Page 75 of The Dangerous Lord

The man gulped, then dropped his gaze to examine his rumpled suit. “Viscount or no, he had no cause to grab me like that,” he mumbled. “It’s a sad day when a man can’t collect on his debts.”

“You weren’t collecting on debts, you bloody—” Ian began.

“I’d hold your tongue if’n I was you, Mr. Hodges,” Mrs. Box said. “Now go on with you. The miss and I’ll be round in the mornin’ to discuss the bill.”

“To pay the bill,” Ian corrected her. “And the ‘miss’ will not be there. My man will attend to it.” He stepped menacingly toward the butcher. “But see that you never come within a mile of Miss Taylor again, you understand? Or I swear I’ll⁠—”

“I got yer message, milord,” the man said quickly, holding up a hand. “I’m leavin’ now, and I won’t be back. All I wanted was me money, and if yer seein’ to that⁠—”

“I’m seeing to it,” Ian bit out.

Hodges fled without waiting for further assurances.

As soon as the door shut behind him, Felicity turned on Ian, eyes blazing. “There was no call for you to come barging down here. I had the situation well under control⁠—”

“Yes, I saw how ‘well under control’ you had the situation! You were stirring up a hornet’s nest, damn it! What the bloody hell would you have done after he recovered from the blow to his groin?”

Felicity’s chin came up a notch. “I would have called Joseph to throw him out.”

“I’ve seen your footman, and he couldn’t throw out a mangy dog on his best day! But never fear, once we’re married⁠—”

“We are not going to be married! I told you before, Ian, I won’t marry you, not even after ...” She trailed off with an embarrassed glance at the housekeeper.

“What d’ye mean, you told him before?” Mrs. Box broke in. She regarded Ian with new interest. “Have you proposed to my mistress before tonight, milord?”

Ian started to say it was none of her concern, then thought better of it. If Felicity still intended to be stubborn about this—which did seem to be the case—he might need Mrs. Box on his side. “My first proposal was a week ago, at the Worthings. Apparently, your mistress needs more persuasion than most to do what’s in her best interests.”

“Beg pardon, milord,” the housekeeper said tartly, her gaze taking in his scanty attire, “but I ain’t sure I approve of your methods of persuasion.”

“If I’d known Felicity was destitute,” he snapped, “I wouldn’t have needed such methods.”

“I am not destitute!” Felicity protested.

Ian fixed his gaze on Mrs. Box. “Well? Is she?”

“Mrs. Box,” Felicity threatened, “if you tell that man one word, I swear I’ll dismiss you at once!”

“Never fear,” Ian assured the housekeeper, “I’ll find you a place at my estate no matter what happens. Now tell me, does your mistress have an inheritance or not?”

Mrs. Box shot him a considering glance, then gave him a thin smile. “Nearly penniless she is. Her papa left them a hundred pounds per annum and a mountain of debt. James inherited the house, and it’s mostly mortgaged.”

“Thank you,” Ian said tersely, returning his gaze to Felicity.

“Mrs. Box, how could you?” Felicity cried. “I thought you were my friend!”

“I was, and I am. Somebody had to do somethin’, luv, and you know it. Besides, if you like the man well enough to let him bed you, you like him well enough to marry.”

The shame that spread over Felicity’s reddening cheeks made Ian grimace. “That’ll be all now, Mrs. Box. Felicity and I have important matters to discuss.”

Accepting his right to command her as if he’d always been her master, the housekeeper nodded and headed toward the hall. Then she paused to fix him with a warning look. “I know I’m just a servant and not her kin or anythin’, but I try to look after my mistress. So one of them matters you’re discussin’ best be an early weddin’ date, milord. Hodges ain’t likely to keep his mouth shut for long, and since he saw you here, he’ll guess that you and the girl were ... well ...”

“Will noon on Christmas Eve suit you?” he asked dryly, wondering how he’d ever sunk to the point of accepting a servant’s opinions on the date of his own wedding. “I’d marry her in the morning if I could, but I need time to procure a special license. As it is, that’s earlier than even I had planned and gives us only the whole of today and tomorrow morning to prepare, but you do have a point.”

A brilliant smile brightened the woman’s work-worn face. “Then Christmas Eve it is. That would be lovely.”

As the woman walked off down the hall, Ian held his hand out to Felicity. “Come, let’s return to your bedchamber. I can dress while we discuss this.”

“No, indeed. I’m not such a fool as to give you another chance to seduce me.” Though she spoke the words coldly, a violent blush accompanied them. He’d seen her blush more in the past day than in the entire time he’d known her. He found it vastly encouraging. A woman didn’t blush before a man she hated.