“I swear, Telford, if you have placed one finger upon her, then –”
“I have no time for your threats,” Lord Telford replied, with a weary look. “Do hurry up, Barrington. I am sure that she is eagerly waiting for you.”
Charles glanced all around him and then followed the gentleman. Lord Donaldson, he hoped, had already been informed by Lord Telford that he had managed to succeed and that, therefore, Lord Donaldson himself would be present in the room. Recalling just in time that he was not meant to know where Lord Telford was leading him, Charles hung back rather than striding forward, glaring at the gentleman as he held back a door for him.
“Just to your left, Lord Barrington,” Lord Telford said, with a half bow as though he were a servant. “There you will find –”
“Lead on, Lord Telford,” Charles interrupted, darkly. “If you believe that I am about to step inside whilst you remain out here, you are sorely mistaken. There are things I wish to say to both yourself and to Lord Havers, for I can assure you that I have no intention of paying anything more.”
This seemed to shock Lord Telford somewhat, for the smile slipped from his face and he hesitated where he stood. And then, after a moment, he shrugged and stepped forward.
“Very well,” he said, airily. “If you believe that Lady Selina is not present, then you are quite wrong, Lord Barrington.”
He pushed the door open and stepped inside, with Charles following quickly so that the gentleman could not escape.
One step into the room, Lord Telford came to a dead stop, his hand still on the door handle. Charles, unwilling to wait for fear that Lord Telford would turn and attempt to flee, pushed the gentleman bodily into the room, before pushing the door shut and standing against it so that no-one could escape. With great satisfaction, he looked about the room and took in the scene before him. Lord Havers, hunched on a chair, his head in his hands, Lord Donaldson was standing by Lord Banfield, with both Lady Hayward and his mother sitting quietly together just behind him. The Duke of Landon was on his feet, his face red with anger and his hands clenched into fists. Lady Selina was standing by the Duke’s side, with a small smile on her face as she met Charles’ eyes. And Amelia, who was a little pale, sat close to where Lady Selina stood, her hands in her lap but with a look of great relief etched across her face.
“It seems that we have managed to achieve our aim,” Charles said, his voice filling the room. “You see, Lord Telford, Lord Donaldson has not been slighted by Lady Selina, as you might have believed. In fact, he is very eager to make certain that both you and Lord Havers are no longer permitted to do anything such as this again!”
Lord Telford half turned, only for a quiet groan to come from Lord Havers. He, at least, appeared to realize that there was nothing more they could do.
“You mean to say, Lord Barrington, that both Lord Telford and Lord Havers, having already done such a cruel thing to Lady Amelia, now turned their attention to my daughter?”
These last words were practically shouted, filling the room with the Duke’s vehemence.
“I knew that they were attempting this, father,” Lady Selina said, her voice a gentle wind to the Duke’s furious outburst. “But I could not tell you, for it had to be proven. You had to see it with your own eyes, for then consequences could be brought to these gentlemen for what they had tried to do.”
“It would have been no good with merely hearsay,” Lady Hayward added, looking steadily back at the Duke who had slowly begun to loosen his tight fists, clearly becoming a little calmer. “You had to know the truth of what these gentlemen were doing. You had to see it for yourself.”
“And so I have done,” the Duke grated, his voice low and his expression one of utter rage. “You attempted to force my daughter into a situation where her reputation would have been at stake, solely for your own gain.” He held up one hand as Lord Telford began to stammer. “You need not attempt to find any excuses, Lord Telford. I am fully aware of what you have done to Lady Amelia and what you have demanded of her brother. For you to think that you could demand the same from me is even further beyond the pale!”
Lord Havers lifted his head and looked at Lord Telford, and Charles found himself very satisfied indeed with the look of sheer despair on the gentleman’s face. They had been outwitted and Charles was very glad of it, for now not only was his sister safe from any further demands, the two gentlemen would not be able to carry out their scheme against any other young ladies of the ton either.
“There will be consequences for this,” the Duke continued, as Charles nodded fervently. “Have no doubt, gentlemen. I will make quite certain of it!”
“As will I,” Charles added, as both Lord Banfield and Lord Donaldson said the same. “You will find yourselves removed from society entirely, gentlemen.”
Lord Telford lifted his chin, although there was a paleness about his lips that betrayed his ongoing dismay.
“What will you do?” he asked, as though this was nothing more than foolishness. “If you tell any others about what has occurred, then you risk your sister’s reputation, Lord Barrington!”
Charles’ mouth lifted in a half smile and he took a small step towards Lord Telford.
“Lady Amelia is to be wed very soon,” he said, calmly. “She has
