His own father hadn’t been able to save Julius. Not with all his money or his diplomatic connections. Julius had been left to rot. His pulse raced, and Julius tried to rein in his anger.
And it was anger. He’d never realized how much he’d blamed his father for not rescuing him. His friends had traveled to Japan, risking their lives and readying to break him free from his prison while his father had sat behind his desk and written letters.
Julius knew his father had loved him. The man must have been desperate. But the idea of leaving England to go search for his son wouldn’t have crossed his mind. By the time Julius had returned, his father was too sick to confront.
Sleep tugged at his eyelids, making them heavy. In a minute, he’d get up and go to the library to catch a couple hours sleep on the settee. In a minute, the feel of Amanda’s arms wrapping around him would make his skin itch. But he wanted a few more moments of holding her.
His last thought before drifting to sleep was that if he ever did have children, there would be no land too far that he wouldn’t travel to save them.
Chapter Nineteen
Julius balled the newspaper and chucked it at the fireplace. It fell short by several feet. The bloody bastard. He had no right to say such things about Amanda. The Marquess of Hanford was in sore need of a lesson in manners.
Lacing his fingers behind his head, he leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling of the library. Amanda was a floor above, snuggled up in his bed. He didn’t know if she was tired, or if she were coming down ill, but she’d shown no interest in rising that morning. He’d thought of calling for the doctor, but knew there was a chance he’d exhausted her the night before. He’d used her in ways in which she wasn’t accustomed, and she needed rest.
Now he almost hoped she did come down with a slight cold. Anything to keep her safely tucked in bed and away from the papers.
Someone scratched at the library’s door, and it swung wide. A footman stepped through, followed by Max. The footman bowed. “My lord. You said to show the Baron of Sutton in when he arrived.”
“I know what I said.”
Max arched an eyebrow before thanking the servant and shutting the door. He tossed his hat onto the settee and followed it down. “Working on your charming personality again?”
“This house is infested with indolent servants.” Julius clenched his fists. “I had to relieve a footman of his duties just yesterday. If I’m to be surrounded by the snooping lot of them, the least they could do is their job.”
Max stretched his legs out. “I hope you didn’t call me out on this miserable afternoon just to grumble. I was in the middle of a good book when I received your note.”
“Your fascination with the works of the anonymous “By A Lady” continues to surprise me. Real men don’t readPride and Prejudice, so consider yourself delivered from shame.” Julius dodged the hat Max threw at his head and settled back into his chair. “Have you readThe Timestoday?”
Max shook his head. “I was too enthralled with Walpole’sCastle of Otranto.” He narrowed his eyes. “You know I only picked up that other novel by mistake.”
Julius pushed himself out of the chair and stalked to the fireplace. He bent and picked up the crumpled newspaper. Dropping it in Max’s lap, he went back to his seat. “Page two. Above the fold. Where everyone will see it.”
Max scanned the article, his lips pinching into a tight line within the circle of his dark beard. “Has she seen this yet?”
“No. But I’ll have to tell her eventually.” If Amanda was starting to poke her toe outside, she would have to be prepared for this new source of scorn. As much as Julius would love to hide the papers, he couldn’t hide her from the venom people would spew.
Max tossed the paper aside. “Is Marcus getting copies ofThe Timessent to him?”
Julius’s body went slack. “Bloody hell. I didn’t even think about him.” Acid churned in his gut. “He’s going to kill me.”
“Yep,” Max said, altogether too cheerfully. “It’s printed in the largest paper in England, hell, maybe the world, that you’re tupping his sister-in-law. I would definitely make sure that your affairs are in order.”
Julius returned to staring at the ceiling. His good friend would kill him. And then drag him to the altar to make sure he did right by Amanda. Which Julius couldn’t, in good conscience, refuse to do anymore. Circumstances had changed because of Hanford’s article. He would deny his relationship with Amanda, of course. But the only honorable course left was to marry her.
He loosened the knot of his cravat. The idea didn’t send him into cold sweats, but it still set his pulse to pounding. And what would it do to Amanda? He could hide her away in the country, but there were still societal obligations that couldn’t be ignored. A countess had duties.
And he was still thinking of his marriage in customary terms. He had to remember who Amanda was. There would be no callers. No invitations. No balls for her to host. No guests would attend.
Perhaps her life as his wife would carry on much the same.
Max poked through the cigar box on the table next to him and came up with a fat roll. He went to the fireplace and picked up a piece of coal with a pair of tongs. He placed it against his cigar and puffed it to life. “How did Hanford know about your dalliance? It isn’t even common knowledge that you’re here as the ladies’ protector.” Returning to his chair, he plopped down and crossed his legs.
“It has to be one of Marcus’s bloody servants.” Julius glared at the door the footman had come through. “Why he keeps so many of them underfoot I can’t understand. Always spying and gossiping.”
Max tilted his head and blew out a stream of smoke. “But he pays them very well. He’ll be disappointed to learn one of them betrayed him.”
“I should just fire the lot of them.”
