Lord Eaton glanced up. “What are you doing here?” He had the intelligence to actually look frightened. “You need to leave.”
“I will,” he told him. “When I’m finished.” He crossed the room and stood in front of his uncle. “We have a few things to discuss first.” Ezra gestured toward his friends for them to join him. “You caused great harm to the Duke of Graystone’s sister by marriage.” He glared at him. “The woman I intend to make my wife. That grievous harm must be answered for.”
“I didn’t…” Lord Eaton glanced from Ezra to Graystone. “It’s all lies.”
Graystone lifted a brow. “Which part?” He moved so he stood next to Ezra. “Where you tried to force yourself on her?” The duke reached out and grabbed Lord Eaton’s cravat and yanked him upward. “Or was it where you tried to abduct her?” He shook him and then dropped him so he landed on the ground with a loud thud. “Or was it when you pushed her into the Serpentine where she nearly drowned. Tell me the truth, and maybe I’ll let you live.”
Ezra held his hand out and stopped Graystone from moving forward. “I thought you were going to let me beat him bloody?”
Graystone flashed him a wicked grin. “I changed my mind. If you’re going to marry Teddy you need to keep yourself free from any visible wounds.” He nodded toward Lord Eaton. “I, however, can take a blow and explain it away.”
Sheffield cleared his throat. “Your wife would mind.”
“Keep your musings to yourself,” Graystone warned. “Billie won’t say a word. She’ll understand.”
“She won’t,” Fox said. “But do carry on. Sheffield and I will bear witness to his punishment. The magistrate might need a full accounting. Especially if we have a dead man to explain.”
Lord Eaton scurried across the floor to put some distance between himself and Graystone. He thought the duke was the real threat. His assessment was wrong. Graystone was attempting to protect Ezra, but he needn’t. Ezra was eerily calm and understood what needed to be done.
“Admit what you did,” Ezra said evenly. “Unless you’d rather die.”
His uncle glanced at each man and then returned to meet Ezra’s gaze. “You promise you won’t let him kill me?”
The smile that formed on Ezra’s face should’ve terrified Lord Eaton, and perhaps it did. His uncle’s face lost all color. “I won’t let him kill you.” His gaze didn’t waver as he said, “If you don’t confess, I’ll be the one to end your life.” He folded his arms over his chest. “And uncle…it won’t be a fast death. Don’t force my hand.”
“I…did it…” Lord Eaton said.
“Did what, exactly?” Graystone encouraged him.
“Everything you said,” Lord Eaton told him. “I attacked the girl, and I pushed her into the lake. I did it all.”
The magistrate walked casually into the room. “That makes this easy,” he said and grinned. “And it looks as if I arrived in time. The butler let me in.” He turned to Graystone. “How do you wish to handle this, Your Grace?”
“Burlington,” Graystone greeted the magistrate. “Glad you received my missive.” He gestured toward Lord Eaton. “Send him to Australia and never allow him to return.”
“I’ll see him put on the ship myself.” The magistrate nodded. “My man will help me take him in. If you need anything else…”
“No,” Ezra interrupted. “As long as he can never return to England, the rest doesn’t matter.” Part of him wished he had taken the time to beat his uncle bloody. It wouldn’t have helped the situation though. This was the best solution.
“What is going on in here?” a woman asked.
Ezra turned and frowned. “Hello, Mother.” She was wearing a gown the tone of a rich sapphire trimmed with elegant white lace. Her gray streaked dark hair was styled in an intricate chignon, and her brown eyes were filled with anger directed at him. “I thought you didn’t want to return to town unless you could stay at Carrolton house.”
“I changed my mind.” She held her chin high. “Why are you here?”
He did not believe she deserved and explanation, but thought it might be entertaining to inform her on this one occasion. She would have to realize Eaton was not someone she could depend on for much longer. “Your brother has committed atrocious crimes. He’s being arrested.”
“Eaton…” She turned to him. “That can’t be true. You wouldn’t leave me alone…”
Ezra had always thought his mother’s relationship with her brother odd. She depended on him too much. “Do not stand in their way, Mother.”
“If you allow this to happen I’ll never speak to you again.” She nearly spat out the words. Vehemence was both in her tone and the look she flashed him. “I promise, I won’t.”
“If you were the type to keep a promise you’ve made, that declaration would make me intensely happy.” He glowered at her. “But considering how often you break them, I won’t hold my breath. I, however, do keep mine. So hear this and take it to heart: You, Mother dear, henceforth are dead to me. Whatever funds you have left from your inheritance is all you’ll receive. Never ask me for anything again.”
While they were speaking, the magistrate and his assistant took Lord Eaton out of the room. Ezra’s mother burst into tears. He didn’t spare her a second glance. Once the tears might have guilted him into changing his mind, but she had let him down too many times for them to work any longer, and he was doing what was best for his sister and Teddy. It might be harsh, but he had to be or she’d take advantage of him, or worse, Amelia. Instead, he turned to his friends. “I do believe our task is done. Would you like to join me at the club? I need a drink, and I also need to speak
