When they finished their excellent repast, they stepped out of the Denby Arms into the warm night air to await his carriage. Loitering just outside was Viscount Hawthorne and a group of his drunken friends who had just been turned away.
“They let you in here, Knight?” the wastrel remarked, tossing him an imperious sneer that rankled Gideon. “They’ve certainly lowered their standards.”
“No, they’re still quite high. They tossed you out, didn’t they?” Gideon shot back, knowing he ought to have kept his mouth shut and not goaded the sot, especially while Berry and Lord Berwick were looking on.
But the man got under his skin. He had run up debts all over London. He drank to excess and lost at the gaming tables because he violated every commonsense rule when playing cards. First rule, stay sober.
Nor did Gideon like that the man was obviously lusting for Berry’s fortune. Not Berry herself. Hawthorne wanted to dig his claws into that big pile of money Lord Berwick had built up for her over the years.
Hawthorne cared for no one but his wastrel self.
“You filthy guttersnipe!” Hawthorne growled, and took a swing at Gideon.
Gideon saw the punch coming, easily blocked it, and twisted Hawthorne’s arm just hard enough to make him fall to his knees with a yelp of pain. Hawthorne’s three friends thought to attack him, but Gideon’s lethal glower froze them in their places.
He lifted Hawthorne up by his collar and shoved him at the friends. “Take him home and sober him up.”
They tossed daggers at him with their gazes, but were too afraid to actually challenge him. Wordlessly, they dragged a howling Hawthorne away.
Berry stared at him, wide-eyed. Lord Berwick was frowning.
Gideon had no intention of apologizing. “He started it.”
Gad, had he just said that? He sounded like a schoolboy being taken by the ears to the headmistress for fighting in the classroom.
“You could have ignored him,” Berry remarked.
“No, I could not. The man is a monumental…idiot.” Gideon had been going to call him something far more insulting, but Berry was already peeved. He was not going to give her more reasons to be angry withhim. “He threw a punch at me, or did you miss that friendly gesture?”
She sighed. “I saw it.”
“He thinks his courtesy title gives him the right to stomp on people. I was merely reminding him that it does not. He’s fortunate I taught him a gentle lesson. I could have broken his arm or laid him out flat with a counterpunch.”
“Gentle?” Berry rolled her eyes. “You think twisting his arm almost to the point of breaking was gentle?”
“Yes. In my world, you do not show mercy when someone attempts to assault you. He’s fortunate I chose to play byyourrules.”
His carriage arrived and he helped both of his companions into their seats, and then settled in the one opposite theirs.
Blast.The evening had gone smoothly until that cur had shown up and interfered.
Would Berry agree to see him tomorrow? Or was she going to remain angry and refuse to have anything more to do with him? Was Lord Berwick regretting his choice in successor trustee?
Gideon sighed. “I have no intention of apologizing to that oaf, but I do apologize to both of you. I am not a gentleman, as you may have guessed. If someone insults me, I defend myself. If anyone were to insultyou, Lady Berry, I would defend you.”
“And if I were the one to insult you, Mr. Knight?” she asked.
He cast her a wry smile. “I would apologize to you without hesitation.”
His response obviously surprised her. “You would? Why?”
“Because you are the sweetest, kindest lady I have ever met, and no one has more compassion than you. If you were ever to insult me, I would immediately know that I was at fault and had somehow hurt your feelings. I would feel awful about that and seek to atone.”
“Oh.” She laughed softly. “I see.”
His response obviously met with Lord Berwick’s approval as well, for he chuckled. “Well said, Knight. You dug yourself out of that hole.”
Gideon leaned back against the fine leather squabs, relieved they were no longer angry with him, especially Berry.
