Chapter 18
“Hit me anywhere you want, just not the face,” Adam said to the Earl of Seaborough. “I think I’m getting married soon. Can’t have a purple eye.”
“Whatever you desire, old man,” Seaborough drawled, rolling his head side to side, stretching the muscles of his neck as he bounced his weight from his right foot to his left foot.
The behemoth of a man was clearly warming his body up to deliver the most damage.
Both of them were shirtless and in their breeches, ready to move.
But then, before they could begin, Rivers suddenly blurted from the side of the ring, “Excuse me? What do you mean think?”
“Think,” Adam echoed, rolling his shoulders. “That’s exactly what I said.”
Rivers cleared his throat. “Haven’t you proposed marriage to her? Haven’t the banns been read?”
Adam winced. Invitations, hundreds of them, had gone out. St Paul’s was reserved. “Yes, but one of the stipulations from her father was that my family had to approve of the marriage.”
Rivers leaned against the ropes of the ring. “They do. Your mother has made peace with it.”
“Peace is not exactly the word that I would use,” Adam said, as he lifted his own fists up, readying his guard because Seaborough looked like he could not wait to go to work. And, frankly, Adam could not either because he was a ball of tension.
He had not yet been to see his future bride. He was terrified that when he did go see her, her father would end it.
Adam would never get to be alone with her again, an idea which was unbearable. She was his already in his mind, in body, in heart, and in spirit. But he also couldn’t lie to her or her father or mother. He had to tell them what his grandmother was planning to do.
He couldn’t let her marry him knowing that such a thing was floating out there, but he was going to do everything that he possibly could to ensure that the marriage went forward.
Rivers cocked his head to the side. “What the bloody hell happened?”
“My grandmother,” he growled.
Rivers lifted a hand to his eyes. “She was supposed to be in Italy. Was it so terrible in that sun-soaked land with edible food?”
“Apparently,” Adam returned.
The man seemed particularly annoyed that his grandmother was not where she was supposed to be.
And then Seaborough called, “I shall be toothless and shuffling before we begin at this rate.”
Adam nodded, met Seaborough’s gaze, the agreement to begin there, and darted swiftly to the side before Seaborough could use his fist like a hammer and clock his head all the way back.
Having narrowly missed such unpleasantness, the two of them began circling each other, shuffling carefully, his own fists up to his cheekbones, his elbows tucked in.
Seaborough gave him a wild grin. “I could always take care of your grandmother if you want.”
“Do explain?” Adam asked, tucking his chin.
Seaborough waggled his brows above his razor-sharp glare. “I could bundle her into a coach and put her on a ship.”
“That would be terribly unfair to the sailors,” Adam replied. “She’d bully them all, and they’d turn the ship about within a day.”
Rivers snorted. “I know your grandmother, and I think that’s actually quite true.”
“Do you think we could just throw her into a coach and send her up to Scotland and not let her out, and then you two could be married by the time—”
“It’s not about that,” Adam bit out over Rivers’ words as he circled the ring, looking for an in.
Skyburn let out a note of glee as he strode to the ring. “Oh, this is the fight that I want to see.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Rivers said. “Westfort isn’t his best self at present.”
“What do you mean? He looks in excellent form,” Skyburn declared as he slung off his long coat and threw it onto a bench.
Rivers and Skyburn watched as the fight started to begin in earnest.
Adam jabbed Seaborough right in the gut.
Seaborough let out a surprised note of discomfort, then quickly twisted and slammed his fist right into Adam’s back. He nearly buckled to his knees, but he forced himself to keep moving.
The two of them maneuvered around again and again.
“Well, if you don’t marry her, maybe I will,” Seaborough said brightly, clearly trying to provoke Adam. “She could be the ideal bride, I think. And then if you want, you could…”
“No,” roared Adam. “Your suggestion should be shoved down your throat. I know that is how you play, Seaborough, as if you are at a game of musical chairs with ladies and wives and mistresses, but that’s not how I operate.”
“It’s a fun way to operate,” Seaborough pointed out, grinning, “and it’s the way the ton has operated for generations.”
“I want her to be mine,” Adam growled, knowing that Seaborough was merely trying to get a rise out of him and keep him from the depths of despair at the sudden turn his life and plans had taken.
It was shocking.
A few weeks ago, he and these men had barely known each other, but now they were close friends, pounding each other to bits every morning before they went off and faced their days.
Rivers let out a loud exclamation. “Don’t worry about it. It will all work out. I’m sure that something will happen to make sure the wedding occurs.”
Adam said over his shoulder, refusing to take his eyes off of Seaborough, “You seem awfully invested in me marrying her.”
“Of course I am,” Rivers said, folding his arms over his broad chest. “She’s an excellent young lady, and you’ve been happy. Also, once banns are proclaimed, a wedding should occur. Ending it should be avoided at all costs. The scandal—”
“Ooh, who knew you were such an old maid,” mocked Skyburn playfully.
