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Haywood’s eyes widened, and he briefly touched his chest, looking mildly affronted. “I’m in the middle of a hand.”
“I wouldn’t care if you were in the middle of using the privy.Stand up.”
Haywood’s brow furrowed. “Really, Kendal, I must ask that you wait.”
“It’s quite all right,” said the gentleman to Haywood’s left. “We’ll pause the game.”
Haywood looked at his tablemates. “If you’re certain you don’t mind.”
Titus’s patience withered until it was nearly gone. He was about to physically drag the man out of his chair when he finally stood.
“Come.” Titus bit out the command and gestured for Haywood to follow him. He led the scoundrel to his private chamber.
“What the devil is going on?” Haywood asked as they mounted the stairs. “You haven’t spoken to me in nearly a decade, and now you interrupt a perfectly smashing game of whist. I hope you haven’t upset my streak.”
Titus waited to answer until they were inside his private room. A footman opened the door and closed it behind Haywood. It took everything Titus had not tosmashhis fist into the man’s ruddy face.
“I haven’t spoken to you in a decade because I haven’t had reason to. Now, however, I have a reason, and you will heed every word I say. You are going to deny that you saw Miss Lockhart today.”
Haywood appeared utterly nonplussed. “I already said that I did.”
Titus’s right hand curled into a fist. How he ached to hit the man. “Say you were mistaken. Furthermore, you are not to speak to Miss Lockhart again. You are not to speakofMiss Lockhart. You are not to come within fifty paces of Miss Lockhart. In fact, you are not tolookat Miss Lockhart. Do I make myself clear?”
With each directive, Haywood’s mouth had opened a little further until his jaw had gone completely slack. He stood like that, gaping at Titus for a moment. He closed his mouth and did the damnedest—no, thestupidestthing. Helaughed. “I beg your pardon? Is this some sort of joke?”
Titus took a step toward him. “Youare the only joke in this room.”
Haywood sobered. “Now, there’s no call to be rude. Why do you care if I speak to Miss Lockhart?”
“Because you ruined her chances at a decent, happy life once, and I won’t allow you to do it again.”
“Who are you? Her father?” He laughed again, but without humor this time. “This is rich. You used to be the worst rake in town.”
“Usedto be. We’ve matured past that, haven’t we, Haywood?” He took another step toward him. “Or are you still behaving like a lad who can’t keep his cock in his breeches?”
Haywood’s eyes narrowed. “You go too far.”
Another step forward. “I’m not sure I’ve gone far enough. If you so much asthinkof Miss Lockhart, let alone approach her, you will be sorry.”
Something lit in Haywood’s gaze—an acknowledgment of Titus’s anger, perhaps. “I have no reason to speak with her again anyhow. She propositioned me—a married man.” He shook his head. “She’s every bit the trollop she was all those years ago.”
Titus didn’t think. He just acted. His fist connected with Haywood’s half smirk, sending the degenerate’s head snapping backward.
“Christ!” Haywood’s hand came up against his mouth as his tongue darted out to catch the blood from his split lip.
“I believe I told you not to speak of her, and yet you did. Do it again, and you’ll be looking for a second.”
This seemed to finally sink into Haywood’s pea-sized brain. He blanched as he licked another drop of blood from his lip. He nodded slowly, his eyes failing to meet Titus’s.
Titus moved past him, catching his shoulder against Haywood’s bicep and knocking him off-balance. He opened the door and addressed the footman in the corridor. “Please have this rubbish removed from my chamber.”
Titus didn’t look back as he made his way downstairs. Energy still thrummed through him as if he’d raced his horse across his estate at a breakneck pace, but there was satisfaction too. And that was a damn sight better than the outrage he’d felt earlier.
When he reached the subscription room, he was aware of the buzz dying more quickly than usual, of the stares that seemed to burn straight through his coat. He’d created a bit of a sensation by directly approaching Haywood and taking him upstairs, and that rankled. He could only imagine what they would say when they learned he’d hit Haywood. But Haywood wouldn’t tell them that. He was vain and self-important enough to fabricate a story to explain his split lip. Still, people would draw their own conclusions.
Titus shrugged the irritation away. People wouldalwaysdraw their own conclusions. And there was nothing he could do about it, save intimidate them, which he was not above doing. Instead of keeping his attention forward and ignoring everyone as he typically did, he sent a few well-directed stares, silently communicating that they should all mind their own business. Would they? How much influence did the Forbidden Duke really carry?
He didn’t really give a damn what any of them thought. He did, however, care what they thought of Nora. She hadn’t deserved what had happened to her nine years ago, and she sure as hell didn’t deserve it now. She especially didn’t deserve Haywood causing her yet more heartache.
