Page 82 of Pursued Beyond Treachery
“She is a pretty thing,” someone said from the card table. “Have you managed to finagle a kiss out of her yet?”
“No, but she won’t be able to resist much longer. I’m not one to lavish compliments for nothing.”
Johnathan’s head came up. He recognized the second man’s voice. Glancing over his shoulder he saw three men, two with dark hair and one with blond. He removed his glasses and placed them back in his pocket so he could get a better look.
The blond spoke. “Never has been a lady you couldn’t charm, Wallace. You must be losing your touch.”
“No, just enjoying the challenge.”
Johnathan could only see Mr. Wallace’s profile as he turned to one of his friends, but his smile screamed rake of the worst kind. His gut churned. Susannah trusted this man, no doubt even loved him. How could he speak so vulgarly of her in front of other men?
“Besides, it can't be too much longer before Newhurst proposes to her cousin. Once he’s out of the way, there will be no more strings attached. Might as well get what I can while Ican. Then I’ll take the money and a few kisses for the road.” Mr. Wallace took a sip from his drink.
“She seems a bit missish. What makes you think you can get anything at all?”
“Because,” he drew out, “she’s already agreed to meet mealonetonight.”
Johnathan’s jaw clenched and he moved to stand but the first man said something that froze him in his seat.
“I don’t envy Newhurst his soon to be mother-in-law. That woman is a harpy of the worst sort. What woman would pay…”
A burst of raucous laughter drowned out the end of his sentence, but the other men nodded in agreement. Johnathan leaned forward to hear them better.
“But she pays well,” Wallace said. “Both in money”—he paused and waggled his eyebrows— “and with the goods she’s offered up. Curls, curves, and innocence. How could I resist?”
Bawdy laughter filled the room and Johnathan had heard enough. His long legs ate up the distance between himself and the men. For whatever reason they had not noticed him, but he was grateful, for it gave him the element of surprise.
Mr. Wallace caught sight of his angry face and stood moments before Johnathan reached the table. Much shorter than himself, it made it easy to wrap a hand about his throat and push him up against a nearby wall.
Several men skittered out of the way, snatching their drinks and rescuing them from certain demise.
Johnathan lifted upward until Mr. Wallace’s feet barely touched the floor. It seemed he was not as opposed to violence as he’d previously thought, especially when a snake had been lying in wait for the woman he loved.
Mr. Wallace grabbed at the hand about his throat, but when Johnathan retracted his fist to punch him, he held up his hands in defense. The fear on his face was a heady reward.
Johnathan stopped. “How dare you,” he growled.
The men in the room seemed to collectively lean in waiting to hear why the otherwise silent Lord Newhurst had suddenly become a charging bull.
Lowering his voice in hopes of keeping at least a small amount of information private, he said, “You are nothing more than a sniveling snake. I’ll have you know that I never intend to offer for the woman you implied, so any payment you hope to receive will never happen. As for the other young lady, if you so much as say her name or breathe in her direction again”—he leaned to within a few inches of his face— “Iwillruin you.”
Mr. Wallace’s brown eyes widened, and he swallowed under Johnathan’s grasp.
“Might I suggest,” Johnathan continued in a conversational tone, “a trip to your family’s county seat. Your younger siblings are probably in desperate need of you this time of year, don’t you think?”
It was not a suggestion and Mr. Wallace wisely did not protest. Or perhaps he couldn’t, for when he tried to nod his assent, he found his chin trapped above the hand about his throat.
Slowly, Johnathan released him.
Taking a step back, he noted the silence. Gentlemen all over the room stared at him, some with admiration but most with astonishment. He had no doubt they had all considered him a pacifist, his show of force rendering them speechless. Well, let that be a revelation to all, including himself.
He would never allow anyone to mistreat Susannah ever again. Not Mr. Wallace and most definitely not her deceitful aunt.
Mr. Wallace rubbed at his neck, a wary look on his far too handsome face, but he did not move.
“Do not push me, Wallace. It is time for you to leave.”
With one sharp nod, he trudged out of the room, Johnathan close behind him.
