last year when passersby began pelting him with bricks and rocks. His face was unrecognizable when they were finished with him. Do you honestly think a man wouldn’t apply himself to the pursuit of the female sex if he knew his life depended on it? I didn’t choose this any more than you chose the color of your hair and eyes.”
“I don’t believe that,” the earl argued. “It is just as the viscount said … his son has corrupted you, changed you.”
“This is who I am! I understand what it means for the future of the earldom, but your brother and nephew … either would make a splendid earl. And so would I. Just because I cannot produce an heir doesn’t mean I wouldn’t be as great an earl as you are.”
“But youwillsire an heir. You will choose one of your female acquaintances, anyone who would have you. What of that Ingram girl? I assumed you had an interest in her due to the amount of time you spend talking to and dancing with her when we attend balls.”
Alex groaned. “Katherine and I are merely friends. She is one of the few people I feel comfortable dancing with, and her nearness keeps the other ladies away.”
He didn’t add that Katherine knew of Alex's preferences. After teasing him over staring at Ben from across the ballroom during a soirée, his silence had told Katherine all she needed to know. She had never loved him any less or treated him any differently. Alex had few close friends, and valued having Katherine in his life. He couldn’t bear the thought of marrying her, ruining any chance she might have at true love.
