Page 94 of Claiming his Cursed Duchess

“That, my good friend, is precisely what got us into this mess.”

Phineas walked to the side of the room and rang the bell as Harris appeared moments later.

“Could we get a fire in here, and some candles please?” Phineas instructed.

“You are not the master of this house!” Adam slurred, realizing suddenly how drunk he was. “Get out.”

“No, I do not think I will. I shall pull you from this gloom if it is my last act. Is that your supper?” he asked, walking to the tray and bringing it over to him. “Do not make me feed you like a child. You know I will.”

Adam glared at him, but Phineas was entirely unmoved.

His friend picked up the silver spoon at the side of the tray, filled it with the stew and hovered it in front of Adam’s face until he was forced to take it.

A maid entered and began to see to the fire as Phineas pulled up a chair and leveled Adam with a fierce stare until he finally put the spoon in his mouth and swallowed.

As the salty gravy touched his tongue, he realized how famished he was and leaned forward, ripping up the bread and dipping it into the bowl without any decorum whatsoever.

Phineas seemed not to care, watching him steadily, until Adam leaned back in his chair, noticing that the light had filtered through the room and his friend was bathed in a soft glow.

“Hmm, that’s better.” Phineas muttered. “I just saw Henry at my club. He is rather worried about you, my friend. I thought things were going well the last time I saw you and your cursed bride?—”

“Stop referring to her in that way,” he barked.

Phineas smiled smugly. “Yes, I thought so.”

“What?”

“You are besotted. The reason you are in this state is because she is gone, is it not? This is not proper behavior for a man of your standing.”

“Is this what you came here for? To berate me for my decisions? I will cast you out of the house.”

“What has happened? Where is she?”

Adam straightened in his chair, the food helping to fill his stomach with something other than whiskey. Slowly, the roomstopped spinning around him and Phineas came into sharper focus.

His friend leaned forward in his chair. “Did she fly away on a broomstick?”

“Phineas, I shall knock you down.”

“Where is your wife?”

“Ravenshire! Be damned to you. She has left me.”

“Oh poppycock, she would no more leave you than the sun would refuse to rise tomorrow.”

“And how would you know that?”

Phineas stood, his face half in shadow from the light in the room but he looked rather menacing in that moment.

“Iknowbecause I have seen the way you look at one another. You are a blind, stupid fool, Oldstone, and I will not allow you to sabotage your life like this.”

“Me? I have done nothing. She walked away.”

“And for what reason?”

Adam sat stoically in his chair. He could not speak of his argument with Rosaline, he was too ashamed of his behavior to say it aloud.

Phineas growled in exasperation, picking up his belongings from the desk as Adam stood, meeting his friend’s glare with one of his own.