章節 26: I want your daughter (2)
"James, prepare the carriage for my departure," Desmond quickly shoved the note back into the envelope after he read the contents.
William was summoning him to talk about Alessandra once again.
"Carriage? Who is the letter from? Why are you going to someone at a time when you are meant to be eating dinner? Desmond," Katrina's words fell on deaf ears as Desmond stood up to leave.
"This is more important than dinner. Take care of the house while I am away," Desmond left the table in a hurry to get to William.
Katrina sighed, looking at the food Desmond barely touched on his plate. Kate had left the table and now her husband too. She enjoyed having dinner with the two of them but now it was returned.
Katrina glared at the person responsible for the dinner being ruined.
"It is my fault," Alessandra said before Katrina could blame her for the table being so vacant. "I can control Kate's feelings to make her leave and I live a double life as the person who sent my father the letter."
"I do not need your sarcasm," Katrina spat.
Alessandra played with a potato on her plate and said, "Your eyes looked to me as the reason dinner was ruined. I thought it was only fitting I tried to make up the stupidest way I could be the one to ruin dinner. This family truly needs to learn to take accountability for their actions."
"Ha," Katrina scoffed. Never would she have imagined getting lessons from Alessandra. "Then why are you pushing what happened to your face onto someone else?"
"I never said I wasn't responsible. However, your daughter has a share of responsibility when it comes to my face and I will not let her forget it. I hate to ruin dinner further, but I do not wish to waste my time sitting here with you. Goodnight, mother."
"I am not your mother," Katrina gritted her teeth.
With Alessandra leaving, she was the only one left at the dinner table. Instead of leaving, Katrina took her knife and fork to start eating.
"I worked so hard to get a baron's attention for this kind of life? Who should I make my next move on?" Katrina started to plot her next move.
Meanwhile, Desmond bit his nails as his nerves increased the further he got from the house. He had no idea why William was requesting his presence so late in the night to speak about his daughter? News of Alessandra's engagement was not known to the town therefore William could not know about it.
"Why did I borrow money from William? If I ever find the man who scammed me I swear I'll kill him on the spot. How dare anyone try to scam me?" Desmond was angered by the memory of a man who promised to triple his wealth if he invested a large sum of money into a couple of businesses.
The man was nowhere to be found once he received the money and no matter who Desmond asked about him, each person claimed to not know anyone with the name or description. The man was right to not show his face in town or he would be killed for what he had done.
"Why has the carriage stopped?" Desmond asked when the carriage suddenly came to a halt. Looking out the window, he knew he was not at William's house as yet.
"Baron!" A voice called, sending shivers down Desmond's body.
"Why is he here?" Desmond muttered.
"William has sent me to escort you in one of his carriages. You should feel honored you sly dog." The right door opened to reveal one of William's henchmen.
"There is nothing wrong with my carriage, Rowan," Desmond glared at the man.
Rowan was one of William's most trusted servants. He was always sent to kill anyone William no longer wanted alive as they were either his enemy or no longer useful.
"If you continue to glare at me, I will pick your eyes out with my nails. Get out now before I consider knocking you out and dragging you in the mud. Your pick," Rowan grinned, revealing his golden tooth. He played with a small dagger in his hands as he waited for Desmond to make his answer.
"Get out of the way," Desmond knew he had no choice but to get out of the carriage. "Move-"
In the blink of an eye, Rowan pointed the dagger at Desmond's neck. "Do not talk down to me, baron. I do not share the same status but I won't hesitate to kill anyone who looks down on me. If only my master would allow me to kill you. I have never gutted a Baron before."
"You demon…" Desmond shook from fear. Each time William wanted to scare him, he would always send Rowan to do the job.
Rowan chuckled, pointing the dagger in another direction. He ran his fingers through the strands of his hair, the shade identical to the color of blood. "Everyone says it's my hair that makes me look like a demon, but has anyone ever seen a demon to know what they look like? Fools."
Rowan frowned, suddenly annoyed Desmond had not left the carriage and distracted him instead. His master won't be too happy if they are late. Without a word, Rowan reached forward to get a handful of Desmond's hair and then pulled him from his seat to the muddy ground.
"I told you I would drag you out. Tsk, you got mud on my boots," Rowan proceeded to rub his boots onto Desmond's clothes to get rid of the mud.
Desmond shoved Rowan's shoe away, refusing to be belittled by a murderer. "You cannot treat a baron this way."
