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Mr. White, having apparently rearranged himself, strode forward to put a hand on her shoulder. "With all due respect, Miss York, you have no choice but to marry me."
"Excuse me?"
"I've taken your virtue. The maids are already talking. You're mine now, darling."
"Yours?" She jerked her shoulder from his grasp and stepped away to glare at him. "I most certainly am not."
Edward cleared his throat. "Let us worry about our own servants, Mr. White."
"Of course. And the talk will be meaningless once the vows are exchanged. Miss York is understandably beset by emotion. Let's discuss this man to man, Baron. She isn't thinking logically."
Marissa drew herself up in outrage. "On the contrary, I am thinking quite logically. It's very clear to me that I'd rather enter a nunnery than spend the rest of my nights suffering your grunting efforts between my legs, Mr. White. Now I'd like to have a private convention with my brother, if you don't mind."
Her brother choked on horror, but Mr. White's face went red with a different emotion. "I have had yon, and yon will marry me, young lady."
Too late, she realized what he'd meant earlier when he'd first snuck his hand beneath her skirt. "Finally," he'd breathed. "You'll be mine." She'd thought he meant a more temporary ownership. She should have known better. He'd already proposed twice.
Her brother took a step forward. "White, I need to speak with my sister. Please await me in my study."
Anger creased his Hushed forehead. "You can t mean to indulge her. She made her choice when she laid herself down on that couch, sir. I won't let her call off now."
Her vision narrowed until all she could see was Peter White's face. One eye was already swelling. She focused on the undamaged one, wondering how much strength it would take to create a matching set. "You won't let me? I've told you twice now that I won't be your wife."
He had the nerve to smile at her. "If you meant that, you should have stopped me. We will be married. You've no choice."
"White," her brother growled, "Marissa is twenty-two and can't be forced to anything."
Mr. White scoffed. "She might already have a belly full of me. And as the head of the household, it's your job to protect her from her own foolishness. When word gets out that—"
Edward took another step, drawing menacingly close to the other man. "How would word get out?"
"There are forty guests in your house right now, Baron. Surely one of them will hear the tale. Your cousin saw it firsthand. You would not want it put about that your sister is a trollop, would you?" Triumph gleamed in his eyes.
"You awful cur," she whispered. "You planned this."
Edward's hand shot out and wrapped around Peter White's cravat. "You did plan this, didn't you?"
"I mean to give her my name. My devotion. There is no harm done here. She should be honored. My grandfather is—"
She'd heard his speech about the glory of his bloodlines before, so she was relieved when Edward cut it off with a blow to Mr. White's jaw. The man stumbled back, clutching his chin with both hands before he fell to his rump.
"Get out of my house," Edward growled.
"You can't be serious!"
"Go!"
White shook his head. "I'm in love with her."
Marissa gasped in offense, but Edward just pointed at the floor. "Get out of my home, and if you breathe a word of this to anyone, I will hunt you down and kill you."
Mr. White watched him carefully, clearly considering whether Edward could or would commit murder. He looked doubtful. Marissa was sure she did too. Edward had a wicked temper, but it cooled quickly. He was known as the mature one in the family. Once Mr. White was away, he was probably in little mortal danger. Unless ...
Edward smiled. "And if I can't find you, I'm quite sure my brother Aidan can. He'll enjoy the hunt, vicious ruffian that he is."
Well, Aidan was another matter entirely. Even Marissa cringed at the thought of him finding out about this. And he would.
Peter White rolled his shoulders and pressed his fingers gingerly to his jaw. "This is absurd. You're both upset. I'll take my leave for now, but I shall return in a few days' time. I love you, Marissa."
