Page 99 of Wedded to the Cruel Duke

“No!” Phoebe screamed. “I am already with you, what more could you want? Let him go!”

But Charles only looked at the Baron innocently. “I said,” he enunciated clearly. “That you have about sixty seconds.”

“Sixty seconds for what—”

But he did not even get to finish his sentence as his eyes immediately rolled to the back of his head and he slumped, falling to the floor in a sorry heap. Charles sighed and simply stepped over him, pausing slightly just to kick the gun out of his reach.

“By Jove, my skills need honing,” he scoffed at himself.

He reached out for Phoebe, who was looking at him with a flabbergasted look in her eyes.

“What happened to Scumthorpe?” she breathed.

Charles shrugged. “I gave him a taste of his own medicine. He is not the only one capable of slipping drugs into drinks.”

“You mean—”

“I drugged his ever-renownedvintagewine. Albeit with something far more potent than laudanum,” he said simply, raising his hand with a satisfied smile. “I have very quick hands. You, my sweet wife, should know better than most.”

Phoebe looked down and blushed. “I am certain you do,” she mumbled.

Charles bent down to pick up the pistol from the floor, studying it for a moment. With a series of deft movements, he loaded it fully and cocked it. A footman walking by at the far end of an adjacent corridor watched the scene unfold and promptly spun on his heels to make a hasty exit from the manor.

Charles smirked, then aimed at the head of the fallen Baron at his feet as Phoebe leaped back and gasped.

“Charles… what are you doing?” she asked him slowly, eyes widening.

He shrugged. “Delivering the mighty Lord’s hand of justice.”

“Oh, no, no, no!” she groaned, clutching at his arm. “You will do no such thing!”

“Why the hell not?” he asked her, his brows scrunching into a frown. This bastard had not only subjected her to the indignity of an abduction, but he had also threatened to kill her. In Charles’ opinion, that was more than enough reason to blow a hole through his skull. Or several.

“Charles,no,” she said firmly. “Let the authorities deal with him. You do not have to do this.”

He clutched the pistol tightly as his cold gaze flicked over from the man, then back to Phoebe, who was beseeching him with wide eyes. If he shot the man now, she would see it. How could he subject her to witness such an act of violence? All this time,he had been trying to preserve her innocence, he couldn’t be the one to destroy it.

Scumthorpe is damned fortunate to have her here, he cursed inwardly to himself.

He lowered the pistol and smoothly dismantled it, taking out the bullets and tossing them at the prone body on the floor.

“Consider yourself fortunate,Scumthorpe.”

Beside him, he could hear Phoebe heave a sigh of relief. He turned towards her with a helpless look.

“What am I ever going to do with you?” he asked her.

She simply smiled at him and hooked her arm around his. “We are going to live, Charles, and happily at that.”

That… was not a bad idea at all.

As they walked out of the front door of Scunthorpe Manor, they came across the constable and his men, who had begun to force their way through the gates.

“Your Grace!” The constable greeted Charles. “I take it that you have taken care of things inside there?”

Charles shrugged. “I did the best that I could.”

The man seemed to be familiar with Charles as he tipped his hat at him and said with a vague smile, “I am sure you did, Your Grace.”