Chapter 28

CHAPTER 28

Iam going to kill him!

Daniel fumed as his carriage careened down the road, his hands clenching the edge of the seat hard enough to leave holes in the expensive velvet upholstery.

And after I am done with that, I am going to throw his carcass where the sun will never reach him!

The Earl of Sidmouth was not only pretentious, but he was also dreadfully predictable and admirably stupid. Even after the warning from Daniel, he still managed to crawl back into the same club night after night, wasting what little money he managed to scrape off the bottom of his empty coffers or borrow from those foolish enough to “invest” in his schemes.

But then again, Lachesis had always opened its doors not only to upstanding members of Society but also to those who hovered around its edges. The not-so-polite company if you will.

After he was done with him, Daniel swore that no gambling hell in London would be foolish enough to accept Thomas Salsbury and his coin—no matter how shiny it was.

If he is foolish enough to remain in London, that is.

Daniel alighted from the carriage and strode into the club, his cloak flapping ominously behind him.

“Your Grace, we were not expecting you tonight⁠—”

The manager of the club hurriedly fell into step with him as he walked in. However, one look at Daniel’s stormy countenance told the man that the club’s owner was not here tonight to talk business. Immediately, the man perceptively took a polite step back and stood silently, awaiting his next order.

Daniel smiled coldly. “Clear out the club,” he told the man softly. “But the Earl of Sidmouth must remain wherever he is right now.”

The manager summoned the staff, and in less than a quarter of an hour, the bustling rooms were cleared out. Someone from the staff approached the manager and whispered something in his ear. Then the manager turned to Daniel.

“Your Grace, the Earl is in the Room of Spades,” he informed Daniel.

Each one of the private rooms of Lachesis was named after a suit in the deck of cards. It took not only an exorbitant amount in addition to the club’s notorious membership fees, but also occupying one of these rooms required a certain prestige.

The only way that Thomas Salsbury would be able to play in one was if somebody had invited him.

I think that we need to reassess the club’s members. Lachesis seems to have been far more lenient lately.

He walked into the Room of Spades to the sight of Lord Sidmouth being held down by two of the club’s burliest staff, who were wearing such forbidding expressions that would make any dandy soil his breeches.

“Unhand me, you degenerate scum!” the nobleman raged. “Do you know who I am?”

“They do not care,” Daniel told him silkily. “And neither do I, but you have crossed the line far too many times.” He smiled dangerously. “Lord Sidmouth, I do not know if you are simply stupid or stubborn to the point of stupidity.”

Thomas Salsbury paled at the sight of him, and Daniel smiled even more when he saw the man sagging into the chair as if he had lost all the strength in his limbs.

He sighed and sat down on the chair opposite the poor man, who looked as if he was about to wet his breeches.

“I thought I had made it perfectly clear that you are to refrain from seeking or talking about my wife,” he drawled softly. “If you knew what was good for you.”

“You will find that I do not respond well to threats, Your Grace!”

Daniel smirked. “Perhaps I must clarify myself even more so as to be understood—you will leave, Lord Sidmouth, on the first ship to the Americas, and you will take your very talented scribe of a sister with you to start a new life there.”

“No!” the Earl gasped in horror. “Your Grace⁠—”

“You will find that my patience for your antics has all but run out,” Daniel sneered. “I only thought to spare you because I was busy making arrangements for my wedding. Now, I have a great deal of free time and can do as I please.”

“Please, Your Grace!”

“Oh, so you do not want to leave?” Daniel drummed his fingers on the table with an air of nonchalance. “Well then, your sister can write about your own demise in that charming little paper of hers. Oh, right…” He smiled insidiously. “I forgot that she is only capable of writing scandals and not obituaries.”

“What about Lady Evelyn! Does your wife even know what you are capable of!?”

Thomas Salsbury was grasping at straws now, but he had done the worst possible thing—he had mentioned Evie’s name, and it ignited such a cold, dangerous fury in Daniel that he was tempted to tear him apart with his bare hands.

“Do not,” he spat out, “ever let me hear her name coming out of your mouth, you pathetic waste of air! And for your information, she is the Duchess of Ashton, and you will address her properly by her title, or I will rip your tongue from your mouth and shove it down your throat!”

The Earl visibly shrank back, sniveling like the cowardly fool he had always been. Thomas Salsbury might have thought himself an exceptionally capable gentleman when he claimed that he would be able to marry Evie simply for her dowry, but before Daniel and the very real threat of dismemberment, he was reduced to the worm he had always been.

Not even fit to fertilize the gardens of Ashton Hall.

“I take it that you find my suggestion to your liking, then,” Daniel said softly. He reached into his jacket pocket, drawing out two tickets before tossing them at the Earl. “I have paid for your fare. I hope you enjoy your travels, Lord Sidmouth.”

The Earl reached out for the tickets with trembling hands, clutching at them as if they were a lifeline.

Which they were.

Daniel had no qualms about ruining the man’s entire life. Thomas Salsbury might think that nothing was worse than death, but there were ways to make living even worse, and Daniel could make them all happen if he wanted to.

“Thank you, Your Grace,” the Earl gasped, holding the tickets close to his heart as if he were afraid that the dangerous man before him would change his mind.

Daniel merely waved his hand at him dismissively.

“I just have one question, so humor me,” he said softly. “Why did you ever do such a stupid thing when she is already married to me? What did you have to gain by doing such a thing?”

The Earl of Sidmouth hung his head in shame and defeat. Only one soft word emerged from his lips.

“Revenge.”

Daniel raised his eyebrow at that. As if the man could be any more stupid. He really should stop underestimating the idiocy of the rest of the world.