"This is why my master hates you. You are not only a baron, but also William Lancaster's servant. When he sends for you, your title does not mean anything. Have you forgotten he saved you from your many debts? Why is it taking so long to bring him your daughter? Silly man," Rowan kicked Desmond in his side, causing him to tumble over in the mud.
"A baron, rolling around in the mud like a dog. What a sight. If only my master was here to see this. Get up quickly or I shall kill you for making us late," Rowan said as he walked back to the carriage he arrived in.
He looked up at the man hunched over in front of Desmond's carriage. Rowan used a special dart laced with drugs to send the coachman to sleep. It was important that no one knew William was meeting Desmond.
Desmond balled up fists, tempted to attack Rowan for what he had done, but he knew to be patient. When his deal with William would come to an end and he was back on his feet, Desmond would have Rowan's head. "Good things come to those who wait," he reminded himself.
This phase helped Desmond in a time of hardship and the reward for waiting was so close he could almost taste it.
Alessandra marrying William would benefit him as Desmond had a bright idea to kill his long-time friend after land and money would be placed in Alessandra's name. It wouldn't be too hard for him to snatch them away from Alessandra and place her back into hiding afterwards.
The problem with the plan was Edgar.
Desmond got to his feet ignoring the mud on the clothes he paid a fortune for. If William desperately wanted Alessandra, he was the perfect tool to use to push Kate into Edgar's arms while Alessandra got married to William instead.
"Things are suddenly looking up," Desmond smiled, walking up to the carriage William sent for him. He wasn't too happy about sharing it with Rowan but as the man said, Willian ordered Rowan not to kill him.
"What took you so long?" Rowan yawned due to waiting for Desmond so long. "I will place the blame on you if he asks what happened."
Desmond refused to say anything back to Rowan and quietly sat in his seat. Unfortunately, Rowan sat opposite him where they would be looking at each other. "Why are you smiling at me?"
"I can't kill you."
"What?" Desmond did not understand what that had to do with his smile.
"I get a tingle all over my body from not being able to kill you. The feeling makes me smile. Nothing gets me more excited than someone I cannot kill. I keep thinking, what if I kill you and tell my master it was an accident-"
"I will be your master's father-in-law. You can never harm me," Desmond believed that was enough to keep him alive.
Rowan covered his mouth with his hand to hide a devilish smile. "Is that so? I remember these very words when I killed his first wife's father. Master truly loathed the man."
創作者的想法 
Violet_167
Violet_167 Rowan was named after the user Rowanmdm.
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章節 27: I want your daughter (3)
Desmond tried his best to remain calm, refusing to show Rowan the fear he sought. Just like everyone else, he was aware of William's father-in-law's death, but the family had been secretive about it and claimed it to be from a cold. Desmond believed the story up until this point.
Desmond knew he had done nothing to offend William to the point the man would want him dead. They were longtime friends for goodness sake and Desmond was handing William his daughter on a silver platter.
"You will eat those words one of these days," Desmond promised the shabby man.
"Tell you what Baron, I'll help you tie me up so you can shove those words down my throat. You should know, I am a man who enjoys pain," Rowan licked his dry lips.
"This conversation is over," Desmond no longer wished to carry on the conversation any further. He knew of Rowan to be a man with sick habits be it with a man or woman.
William was crazy for keeping such a person around, but Desmond had to admit, that Rowan was loyal. No one could successfully bribe him to betray William. They couldn't figure out what William had over Rowan's head to make him this loyal.
"You are an evil person, baron," Rowan said out of the blue.
"Says the murderer and have you forgotten who you work for?"
"I know my master and I are evil, but you are one of those people who play dumb to what they are. What kind of a good person hands his daughter off to a man his age? Tsk tsk," Rowan sighed.
"The silence is loud," Rowan sang as he enjoyed making Desmond feel guilty. "Or maybe that's a thing in the town I know nothing about. A man like me knows nothing about high society. Do you care to enlighten me if this is a normal thing?"
"Are you trying to tell me not to send my daughter to William?" Desmond asked.
"Of course not. William wants her therefore he shall have her but I was expecting a father to have principles you know. Stop looking down on me when you are not a good person. I kill people and you trade your daughter for money. We are evil brothers," Rowan chuckled, stomping his feet against the floor as he found himself to be funny.
'He's crazy,' Desmond concluded.
Alessandra was saving their house by becoming William's wife. He was setting her up to be the wife of one of the richest men in the town.
Duke Edgar must be playing with her feelings as Kate was a woman more suited for him. Desmond wouldn't put it past Edgar to propose to Alessandra only to make Kate jealous and Alessandra fell for his trick.
