Page 18 of His Forbidden Duchess (Forbidden Lords #3)

Chapter Eighteen

“ W hat?” Eloise blinked at him, not quite believing what she was hearing.

He had marched in and rescued them from what was sure to be a terrible night, but marriage? Had he really suggested they were engaged?

It must surely be a ploy.

“As I said,” Felix continued. “I am as good as family.”

Mr. Carlisle narrowed his eyes at Eloise. “Is this true?”

Eloise looked from the creditor to Felix. Felix turned to look at her properly, and he spoke in a low whisper.

“We are to marry, Eloise, as you well know,” he snapped, his eyes flashing with something she didn’t understand. “You should have told me about this sooner so that we could have made the announcement earlier.”

Eloise stared at him for what felt like forever, but she eventually nodded. It was her only option to resolve the debt and be free of Carlisle and his men. She had to protect her family at all costs, and Felix was an infinitely better choice than Mortcombe. She could worry about Jeremy’s reaction later.

She turned defiantly to Mr. Carlisle, boldly taking Felix’s hand as she did so. “It is true, Mr. Carlisle. The Duke and I are due to be married soon.”

“Oh!” Lady Danridge’s cries turned to sobs, and she dabbed at her face with her handkerchief. “Oh, thank you, Your Grace. Thank you so much. I do not know how we could ever repay you.”

“Mother, please!” Eloise snapped. “Do not act as though this is news to you.”

Felix puffed out his chest and declared, “I will be repaid with the love of a good woman as I always knew I would.”

Eloise took in a deep breath to calm her frayed nerves. She knew Felix was only saying the words to convince Mr. Carlisle although she couldn’t help but feel a flicker of joy in her heart.

Me? A good woman?

Mr. Carlisle laughed derisively. “You and her ? Please, Your Grace. You will have to do more than that to convince me you are in love with Eloise Manning.”

Felix glared at him, and Eloise felt his hand slip from hers. He stepped toward Carlisle and snarled. “You will keep the name of my future wife out of your dirty mouth, or I will wipe it out for you.”

“And the other thing, of course, is that you are too late,” Mr. Carlisle continued, and Eloise’s heart sank again. “I have already been generous enough to give them an extension until next week. I’m afraid your pretty little fiancée will be coming with me.”

She was grateful for Felix’s gallant efforts, but she should have known it was too good to be true.

Felix’s face darkened in a way that Eloise had never seen, rage and fury swirling in his eyes. He took a menacing step toward Carlisle, his shoulders high and his fists clenched.

“Do not speak of her like that.”

Carlisle laughed, not the slightest bit intimidated, then put two fingers in his mouth and whistled.

“You may be a duke, Your Grace, but you do not get to throw orders around in my world.”

Eloise winced at the sound, but Felix stiffened. Carlisle’s two lackeys stopped their search and were by his side in an instant, but Felix was prepared.

His stance shifted, his body coiling like a spring. He spared Eloise a brief glance, his eyes warning her to stay back, and then he moved. Eloise watched, fascinated and terrified all at once, while her mother continued her sobbing.

The first of Carlisle’s henchmen, a brutish figure with a shaved head, lunged at Felix. Felix sidestepped with practiced ease, just as he did when he fenced with Percy, and he caught the man’s wrist, twisting it sharply.

A pained grunt escaped the man’s lips, and Felix used the momentum to pull him forward. He crashed into the polished mahogany sideboard, joining the shattered ornaments on the floor.

Before the second man could react, Felix spun, driving an elbow into his stomach. The lackey doubled over, gasping for breath. Felix seized the opportunity, planting a swift kick to the back of the man’s knee, forcing him down.

Eloise cowered, but she could not pull her eyes away from the scene. She wondered how often Felix had needed to use his fighting skills, and while the violence made her shudder, the fact that he was doing it all for her and her family filled her heart with love.

“Oh! Oh!” her mother cried, and Eloise rushed to her side.

“It is all right, Mama,” she whispered. “The Duke will save us.”

“But the Wedgewood, Eloise!” her mother whimpered. “The Wedgewood!”

Eloise looked back at the scene. Carlisle had backed away into a corner as Felix dealt with the men who were supposed to protect him. They lay prone on the floor, neither of them appearing very willing to get up.

Breathing steadily, Felix looked down at the two men, who were now groaning and clutching their wounds. He straightened his jacket, his expression cold and controlled as he turned his gaze back to Carlisle.

“That was your first mistake,” Felix said, his voice low and dangerous. “Care to make another?”

Uncertainty flickered across Carlisle’s face. Felix took a step forward, but before he could advance further, Eloise called out, her voice soft but firm.

“Felix, that is enough.”

He had dealt with the immediate situation, and for that she would be eternally grateful, but there was no need for further violence. Not today, and certainly not in her mother’s parlor.

Felix paused, his eyes still locked on Carlisle, but the intensity of his stance had eased. The room was silent except for the groans of the defeated thugs and the whines of Lady Danridge.

Eloise stepped forward and gently took his hand in hers, just as she had earlier. Their combined warmth suffused and comforted Eloise, and she once again felt a surge of gratitude towards him.

Felix turned to look at Eloise. When he saw her standing beside him, the black fury in his eyes softened. He exhaled, allowing the tension to drain from his shoulders.

“I will acquire a special license, and Eloise and I shall be married within two days. Once the wedding is done, I will have my solicitor visit you with the money. Is that clear?”

Carlisle nodded, his eyes wide and his head bobbing rapidly. “That suits me just fine.”

Felix’s nod was slower, less frantic and more intimidating. “Good. Now leave, Carlisle, before you end up like them, and take your miserable trash with you.” he commanded.

Carlisle scoffed, but the fear in his eyes was quite evident. He cast one last glare at Felix before nodding to his groaning henchmen. “Pick yourselves up, you fools. We’re leaving.”

As Carlisle and his henchmen limped out of the room, the butler entered, his face white as he surveyed the damage. Felix’s gaze remained fixed on the door until it closed behind them. Only then did he turn back to Eloise, his demeanor shifting once more.

“Are you all right?”

Eloise nodded with a mixture of relief and admiration shining in her eyes. “More than all right,” she said, a small smile playing on her lips. “Thank you.”

“Oh, Your Grace! Thank you so much,” Lady Danridge muttered, her fan out again as she flustered. “You are so kind. You do not know how grateful I am and indeed how grateful the Marquess will be. Our Jeremy will be here soon and…”

Her mother continued to ramble, but neither Eloise nor Felix listened. Instead, they looked at one another, both trying to process what had just taken place.

All around them, the butler and several other servants had begun to silently clean up the mess, but Eloise and Felix continued to stare at each other.

“Felix, I?—”

But Felix didn’t let her speak. “Good day, Lady Eloise,” he said, and with a curt nod, he turned and left the house.