His Mistletoe Wager by Virginia Heath

Author:Virginia Heath
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-10-19T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

Hal sensed there was more going on here than he knew—however, he knew enough to intervene. As much as he wanted to feel Rainham’s nose shatter against his fist, his first duty was to help Lizzie save face and get through this uncomfortable and unexpected ordeal with her head held high. He forced the corners of his mouth to curve upwards. Forced himself to stick out his hand. Tried not to allow the revulsion show on his face as he shook Rainham’s heartily and took some comfort from the slightly bewildered and obviously terrified expression on the bounder’s face. Rainham was here under duress. Ockendon had some hold on him too.

‘We are all adults here...this nasty undercurrent is completely unnecessary. If anything, I should thank you, Rainham. Had you not been such a thoughtless, money-grabbing scoundrel, then I would have been denied the opportunity to have my darling Lizzie now.’

He watched Ockendon’s eyes narrow and forced himself to pat the man on the back jovially, too. ‘I know Rainham here jilted her, old boy. Lizzie and I have no secrets from each other.’ Or they wouldn’t once he had got to the bottom of whatever was going on behind those guarded cornflower eyes. And he would get to the bottom of it. Of that he was determined.

Ockendon knew something about her, something dreadful if Hal was any judge, and was going to use it to snag himself an heiress. His father had been as mercenary whenever money was concerned so he recognised the signs. Locate the weakness, put pressure on that point mercilessly until it gave way, then reap the ill-gotten rewards. Whatever Ockendon had planned would not come to fruition. As soon as he got back to town, Hal was going to thoroughly investigate the man’s business affairs and any other affairs while he was about it. Rainham’s, too. He would dig and dig until he found dirt he could use. Their weaknesses. As much as he hated his father’s methods, Hal had been well schooled in the art of forcing the hands of others from the moment he could talk. He might not usually have the stomach to sink to such dastardly depths, but Ockendon had made himself fair game. He needed to speak to Lizzie. ‘If you will excuse us, gentlemen. We need to change for dinner.’

‘If I might have a word with Lady Elizabeth in private...’

Hal’s face came within inches of the Earl’s. ‘You may not.’

‘I believe that is for the lady to decide.’

As she was still holding on to his arm as if her life depended on it, Hal had felt her body stiffen at the request. ‘She has already decided she does not want you. Therefore, keep your inappropriate comments and filthy, impertinent looks to yourself. Tell the world your little friend here left her standing at the altar. It is in the past and she has me now. Try to frighten her or leer at her again and I will hunt you down and destroy you for it.

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