The blond man under Cole, during that momentary lapse in time, had regained his strength. He flipped Cole under him and pummel his face until what was left of it was a bloodied eye and a swollen, cut lip.
“That's enough!” The brother with the long scar, named Julian, said from behind them. “Brother, I think you would agree with me that this isn't the time to show your physical prowess but the time to act fast before the ton discovers what is going on here. Goddamn it, our sister had just been ruined.”
The blond man stepped off Cole, but it seems that not everyone agreed to what Julian, the eldest of them had said, for the man behind them, the one who had been cracking his bones grumbled. “At least he should be made to understand that a Bertram, is not to be trifled with.” when Julian said nothing, he grumbled again and ran his hand over his blond hair. “Bloody hell Julian, I think you are turning soft.”
Julian craned his head back and cast that brother a ferocious stare. “Enough!” He said as he came to stand in front of Cole, who was still lying on the plush carpet.
“He would marry her.”
“The hell I will!” Cole hotly refused.
“The hell you mean by that, you would marry her!” Lucas barked and hurried back towards Cole, but Julian held him with one hand. “Wait.”
Lucas's brows furrowed in an angry frown. Wait? Why the hell should he wait, Lucas thought. Didn't Julian hear him, the bloody fool said he won't marry their sister!
“Julian, Their sister's voice filled the room. “You can't do this, you can't force him to marry me!” Emily said as she tried to move forward, but her brother, Vincent, ferociously snatched her back.
“Oh God, Emily, don't tell me you are begging on his behalf.”
So her name was Emily. Cole thought with a bittered heart as he came to stand on his two feet, the little devious chit. She had planned this all. This was all her plan all long. If not, how then did four of her brothers know where to find her.
Julian turned back and stared at Cole with a deep frown on his face, his mouth set in a firm straight line. “You will marry her.”
“I won't.”
“The hell you won't!” One brother growled and rushed to Cole and smacked him on the face.”
“I told you to wait!” Julian gritted out from his teeth.
George turned and stared at his brother with angry eyes. “You didn't tell me that, and just look at what he is saying.” George gritted out as he pointed at Cole, who was now nursing bleeding lips.
“You would marry her even if it's the last thing I do,” Lucas growls out.
“I won't.”
“For God's sake, where is your honour.” George bit out.
Honour? Cole scowled and frowned, honour, for a woman who had set out to trick him into marriage. No wonder she had slammed her body against his when he had kissed her. She had to have known that it would drive a man crazy and make him want to do the unthinkable. Oh God, she had wanted them to be caught. He can't marry her, he won't! And so he voiced his opinion one more time in case they hadn't thought he was serious.
“I can't marry her, and I won't marry her.”
Lucas's eyes turned murderous, and he rushed towards Cole and hooked him by the collar “You would marry her even if it is the last thing I do.” He bit out through clenched teeth.
Cole stared at the blond man with unwavering eyes and opened his mouth. “I—won't.”
A frown settled on Lucas's face, and he stared at Cole. He searched his eyes and saw determination, fierce determination. Learning he meant what he said. He won't marry their sister. Lucas let his hand drop from the man's shirt. “Then prepare to meet me in the fields on the Morrow. What will it be then, Lord Tonfield, a pistol or a sword, heh?”
Against his better judgment, Cole felt his lips twitch. So he did know his name. Ah, it must be his reputation for having one of the best stables.
“A duel?” Emily whispered. “That's it, nobody is having any duel here, she said and snatched her hands away from her brother, but Vincent's hand quickly closed in around her wrist.
Her remaining brothers only raised a brow, and swiftly ignored her.
“Yes, a duel, Tonfield.” Julian chirped in.
“Very well then, I shall make my self available on the morrow,” Cole said.
“And bring a second with you, I shall't like to discover you have gone missing,” George said.
“Julian! You can't do that,” Emily shrieked and snatch her hand away from her brother, Vincent let her. She came to stand in front of Julian and pointed at him. “I won't let you do this, she threw her hands up in the air “Oh this is madness, what must you prove, what will gain by dragging the poor man to the field to fight a duel, the ton doesn't even have an inkling to what has happened.”
Julia frowned and thrust his face the other way, “I don't expect you to understand, but it is something I must do, I can't let him off like that knowing that he had ruined you. It's something I must do to defend your honour.” He finished with his eyes boring holes into hers. “I must do this.”
“Heavens above!” Emily cried. “This is about your pride, she said and jabbed one finger on Julian's chest.
“No is not! Goddamn it.”
“Then what is it about? If I have already said no harm is done, why do you intend to drag this out on the fields.”
Julian opened his mouth and closed it. His sister doesn't understand.
“Tell me, she shrieked. “Why do you intend to drag it all the way to the field?”
“Is for your own good,” George muttered with a frown.
“My own good?” Emily's face clouded. “How is fighting a duel where one person could possibly get shot be for my own good?”
“Goddamn it sis 'tis to salvage your reputation," Lucas chirped in.
Emily opened her mouth, probably to say something nasty but the door chose that moment to slam on the wall, and the dark silhouette of a man entered.
“Would someone care to tell me what the hell is happening in my Goddamn library!”
Cole's head snapped up, and he smiled, Sebastian was here.
Meanwhile, Lucas groans and pinched the bridge of his nose. Of course, now their bloody host is here.
Damnation!
