Denying him her hand only meant he would have to work harder to make her say yes. He didn’t mind. He’d always welcomed a challenge.
Hawk crossed his feet at the ankles and slipped lower into the armchair. There was Farley to consider, too. Of much less importance as far as Hawk was concerned, but a factor nonetheless.
“Your Grace.”
Hawk looked up to see his butler standing in the doorway. “What is it, Price?”
“There’s a gentleman here to see you. I told him it was too early in the day for you to accept callers but he insisted you’d see him if I told you his name was Mr. Paxton Quick.”
Hawk placed his cup on the table beside him and rose from the chair. “He’s right, I will. Show him in.”
A few moments later Quick walked in and stopped, bowed, and then said, “Your Grace, thank you for seeing me.”
Hawk knew immediately something was wrong. The man wasn’t smiling and there was no bounce to his step. In fact, he looked nervous. Almost fearful. “It’s not a problem, but I thought we agreed you’d let me know when you made it to Town and we’d make arrangements to meet at a set time.”
“Oh, no, you’re right about that. We did.” His head bobbled. “But, well, it’s because of the nature of this visit I felt it couldn’t wait until you made time for me.”
Hawk eyed him closer. Was that a quiver he heard in Quick’s voice? The man who was always so jovial it got on Hawk’s nerves. That worried him. “What’s wrong?”
After a loud intake and even louder exhale of a deep breath, Quick rushed to say, “You made my sister cry.”
Hawk couldn’t have been more surprised if Quick hadsucker-punched him in the gut. No, Farley had made her cry. Hawk frowned. “Did she tell you that?”
“No. She didn’t have to.” The tremble in his voice continued. He clutched his hands together in front of him and then fretfully moved them to his back. “I saw how the two of you looked at each other throughout our time at Hawksthorn. I noticed even earlier at Mammoth House how the two of you—were around each other. Then I saw you arguing the morning we left your estate. In the coach she was crying.”
Hawk’s chest tightened. He knew she was on the verge of tears. She’d told him. He’d seen the tears pooling in her eyes as she fought to keep them under control. He’d wanted to hold her and comfort her but she didn’t want it. Hawk’s gut wrenched. He’d wanted to shake Farley for trying to steal the puppy. She wasn’t upset because of Hawk, she was devastated because she had thought Farley was changing. She thought she was making a difference in his life and the little imp had proved to her she wasn’t by taking the puppy.
“I think you are pursuing her,” Quick added.
Now that, he was guilty of. Perhaps Loretta’s brother was keener than he thought. “My relationship with your sister is our concern. Not yours.”
“No, Your Grace, it’s mine.” His voice seemed steadier and stronger, though his eyes blinked rapidly. He slowly walked closer to Hawk. “I will vigorously confront anyone who hurts her.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“And that includes you.”
So the gentle soul had a breaking point, and it was his sister’s tears. “As it should.” Hawk had to admit that Quick was impressing him with his assertiveness. Hawk hadn’t known the man had it in him to be so courageous. “Though I don’t have any obligation to tell you, I will let you knowthat what made Loretta cry was our argument about Farley and something he did.”
“She said the same.”
“Yet you remain unconvinced?”
“Your reputation as a rake gives me cause for concern about her innocence if you are pursuing her.” He stopped and swallowed hard. “I know my sister. I watched the many times she asked to go to London to visit a friend, to attend a wedding, or for the christening of a babe, or even to Grimsfield for a day of shopping, and Uncle always denied her because he was so angry with her he didn’t want her to have any source of pleasure. Through all the pain he caused I never saw her cry.” He took another step closer. His gaze was intent and his voice solid when he said, “If you hurt her again, I will call you out.”
“I would expect you to,” Hawk answered calmly, knowing he would find a way to get Loretta for his own.
“So you are warned.”
Hawk nodded, giving Quick stare for stare. Hawk had made all his answers as short as he could. He didn’t like what Quick was saying but he understood the man had the right to defend his sister. Hawk respected him for the courage it took. That didn’t mean it wasn’t damned hard to take.
Quick took a step back and continued. “I know I will no longer be considered to win the hand of Lady Adele and be her husband, but I do want you to know if I had married her and you had made her cry I would have been saying these same things to you. I expect to cherish my wife, honor her, and protect her from those who would make her cry.”
“I believe you.”
Quick nodded, pulled on the tail of his coat, and said, “Then it’s settled.”
“All but the contracts.”
