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"Grand." Richard opened the carriage door to get out. "More trouble at my door."
"You do seem to attract it of late," Daniel commented on a dry laugh as he followed him.
When they reached the man, he was again paused before the townhouse door. He stood and stared at it briefly, and then muttering under his breath, the fellow suddenly turned. He just as suddenly paused and jumped back when he found Richard standing in his path.
Daniel peered at the man curiously as Richard asked, "Is there something I can assist you with, sir?"
For some reason the question made the man's eyes widen incredulously. "What?"
"I am Lord Radnor." He held out one hand. "Can I be of assistance?"
Daniel couldn't help noticing that the gentleman stared at the offered hand as if it were a viper. He then scowled and said grimly, "Surely you jest, my lord. After all you have cost me with your shady dealings, you think to act like you do not know me?"
Daniel raised his eyebrows at this response as Richard let his hand drop to his side. It seemed obvious to him that this man must have had dealings with Dicky this last year and--not unnaturally--was mistaking Richard for his brother.
"Why do we not go inside and discuss this?" Richard moved past the man.
The fellow turned to watch him open the door, then suddenly whirled back and started forward. Daniel thought the man was simply going to leave and took a moment to debate whether to stop him or not. After all, they may gain some information from him about George's doings as Dicky this last year, he thought. But before he could make up his mind, the older man jerked a black and ivory pistol from inside his jacket and instead of passing Daniel, stopped and pressed the weapon to his side. Glancing back toward Richard then, the man said, "Why do you not go in there and fetch the girls back to me while your friend and I wait out here instead."
Daniel was a bit startled by this unexpected turn of events, but not much alarmed for two reasons. First of all, they were standing on the street in plain view of anyone passing and no sane person would pull the trigger there. Of course, the fellow had been talking to himself, so perhaps he wasn't all that sane. But Daniel also wasn't that worried because the man was obviously a member of the nobility and he'd mentioned the girls who could only be the Madison sisters. Daniel was beginning to suspect he knew who the man was and why he'd looked familiar. And if he was right, he was pretty sure that the likelihood of being shot wasn't very high. Well, at least not on purpose, Daniel corrected himself wryly, as he noted the way the man's hand was trembling.
Richard turned back, and then paused as he took in the situation.
"Ha! Not so clever now are you, Dicky?" the armed man asked grimly. "Now give me my daughters. All of them. I'm not leaving a one of them here for you to abuse any longer."
"Your daughters?" Daniel asked with interest, his suspicions proven correct. The man was Cedrick Madison, Suzette's father. He looked familiar because he shared some of the same facial features as his lovely daughter, though they were much softer on her.
"Lord Madison?" Richard asked, sounding more amazed. Obviously, he didn't see the resemblance.
Madison appeared more interested in Richard than anything else, though he kept the gun pressed into Daniel's side as he sneered, "Save your games, my lord. You have managed to fool me one too many times already. I know you have mistreated my Chrissy. Robert told me everything after the Landons' ball the other night. He said the girls told him that you've treated her terribly and I've sorted it all out from there. You never loved my gel, it was all an act to get your hands on her dower, and now you've somehow swindled me again hoping to force my Suzette into the same position. Well I won't have it, and I am not leaving my Chrissy in your hands either, marriage or no marriage. I'll have it annulled. I'll take it to the King himself if I have to. Now fetch me all three girls before I lose my patience."
"Father?"
All three men glanced to the woman hurrying up the path toward them: Lisa Madison with Robert Langley on her heels.
"Father, what are you doing pointing that pistol at Suzette's fiance? Put that away before you hurt someone."
"Nay," Lord Madison said firmly, grabbing her arm with his free hand and urging her to the side to keep her out of harm's way as he dug the pistol more firmly into Daniel's stomach. "I'll not let Suzette marry this blackguard. No doubt he's a friend of that devil's there, which means he'll be as bad as Dicky. Now, be a good girl and fetch your sisters, girl. We are leaving here and going back to Madison. I've sold the townhouse to pay the debts. There is no need for Suzette to marry anyone."