“Would someone care to tell me what the hell is going on in my library!” Sebastian, the Duke of Hanton, gritted out through clenched teeth.Sighing, Julian rubbed his brows. This was what he was afraid of. It was already enough that the four of them knew what was going on, and now the bloody Duke too? This was too much.From his peripheral vision he saw George step forward regardless of his necktie which has gone askew and his blond hair which seems to be everywhere, he seems not to notice for he walked with an arrogant step, he might as well be the King of England, for the way he walked, ruthless, and fierce as if he owned the bloody world.George stood in front of the duke and levelled him with an equivalent irritated expression. “Well, if you must know, the Earl has compromised my sister, both of them were found in a compromising position.”The Duke's eyes shifted to her and Emily winced. She cowered her head in
THE EARL OF TONFIELD pulled the curtain close as their carriage drew past the last house and skidded out of town, heading to the place where the duel was supposed to take place.One might think his demeanour had improved considerably since last night, but judging by the ferocious scowl which seems to have planted itself firmly on his face, one would have to think otherwise.It had been decided it was for the best if the duel should take place as early as possible before most of the ton got wind of where, and when the duel was to take place. Hence, the reason they were heading out of town at such an ungodly hour.The cold morning air penetrated through the confines of the carriage even though the curtains had been properly closed, and their path were marked by various stops and rutted potholes blighted by the moon which had already begun its descent back to the sky.On a day like this, when faced with an impending, t
COLE SPARED a brief glance along the long field at the brothers, and noticed they were swiftly making arrangements, he noticed the one they called Lucas briefly aimed to his right before he thrust the pistol into Vincent's waiting hands, who quickly turned away and tended to the pistol with his head bent and his hands working intricately as he wiped over the pistol. Lucas patiently waiting by his side.The other two were lunged a few feet behind the others talking about something, and as he watched one of them stopped, and turned his way and then slowly start towards him. Cole turned away and let his eyes drift from the man and onto Sebastian who had just descended from the carriage cradling in the crook of his arm the box that housed his pistol.Turning back again, Cole noticed the brother who had headed his way had reached him. It was Julian, the eldest, staring down at him from eyes set in that crooked face of his.He bobbed on h
Durham, England1831.COLE FLETCHER calmly took Emily's right hand in his own and halfheartedly listened to the vicar. Through cold frigid eyes, he assessed her, standing there before him in a fine white muslin gown and over it was a soft silk shawl, draped over her shoulders, and a small-cap to match, trimmed with lace.At that moment she looked so innocent he had thought mayhap she hadn't schemed to trap him. But then she lifted her face and Cole stared into those knowledgeable emerald green eyes and concluded Emily Bertram wasn't sad, which could only mean one thing. She was in agreement with the marriage. For if she was not, she could have at least fought back, showed some resistance, but now she calmly stood there before him in her white muslin gown and her blond tresses beautifully piled on top of her head.Swallowing bitterly, he stared at her through narrowed eyes, his li
Few minutes later the carriage door opened, and his wife stepped in from the other side. It was customary to have a meal after a ceremony like this, but Cole would have none of it. He wanted to leave, and he wanted to leave now!As soon as she had bundled herself unto the carriage seats, he roughly knocked on the roof, signalling the driver to get going, breaking off her small talk with her brothers.“Bloody hell Tonfield!” Lucas yelled as the carriage tipped forward, bringing Emily who was unaware of the sudden movement crashing back to the carriage seat.She gasped and threw a horrified look at him, but Cole ignored her and looked out the window. As they gradually left the remnants of the manor behind, he could still hear the insistent voices of the Bertram brothers profusely cursing him. He smiled a sardonic smile and twitched the curtains closed. Then turned in his seats and faced his conniving wife.“Pray tell
It was another thirty minutes before the carriage rolled to a stop. By then, Cole had successfully kept his emotions at bay and was now staring down at Emily with cold, emotionless eyes.He considered waking her but was saved from doing so when she pried her eyes open and looked at him through sleepy eyes. Emily noticed her hair had fallen from its coiffure and gasped, then she hurriedly started to wand it back upon her head, securing it with her a great many pins.It was a beautiful sight. Cole watched her and frowned. He wanted to reach out and snatch her hand out and let the hair fall once again. Instead, he opened his mouth and spoke dispassionately, “'Tis good to know you have finally woken up.”“Oh,” she said. Tilting her head slightly but continued with what she was doing. “Have you been waiting long? You could have woken me,” she supplied.Ignoring her, he
IT WASN'T THE EARLY morning sun streaming into the room through the gap in the cream coloured curtain that awoke Cole Fletcher. Rather, it was the warm sizzling feeling down his loins that did.Cole opened his eyes and the first thing he noticed was the scantily clad bottom of his wife, pressed to his thigh. Cole groaned at the sight of that. No wonder he had been feeling that bolt of warmth in his sleep, thinking he was in the arms of his mistress and his face buried in her breast only for him to wake up and discover the feeling of lust had been elicited by his conniving wife, and she wasn't even aware!A dark ferocious look crept up his face as he felt her stir restlessly in her sleep, trying to find a better position, jutting her derrière to his laps. Cole's groin reacted to that.Emily was a terrible sleeper. Concluded he.He wanted to entangle himself from her but realized there was no wa
“What — do you think you are doing." The words were slow but there was no mistaking the angry tone underlying it.Emily's heart thudded, and she feared for herself. “Unhand me at once.” She croaked out from suddenly dry lips.Her words only made his grip tighten more on her wrist, and he pulled her closer. “I don't think you understand me?” he said and asked one more time. “What do you think you are doing?”For several seconds the words hung in the air. Emily opened her mouth and then closed it. Her face was hot with embarrassment. What do you tell a man who is supposed to be your husband but despises you? What do you tell such a man when he catches you trying to touch him? Merciful Lord, she was in trouble.Staring at the trembling woman before him, Cole scowled. He had been trying his most damn to pretend he was sleeping, all the while controlling his raging arousal, while she had been busy trying to touch him