Page 61 of Only Pleasure Will Do

The lady glared at him, but he stared straight back, willing her to know he spoke the truth, until she glanced away and sighed. “Very well. Take the wretched thing and be done with it. I will send to my solicitor to draw up the bill of sale.”

“That will not be necessary, my lady.” Deftly, Duncan withdrew yet another piece of foolscap from his valise. “I took the liberty of having Mr. Grimes, my solicitor, draw up a bill of sale for the House of Pleasure. All you need do, Lady Fitch, is sign here.” He handed her the document and indicated the place she must sign. “Shall I have your butler fetch a pen and ink?”

The lady’s puckered mouth reminded Duncan of the time he’d eaten an entire lemon on a dare. “No, thank you, my lord.” She rose from the sofa, paper in hand, and stomped to a small desk on the far side of the room. There she withdrew writing implements and with a glare over her shoulder at Duncan, signed it. Angry scratching filled the room as she scribbled her name and held it out to him. “Will that do, my lord?”

Duncan took the document and perused the signature. He wouldn’t have put it past her to sign the wrong name, however, she had indeed written it correctly. His threat must have been sufficient, then. “Perfectly, my lady.”

Waving the sheet to dry the ink, Duncan returned his gaze to Lady Fitch. Best make certain the woman got up to no mischief. “This will settle the debt for Sir Peter’s malfeasance, and it is my hope we need never speak of this again. However, should some slander of Miss Forrester come to my ears, your transgressions will be made public also. And I warn you, Lady Fitch,” Duncan’s gaze bored into the woman’s pasty face, “my wife has made Miss Forrester’s debut her own private cause. Should the lady’s reputation become tarnished, you will be at her tender mercy, not mine. So I give you fair warning. Lady Dalbury’s tongue can be as sharp as her sword, and twice as deadly.” He waited until the woman gave a nod. God help her if she didn’t believe him. “Good day, my lady.”

Duncan strode from the room, leaving Lady Fitch clutching the desk’s damasked chair like a lifeline. Morley was waiting for him, and they proceeded from the house at a fast pace.

“Are we escaping the lady’s vengeance, Dalbury?” Morley settled himself in the backward facing seat, opposite Duncan, and the carriage started.

“No, although I suspect if she’d had a pistol, she’d have attempted to have gotten rid of me for good.” He laughed and relaxed back in the seat. “I threatened the woman with the wrath of Katarina if word of Miss Forrester’s identity became known. I believe my wife’s penchant for swordplay has spread about London. Lady Fitch seemed to fear for her life.”

“And well she should.” Morley chuckled and crossed his arms, swaying slightly as the carriage turned a corner. “Katarina would make wormsmeat of her in less time than it would take for the woman to draw breath.”

“Oh, I agree, old chap.” Duncan grinned. “No one in their right mind would wish to cross my wife so grievously.”

“But the plan is complete?” Eagerly, Morley sat forward. “You have the document?”

“I do. Signed and about to be delivered to Mr. Grimes himself.” Duncan blew out a sigh. So far so good. “Maddy will have her inheritance and officially become Miss Forrester, with a fortune at her disposal. I only hope it can lead her to the happiness she deserves.”

“If Katarina’s part of the plan goes as well as yours, I suspect she will.”

Duncan cast a doleful glance at his brother-in-law and grunted. “If my wife’s plan does not go off to her satisfaction then God help us all.”