"You sold your townhouse?" Daniel asked with the first real alarm he'd felt since the man had whipped out his pistol.
"Aye." Lord Madison's smile was just plain mean as he glanced from Daniel to Richard. "The two of you didn't think I'd do that, did you? But I'd sell the estate itself before I let you rope another one of my girls into a miserable marriage." He stood a little straighter and added, "And I will see Chrissy out of her marriage as well."
"Oh Father," Lisa said with a sigh. "That wasn't necessary at all. Daniel agreed to let Suzette keep half her dower to pay off the debt and use the rest as she wished. He is not the devil Dicky was."
"And actually, Richard here is not the villain you think he is either," Langley added as he urged Lisa away to take her place at Madison's side. He then bent his head close and began to murmur. Daniel heard enough to know he was explaining the situation to the man and simply waited for him to finish. It took a bit of time, but eventually Madison lowered his gun and squawked, "What?"
Robert nodded solemnly. "Chrissy is very happy with the Earl of Radnor. This one," he added firmly. "And Daniel is a good and honorable man. He'll make Suzette a fine husband."
Daniel snorted at the words, his tone full of disgust as he said, "Only if he doesn't tell her he sold the damned townhouse to make good on his debts. If she finds that out Suzette is just contrary enough that she may very well not marry me."
"I'm sure Lord Madison will keep that information to himself for now," Richard said, bringing a look of surprise to the older man's face.
"Why would I do that?" Madison asked with amazement. "If Suzette doesn't wish to marry him, I will not let her be forced into it."
Richard gave him a pained smile. "Under normal circumstances I would agree with you. However, after what I interrupted in the parlor between the two of them this morning, honor demands he marry her, and as her brother-in-law I feel it my duty to ensure he does."
"Eh?" Madison's eyes shot to Daniel just as he began to grin at the recollection of what Richard had walked in on that m
orning before they'd left. Suzette had just crawled onto his lap and he'd lifted her skirts to keep them from hampering her as she straddled his thighs, but he'd deliberately lifted it high enough to bare her bottom and had been pinching the tender flesh and considering doing much more when Richard had entered. Most scandalous. The girl was as good as ruined if it got out, and he'd damn well blab that tidbit all over town if necessary to get her to marry him. Suzette was not going to escape him now when he'd finally settled on marrying her.
Realizing that everyone was staring at him, he nodded easily. "I'd forgotten about that. Yes, she has to marry me to avoid ruin."
"You're sure he's a good and honorable man?" Lord Madison asked Robert doubtfully.
"Positive," Robert assured him, obviously fighting a grin. "Truly, just look how eager he is to do the right thing."
Daniel beamed at the old man when he looked his way again, appearing as pleased as he was at the idea of marrying Suzette and finally bedding the beautiful, passionate firebrand.
"Besides," Robert continued. "The fact that Suzie allowed him to take liberties with her proves she is not averse to the marriage. However, she can be contrary. It may be best to allow her to continue thinking for now that the marriage is necessary."
"Hmm." Madison grimaced. "Of the three of them she has always been the most stubborn and difficult." He glanced to Daniel. "Are you sure you know what you're getting yourself into? She won't make life easy."
"Perhaps not," Daniel said, and thought it an understatement. Suzette would never make life easy, but nothing easy was worth having and he added, "But life shall certainly never be boring with her either."
Madison relaxed and nodded solemnly. "There is much to be said for that. She is like her mother, and that woman had me hopping to keep up with her from the day we wed. Never regretted marrying her even for a moment."
"So you won't tell her that there is no need to marry?" Daniel asked hopefully.
Madison pursed his lips, his gaze moving first to Lisa, who nodded solemnly, then to each of the men before he heaved a sigh. "I shall talk to her, and if Suzie doesn't seem averse to marrying you, I will keep the sale of the townhouse to myself for now."