“I didn’t realize you were such a stickler for decorum,” Seaborough added as he twisted to the left and then managed to deliver a left hook right into Adam’s ribs.
He ground his teeth down, grabbed Seaborough’s head, and then whipped him around so that he could slam his own fist into Seaborough’s kidney.
Seaborough let out a growl of pain. “You’re better at this than I thought you’d be, given your state.”
“It’s all this boxing with you,” Adam replied. “It has improved and motivated me.”
“Always glad to be an inspiration,” Seaborough returned with a jolly smile, as he backed away and wiped sweat from his forehead. “So your wedding is going to be destroyed by an old lady, is that it?”
“It’s not the old lady, not really,” Adam said as he circled about.
“No,” Rivers cried, clearly irritated. “It’s tradition. That’s what’s going to destroy it. Your bloody family is such a stickler for tradition.”
“And yours isn’t?” Adams snapped.
Rivers drew in a long breath. “Well, most of my family are dead,” he said. “So I don’t really worry about what they think.”
Adam didn’t know what to say to that. How did one actually reply to something like that? You couldn’t. Any response, unless it was dry sarcasm, would be inappropriate.
So, in the end, he chose sarcasm. “Perhaps I should say you’re lucky then.”
Rivers laughed. “Perhaps you’re right. I don’t have to put up with any meddling.”
“No, you don’t,” Adam agreed.
Seaborough darted forward and clocked him in the jaw.
“I said not the face,” Adam protested, after he managed to collect himself and his teeth stopped rattling.
Seaborough shrugged. “I don’t really like rules, even the Queensbury ones.”
But before he could deliver another blow, Adam darted in and drove his fist right into Seaborough’s belly.
Seaborough fell to one knee, the air whooshing out of him. “Good God, man, you really are full of surprises.”
“You talk too much,” Adam said, catching his breath as he rubbed his chin. “You try to cover up what’s really going on in your head, and…”
“And what’s really going on in my head?” Seaborough challenged as he pushed himself back up to his feet.
“You’re nicer than you want everyone to think.”
“Aw,” Seaborough mocked. “You’ve fallen for my smile, haven’t you? Everyone always does.”
Adam sighed and pulled off his gloves.
“Who’s next?” Rivers looked to Skyburn. “Shall we have a go at it?”
Skyburn gave a shake of his head. “My mother is on the rampage, trying to find me a wife, and I’m supposed to go and have a walk with one of them.
” Skyburn winked at Adam. “Maybe I should marry your Miss Allen if you can’t.
She seems as if she’d be happy down in the country, and then I wouldn’t ever have to talk to her again. ”
“She wants a love match,” Adam stated, wondering if there was really something seriously wrong with the English aristocracy, since they handled almost all pain with amusement and dry commentary.
All of the men swung their gazes to him.
“And that’s you? You’re her love match?” Skyburn asked, his brow furrowing.
“You’re falling in love with her?” Seaborough asked. “It’s not just desire?”
Adam swallowed and the answer hit him far harder than Seaborough’s fists.
“Yes,” he admitted, “I am.”
“Then don’t tell her about your grandmother. If her father pulls the approval of the marriage, and she turns you down at this point, not only will it be a great scandal, but you’ll be ruining your life forever, old boy,” Seaborough said, clapping him on the back.
“Play a little dirty,” Skyburn encouraged.
“I can’t. She’d never forgive me.” Adam sighed, his heart heavy.
“Of course she will,” Seaborough returned with a snort. “Ladies always forgive the men they adore. It’s part of their nature.”
Adam rolled his eyes. “I don’t think that’s true,” he said. But then he couldn’t help thinking of his father. His father had told him of his deep regret. Was he really willing to give it up because he was so very honorable?
He looked over to Rivers.
Rivers arched a brow, a speculative one that seemed to hope he’d rise to the occasion.
Honestly, Adam didn’t know what he should do.
Deep in his heart, he wanted to go and do just as he and she had laughed about—steal her away, take her to his house, and make her his.
He knew she wanted to be his. He knew she wished to marry him, that she was falling in love with him too, and he hated the idea that anything outside of the two of them could change that.
Rivers grabbed the top rope of the ring and leaned forward. “What’s going on in your head?”
“Nothing,” he said. “Nothing of import.”
Rivers rolled his eyes. “You look like you’re on the brink of a rather dastardly decision.”
“I’m not going to do anything that’ll get me called out, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Agatha’s older brothers, who were seldom about, were young enough that they might passionately call him out for dishonor. And he could never forgive himself if he fought a dual with one of them.
Rivers blew out a sigh. “Then I think that Seaborough has the right of it. Don’t tell her, get married, and I’m sure your grandmother will relent.”
“No, she won’t,” he said grimly.