Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
It blew my mind.
It also blew my mind that the handsome devil was single.
Something had to be wrong with him.
“Thank you, Caldwell,” I said, smiling warmly as I stood to greet my guest. “Lord Ezra, it’s an honour to have you visit. I’m sure you must be very busy.”
“I’m never too busy to see you, my lady.”
Well, that was a load of bullshit, and he knew it.
He took my offered hand and kissed my fingers with as much care as he had on the terrace at the ball. “I believe it is I who must thank you for sparing me your precious time.”
Smooth.
Caldwell eyed him suspiciously, but I caught Bella’s light blush at his slick words.
“In that case, you’re most welcome. Please have a seat, my lord.” I sat down and looked to Bella. “Pour the tea and leave us.”
“Yes, my lady.” She did as she was instructed after daintily pouring two cups of tea.
Caldwell hovered for a moment, but ultimately gave in and shut the doors.
He was absolutely listening on the other side of them.
So was Bella.
I didn’t care.
I cleared my throat. “I hope the tea is to your liking, Lord Ezra.”
“I’m sure poison would be to my liking if you served it to me, Lady Alicia.”
I stared at him. “I shall remember that.”
He laughed, stirring sugar into his cup. “I have what you asked for here.” He held up a brown paper envelope, and I reached for it, but he yoinked it out of my grasp. “Although, before I give it to you… My father informed me that the marquess reached out to him regarding a potential marriage discussion. Am I to assume that’s your blackmail, my lady?”
I shook my head. “I can assure you that it is not. My father saw us together at the ball and approved of you as a suitor. It has nothing to do with me knowing all your dirty little secrets.”
“Hmm. I still wonder how you know about them.”
“Unfortunately, sharing that information with you would put me at a great disadvantage. I also rather enjoy the fact that I know something Illusion’s infamous guild master doesn’t.”
“Then perhaps I won’t hand this over.” He waved the envelope. “It seems as though it’ll work in my favour if your father approves of me as a son-in-law. No need to complicate things by letting other men grab your attention.”
I sipped my tea. “Calm yourself, Lord Ezra. He’s also contacted Duke Trelawney regarding Lord Leon, so you’re hardly running away with the competition.”
Ezra leant forward. “Ah, that’s right. Didn’t you also catch the eye of both the Crown Prince and the Grand Duke at the ball? You’re in high demand, my lady.”
“I would rather be caught by a raging beast than catch their eyes,” I answered honestly. “Are you going to hand that information over or not?”
He toyed with the envelope. “Did you get my letter regarding payment?”
“I did. I also noted your interesting clause about getting a full refund should we get married.”
“It’s only fair. It wouldn’t be right to take my wife’s money, not when I’d be benefitting so much more than you would be out of such an arrangement. You could use it to, I don’t know, buy dresses or something.”
“I’d be more likely to use it to hire someone to quietly kill my insufferable spouse.”
“In that case, our marriage would be short but beautiful.” He grinned. “A risk I’m willing to take.”
He was cocky.
And rightfully so. House Alansia would be my father’s first choice, and Ezra knew it.
I moved the cushion to my right and pulled out the money pouch Bella had hidden there earlier. “This is twenty percent. You’ll get the rest when that’s in my hand.”
Ezra took the pouch from the table and opened it. “I’ll take the rest depending on who you marry.”
“How generous of you.” I held out my hand. “Your turn.”
He dutifully passed the envelope over to me.
I reached for the letter opener and sliced it open. It was quite the thick stack of papers, but the top sheet had a shorthand version of all the names inside. As he’d said, he’d included himself as the number one prospect and Lord Leon as the second. The rest of the list was filled with other perfectly acceptable marriage candidates, and they all fit both mine and my father’s parameters perfectly.
He ran an infamous information guild for a reason, it seemed.
I slipped the papers back into the envelope.
“Is it not to your liking, my lady?” He raised his eyebrows.
“On the contrary, it’s quite acceptable from what I can see,” I replied. “My concern is not what you’ve delivered, but more the situation I find myself in.”
“Which is?”
“Do you remember me telling you that I believed I was to be the recipient of a marriage proposal I do not want?”
He nodded. “One your father would struggle to decline.”