Page 115 of He's the One

“You’re taking nothing with you,” said Theo’s father.

There was the sound of a woman crying and Col glanced at Luis.

“Darnley’s wife,” he mouthed.

“It was your son, not me,” Darnley said. “He’s the one you should be speaking to. I didn’t want to tell you until I had the proof.”

Col bristled.

“Leave now or I’ll call the police to have you removed,” said the marquess.

“I’ll be suing for unfair dismissal,” Darnley snapped.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’ve stolen from Asquith and been caught.”

“You think you’re all that. You’re—”

“Hey!” the marquess said. “Back away.”

James strode into the room, and Col and Luis followed.

Darnley was squaring off with the marquess, but he went into reverse when he saw the three of them.

James stepped right into Darnley’s space. “Don’t even think of touching him.”

The menace in James’ voice made Col gulp.

Darnley glared but moved away.

“The police are waiting at your house,” said the marquess. “You’ll probably end up in prison.”

Darnley’s wife started to wail.

Darnley glanced at Col. “I saw him and your son rolling around in the woods on the day of the Autumn Show.”

Shit.

“Yet you didn’t tell me,” the marquess snapped back. “They saw you accepting a kickback from Nyman.”

Darnley sucked in a breath and all the colour leached out of his face.

“You idiot,” Darnley’s wife blurted.

“Shut up,” Darnley hissed. “They saw nothing.”

“Then why would they say it?” she yelled back.

The marquess interrupted their bickering. “I’m going to call the police to remove you from the premises. I’ve asked you three times to leave. You’re trespassing. I should warn you that the police are searching your daughter’s business too and her records will be investigated.”

“No,” Darnley’s wife shouted. “Leave her alone. It was all us. She knows nothing about it.”

“Shut up, you stupid bitch,” Darnley barked. He grabbed his wife’s arm and yanked her to her feet.

James caught hold of Darnley’s wrist. “Let her go.”

“I’m not hurting her.”

“Let. Her. Go,” James repeated.

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