Page 63 of A Cursed Bride for the Duke
Wilhelm smiled lazily at Beaumont, drumming his fingers lightly on the table.
“I believe that I am still waiting for my brandy,” he said as he looked towards the bar. “I wonder where it is?”
Snapping his fingers, he gestured for the server to bring him his order. The waiter nodded his head and scurried towards the bartender.
Wilhelm turned back to the lords and said, “I assure you, gentlemen, my ambitions are far more magnificent than mere revenge.”
He paused, letting the implications of his words sink in. “I have returned to London,” he continued, his voice gaining strength, “not to settle old scores, but to build a new empire. Whoever finds themselves unable to adjust, well, I fail to see how that would be any of my concern. Either adapt or whither.”
Lord Beaumont glowered and pulled his chair closer to the table. “And what of those who stand in your way?”
Wilhelm’s grin became ruthless. “Those who stand in my way,” he announced, “will beremovedfrom it.”
He placed his elbow on the table, rested his chin on his right palm, and smiled sadistically. The air in their little circle crackled as they looked at each other uneasily.
The server crept nervously towards the table, his hand shaking noticeably as he placed two glasses of brandy in front of Wilhelm.
“Thank you. That will be all, for now. But when you see my empty glasses, you will know it is time to refill them without my asking.”
The server nodded and scurried away, taking up his post next to the bar.
Wilhelm returned his attention to the men before him.
“I believe you have something that belongs to me,” Alfred said.
Wilhelm laughed dryly and looked at him. “Whatever do you mean?”
Alfred’s gaze hardened, his jaw clenching. “You know exactly what I’m referring to. My shipping routes,” he growled.
Wilhelm raised an eyebrow, his grin widening. “Yourshipping routes?” he scoffed, his voice dripping with mockery. “I believe you are mistaken, Lord Shelton.”
Alfred’s face reddened with frustration, his hands gripping the edge of the table. “You have seized what rightfully belongs to me.”
Wilhelm leaned back slightly, his expression cold. “I believe what you mean to say is that I relieved you of your burden. If it was not me, it would have been another.” He took a sip of his brandy and then placed his hands on the table. “If your businesses were struggling, how is that my fault?”
Alfred clenched his hands into fists, his face reddening. “You have disrupted everything.”
Wilhelm’s gaze was piercing, and his voice remained controlled, though there was a sharpness to it. “I did not disrupt anything. I took what was available after you failed to deliver. The market waits for no one, Lord Shelton.”
The tension was palpable as they stared each other down.
“We will not tolerate your interference,” Lord Harrington declared. “Your ambition threatens our interests, and we will not stand idly by while you destroy everything we have built.”
Wilhelm’s grin widened with unreserved ruthlessness. “You threatenme?” He laughed incredulously.
Alfred snarled. “Your father was right about you all along. You are incapable of controlling your emotions.” He took a sip of his whiskey and turned to Wilhelm with an evil grin. “If your mother had passed sooner, you might have understood how men are supposed to behave.”
Wilhelm slammed his fist on the table, standing up so abruptly that his chair toppled over. He splayed his hands on the table and leaned forward menacingly, his nose merely inches away from Alfred’s.
“You should reconsider your words before it is too late for you,” he hissed as the other patrons turned around and stared at them.“All of you. You dare speak to me like that? After what you all have done?”
He paused, his gaze lingering on Alfred. “I will destroy you,” he hissed, his voice laced with venom as Shelton smirked.
“You cannot win, Ravenshire,” Lord Harrington declared. “We are far too powerful. Our influence is too vast for you to ever comprehend. We will crush you under our boots like a useless mouse.”
Wilhelm gritted his teeth and stared at the man. “You underestimate me, Harrington,” he growled. “You have no idea what I am capable of.” He turned to look at each of the vile men before him. “You have no idea with whom you are dealing. I. Will. Destroy. You,” he hissed.
A heavy silence descended on the group, their mutual animosity pressing down on them as the lords shifted uncomfortably in their seats.
