Never Kiss a Toad

Chapter Seventy-Eight, Part 3

"Indeed," Gills said. "Wellbridge had to leave the city, but he begs you release her from your betrothal."

"I suppose he 'left the city' to make a tour of the Haverford properties until he finds Sal?"

"Quite," Piero agreed. "I take exception to Gills' representation of Wellbridge as begging. He has gone to have an answer from her, and he hopes, should it be affirmative, you will not try to stand in the way, or cause her any trouble over it. He will marry her in any case, when she agrees."

"No, not a social call." Maddox sat back, his fingers steepled. He took a sip of a brandy sitting next to his elbow but didn't offer any. "Toad Wellbridge may bloody well present himself to me and explain why and how he is worthy of Lady Sarah, or I fully intend to marry her at the earliest opportunity. He has treated her shamefully for years now—to say nothing of his general contempt for the tenets of common decency—and I am not convinced he will set aside his own desires long enough to consider hers. Her father no longer trusts his own judgment where Wellbridge is concerned, but I assure you; I trust mine. Toad may claim the chance to convince me otherwise anytime he likes. In person." With a shrug of one shoulder, Maddox added. "Any time before the banns are called, at any rate. After that, I will not subject Sally to the scandal of crying off."

Piero simply raised a brow. "He will not answer for his sins to anyone but Lady Sarah. I can assure you of that."

"I can assure you that is untrue. It gives me hope that he has hared off to find her and explain himself, as does his concern for her 'trouble,' but she is not the only person to whom he will have to answer before my betrothal is broken. No one intended it to be published in the newspaper. But now that it has, I will take full advantage. Toad Wellbridge may petition me for the right to marry Lady Sarah Grenford."

"He will petition with swords or pistols, Lord Maddox; I feel I must make you aware," Piero warned.

"No, he will not. He still owes me both an explanation and an apology for the debacle he made of the last favour he asked of me. He will present himself with his tail between his legs like the craven dog he is, and until he does, he may consider Sally Grenford is no longer available to him."

"She will speak for herself at Margate. He is probably there by now."

"Yes, Gills." Maddox laughed aloud. "She always speaks for herself. And believe you me; I have no concerns about my betrothed giving Toad Wellbridge anything but a blistered ear and the instruction to present himself to me.

"Now, I am paying my solicitors by the hour, so remove yourselves and go report back to Toad. I shall not hold this against you in future, Gills, but this is a damned inconvenient time to be bothering me about this. She has at least a year yet of mourning before we could marry anyway, and the whole of London knows my father is ill and likely to add to the delay."

***

Travelling by train was certainly preferable to a long coach ride, especially in one of the comfortable carriages created for the exclusive use of the Duke of Haverford and his family. Sally, Jonny, and the Duchess of Haverford arrived in London late in the evening, and went straight to Haverford House.

Bindle opened the door and greeted them with more enthusiasm than Sally had ever seen from the dignified butler.

"Is my husband at home?" Mama asked.

Bindle looked alarmed, and no wonder as it turned out. Faced with Mama's interrogation, he soon broke down and admitted that the Duke had drunk himself insensible and been put to bed. Mama went up to the ducal chambers to satisfy herself that her husband was alive, "though he may not wish to be when I am through with him," she muttered to herself.