His poor daughter.
"Home sweet home," Rowan took a deep breath to inhale the air he believed to be sweeter than anywhere else. "There's nothing like the Lancaster mansion," he opened the carriage door before the carriage itself stopped.
Desmond scurried to the other end, afraid he would fall out of the door. His heart rushed while Rowan jumped out of the carriage laughing as if he couldn't have hurt himself.
He never wanted to see Rowan again after tonight for he could accidentally kill the both of them with recklessness. For the first time since he had left home, Desmond felt truly relieved when the carriage stopped.
"Baron, we are already late. Trust me, you do not want to upset him."
"I am coming," Desmond said. He made a mental note to have the doctor visit him tomorrow to check on his heart.
As Desmond exited the carriage, the gloomy atmosphere of William's mansion greeted him. It was no wonder Rowan liked the place so much. It was a place where you'd occasionally hear crows warning you to turn back.
Desmond cautiously followed behind Rowan regretting not listening to his wife telling him to stay and enjoy dinner. At least he would have eaten before William found and killed him for not showing up.
Desmond envied how grand William's house was as he entered. There was a time when he had more wealth than William but William somehow came out on top after the years.
Rowan and Desmond eventually came upon William sitting in a large chair similar to a king's throne at a dinner table with a woman by his side.
"I have brought the baron to you, master," Rowan announced their presence.
"Well done. Old friend!" William raised a glass filled with wine to Desmond. "It's been so long since we had a chat. Forgive me for being unable to wait until the morning to summon you. I sent Rowan to you as a kind gesture. He does not normally escort my guests. Normally, you kill them, Rowan," he chuckled.
Desmond faked a laugh to remain on William's good side. The William before him right now was nothing like the person he knew in the past. It was true money could change anyone.
William Lancaster who was once small and shy changed into a large buff man after his countless training. His head was covered in white hair and so was his beard, but that did not mean you should ever underestimate him because of his age.
'It has been three days since we last spoke,' Desmond said to himself.
"It truly has been too long," Desmond replied to William. "I should thank you for helping me escape my wife tonight. I might be able to go to the red light district to relax."
"Is that so? Had I known this, I would have called some of the women here tonight. I understand how tough marriage can be. I've been married two times already, but they eventually became boring. Have a seat next to me," William pointed to the chair placed dangerously close to him.
All the other chairs were spread out where guests were an arm's length apart, but this chair was right by William.
"If you insist," Desmond took a seat with caution. "How is the wife?" He asked, looking at the woman at the table.
"Somewhere in the house crying her eyes out," William sighed.
Desmond was now confused by the woman who sat at the table. It was so hard for him to remember what William's second wife looked like as she was rarely seen and there were no portraits of her around the home.
William had no children which meant this woman had to be his mistress.
"Why have you not brought your daughter to me, Desmond? I am not a patient man," William waved his hand, and without any words spoken Rowan appeared by his side to hold the glass of wine instead of it being placed on the table.
"I was meaning to but I ran into a problem. Duke Edgar Collins came by my home to ask for Alessandra's hand in marriage. He threatened me and I had no choice but to agree to it. Don't worry as I have a plan to make him marry my youngest daughter instead."
"Duke Edgar," William softly repeated the name with disgust. "That spoiled brat is trying to steal what belongs to me."
William hated Edgar from the bottom of his soul along with Edgar's father. They were always meddling in others' affairs, implementing too many laws, and having his companions thrown into jail.
"Alessandra will become your wife either way-"
"Wife?" William chuckled as the words left Desmond's mouth. "You misunderstood my words all this time, my friend? I do not wish to make your daughter my wife. I am a collector of many things. The rumored curse girl shall make an excellent addition to my collection of women and items."
"If I am bored, she shall perform as a mistress. I remember her being beautiful as a child therefore her face cannot be that bad. Bring her to me tomorrow," said William.
"B-But Edgar-" Desmond winced as William grabbed his left thigh and squeezed it.
"Desmond, you have two choices since you are my friend. One, you pay me back half of the money I have already given you by tomorrow. Two, you bring me your daughter and I will give you the rest of the money debt free. If you cannot pay me back what I gave you by tomorrow, Rowan shall pay you a visit. What is your decision?"
"I-I will bring her to you tomorrow," Desmond made up his mind. Edgar and Wiliam were both terrifying men, but Desmond was more afraid of William at this moment as he was looking to kill him right now.
"Good choice," William released Desmond's thigh. "Stay and have some food, my good friend."
創作者的想法
Violet_167
Violet_167
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