“Say,” Henri said, walking up to the man, who was now looking over a candelabra. “What is this?”
The man frowned at the tag in Henri’s hand. “If you wouldn’t mind leaving those be. I’m tagging all assets in the house for sale. They are to go to auction.”
“Auction?” Henri’s eye widened. “I think Grimes is correct, sir. You have the wrong address.”
“I wish that were the case. Unfortunately, the good Count Montoni is so far in debt that he must pay it off by selling his possessions.”
Henri went pale as Count Montoni stormed into the room, face red and contorted with rage.
“How dare you,” Montoni bellowed. “You will leave this house at once.”
“I will not,” the man countered. “I have a legal right to be here. We are going to hold a public viewing to sell off your items five days hence. You may be present if you like, but I would recommend sparing yourself the indignity.”
Montoni’s mouth opened and closed as the man wrote another tag for the curtains. “See here: I am going to be married in a fortnight.”
“Congratulations.”
“What I mean,” Montoni said, putting a hand on the man’s shoulder, “Is that I will be married into wealth. I can pay off my debt. There’s no need for this demonstration. I understand the threat.”
The man paused to peer at Montoni, his jaw working for a moment. He crossed his arms and shrugged. “A fortnight will be too late. If you can’t pay your debt within ten days, I can do nothing but proceed with the actions I’ve laid out.”
Montoni nodded. “Fine. I will speak to my fiancée. I’m sure she won’t have a problem with moving up the wedding. It will be as you say.”
The man scrutinized Montoni for a full minute before he nodded. “Very well. Ten days. If you aren’t in my office by then, no amount of prostrating will put me off any longer.”
“Thank you,” Montoni said, bowing as the man made his way to the door. As soon as the man left, the count ripped the tags from the furniture, a steady stream of curses issuing from his lips. When he noticed Henri and I gawking at him, he paused to point a finger in our direction. “Nothing out of you two. If your aunt finds out about this, I will tear you limb from limb, and that is not an idle threat. Do you understand me?”
“Crystal clear,” Henri assured him as I nodded.
A muscle jumped in Montoni’s cheek as he stormed from the room.
Henri released a deep sigh. “So, it’s true then. Uncle has ruined us.”
“Gambling?”
Henri glanced at me, then nodded. “I’m afraid so.”
“Are you still planning on killing him?”
Henri blinked. “What did you say?”
I shifted. “I may have been in the hedge maze one night and overheard you and Blanche.”
Pursing his lips, Henri turned away. “It’s not what you think, Emile.”
“I know.” I put a hand on Henri’s back. “I trust you, Henri. Whatever that was, it’s your affair, not mine.”
Henri scoffed. “I’m afraid you put too much faith in me sometimes. I don’t deserve your esteem.”
“I beg to differ.”
Henri faced me, and after a quick glance at the door, pulled me into a kiss. A heated kiss that left me blushing. I clung to him afterward, unwilling to let him go. Henri’s eyes stared down into mine hungrily, and I wanted nothing more than to continue attending to his lips. But we were in public, and we couldn’t chance any further contact.
“We’re going to pick up where we left off tonight,” Henri said, his voice low.
I swallowed hard. “That sounds like a threat.”
“Oh, it is. A threat and a promise.”
