Page 28

I t was impossible. Utterly impossible. He’d been so close. So fucking close to having everything and that fucking bitch of an aunt had the all-out gall to ruin it. All for the sake of him .

“I cannot imagine what that woman was thinking.” His mother prattled on. “The presumption of it all. To hand over what was meant for her own family to that peasant.”

Yes. That peasant. How had he missed Kingston?

How long had he known of his pedigree? Had Kingston sat there the whole time waiting to snatch the barony away publicly?

Had he done it just to humiliate him? Was it payback for the army?

Kingston’s insolent face surfaced in his mind and Harrison’s hands curled into fists.

He wanted to smash it to pieces. How dare he lay claim to what was his?

He thought of Miss Mason, as she called herself.

Little miss harlot more like. The way she’d looked at Kingston as if he were her savior when all she’d managed for him was ill-concealed contempt.

As if Kingston were a better man than him.

No doubt she’d already spread her legs for him.

So eager to give away what belonged to him.

They were all the same. Sneaky, conniving, greedy dishonest beasts.

“Edward,” his mother stomped her foot on the floor of the carriage and his eyes flicked up to meet her impatient ones.

He watched her for a moment, annoyance flowing through him.

She was so loud and shrill, too proud and stupid, making plans for his title as if the bitch had any claim to it.

How on earth had she given birth to him?

How long before he could be rid of her and her nagging voice?

He watched the fear leak into her face, as if she’d guessed where his thoughts had turned.

“Mother,” he said.

“What are we going to do about that boy taking what belongs to us?”

“You mean if they can substantiate his claim?” he clarified.

“Don’t be ridiculous, there is no way that boy is the Baron of Starkley.”

So stupid. It was obviously not only possible, but highly likely.

That old crone wasn’t a fool like his mother who never questioned why he hadn’t received his summons to parliament yet.

She didn’t move without all her ducks in a row and neither did Kingston.

He was common, lustful and greedy like all his kind, but he wasn’t an idiot.

If she had been pushing him to come forward, then she had to be dead certain of whatever evidence she had.

Which could only mean one thing. It was true.

“He could be,” Harrison muttered.

“But it should be yours, son.”

“Yes, it should.” He replied easily. And it would.

He’d had it in his hands once and he would have it again.

And he wouldn’t even have to marry that bitch to get the money either.

All he had to do was bide his time, let them marry, finalize that fucking stupid contract.

Then he would clean house. He didn’t have the title yet, but he was still next in line.

And he was still a white man in England.

No one would believe a jumped up darkie over him.

At that thought, the worst of the rage left him. He took a deep breath as the ringing in his ears faded away.

“What are you going to do about it then?”

“I wouldn’t worry about it, mother. The other barons met an irregular fate.”

“Goodness, that is true. Life is so unpredictable.”

“Mmm, accidents will happen,” he commented.

He would make sure of it.