Except Evie, of course. Evie was exceptionally smart, although given to such idealistic notions.

Fortunately, he was there to take care of everything else for her.

“Take him away,” he told his staff with a wave of his hand.

The Earl was finally carted away, with snot and tears running down his face, while Daniel continued to sit there as if in deep thought.

Moments later, he heard the manager clear his throat.

He looked at the man sharply. “What is it?”

“Your Grace, ah… it appears that the, erm, that the Earl of Sidmouth has… well…”

“I did not hire you to stammer in front of me,” Daniel sighed in obvious displeasure.

The manager swallowed audibly and nodded frantically. “It appears that the Earl of Sidmouth has wet himself,” he finally managed to choke out.

“Then rip out the carpet and change the chairs.” Daniel stood up and straightened his jacket. “Keep in mind that we run a reputable establishment—we do not tolerate such unsanitary conditions.”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

He walked to the door and then paused and looked over his shoulder.

“Do kindly review the members of the club as well. I believe that there are those who do not need to remain on the list.”

“As you wish, Your Grace.”

In the next few days, there would be an uproar from those that the club would inevitably close its doors to, but that was the price of running a business.

After all, he could not just accept whatever filth came to his front door.

Ashton Hall was empty when he arrived—and not just empty in the sense that it was unoccupied, no.

It was as if all light and laughter had been leached out of his estate. As if not even a speck of joy lingered in its halls.

It was then that he realized that Evie was gone, and with her she had taken all that remained of his humanity.

“Oh, you have arrived.”

He turned to find Caroline standing behind him with her head tilted slightly. Her gray eyes studied him intently, and in them he saw a softness, a sadness that he had never before encountered in his childhood.

It was sympathy, and up until then, Daniel had always thought he had no need of it.

“You look like you could use a nice cup of tea,” she said with a soft smile. “Follow me to the parlor, then.”

He smiled bitterly as he nodded and followed the Dowager Duchess to the parlor, his heart clenching in his chest when he realized that he would not see Evie in that room again.

“Well, do not stand there looming over me,” Caroline remarked. She indicated the seat opposite her. “It is rude to stare.”

Only she would ever call him out for his breach of etiquette. Well, Evie used to, but she was no longer here.

“I suppose your business was concluded well.” Caroline poured two cups of tea and handed him one.

He watched as the tendrils of steam rose from the dark brew and twisted into the air before disappearing. How very like Caroline to think that a cup of tea would solve all the world’s problems.

Daniel would have vastly preferred a bottle of his strongest liquor and hoped that it would be able to at least numb whatever it was that seemed to have gripped him so painfully.

“Everything has been taken care of.” He nodded. “The vermin will be taking itself out.”

The Dowager Duchess wrinkled her nose delicately. “Well, yes, I suppose that is for the best, although your methods are a bit harsh.”

“It was either that or I ruin him before the whole of Society.”

Or I wring his puny neck and throw him to the wild animals.

“I suppose exile would be a better choice.” Caroline grimaced. “At least he could still go gallivanting about, making something of himself in a new land. Lady Spalding might not be too happy about that, though.”

“I do not care what makes her happy.” He shrugged. All he really cared about was Evie, and now she was gone.

He felt a warm hand clasp his, and he looked up to find Caroline looking at him with a great deal of affection.

“You know, I have always wanted you to find your match not only because I felt that it is your duty to carry on your father’s name,” she told him softly. “I wanted you to make a happy life for yourself out of the darkness of our generation.”

She sighed and shook her head sadly. “While we cannot take back all that has happened to you in the past, my dear boy, I have always hoped that you would fare better than the rest of us—if only so I could spite your father.”

He laughed a little at that. “He truly is not one that would inspire a woman’s affection.”

“More like he is more adept at inspiring enduring contempt!” she agreed with an enthusiastic nod. “But for you, I had hoped better. I had hoped there would be more. That you would find the happiness we never did—and it was dear Evie who brought you all of that.”

“But she is gone now, Caroline. I have hurt her too much, and I know I will only hurt her more⁠—”

“Did you know that you have this dreadful habit of thinking for everyone else?” she sighed in exasperation. “Evie is a woman with her own mind and heart. Do not think for one second that you will be capable of making her own decisions for her.”

He smiled bitterly, recalling the many times his sweet, little spitfire had stood toe-to-toe against him, looking him in the eye and calling him out for the idiot he was.

“Things will turn out well, as long as one is willing to make amends,” Caroline told him softly. “Even the best love matches are not perfect, my boy. As long as you and your dear Evie are determined to work things out, you will find a way.”

Hope—something so novel and alien to Daniel—soared crazily in his heart. However, he had long been of the opinion that hope was nothing more than an illusion for dreamers.

“Your Grace.”

Both of them looked up from their cups of tea to find Barnaby standing at the door to the parlor.

“There is a Mr. Turner here to see the Duchess of Ashton,” the butler announced with some discomfort.

Mr. Turner. In all the events that had unfolded, Daniel had all but forgotten his wedding gift for Evie!

“Shall I tell him that Her Grace is currently indisposed?”

Daniel shook his head and stood up. “No, Barnaby, that is not necessary. Tell Mr. Turner I shall see him in my study. I shall tell him about the Duchess myself.”

Before the wedding, he had arranged for Mr. Turner to give Evie some painting lessons, knowing how much she admired the artist. It was to be his wedding gift to her.

Now, he still wished for her to have her beloved painting lessons.

I hope that painting with Mr. Turner will at least soothe the pain I have caused her.

Colin would never allow him to see Evie in the near future, and Daniel feared that he would only cause her more pain if he arrived at her doorstep too soon.

With this, she could find some comfort in doing something she had always loved.

It was the least he could do.