Hawksley swallowed hard. "The penalty clause will still hold, my lord. If he does not marry her, he owes the consortium one million pounds."
Lord Farrington walked around the desk. He approached Hawksley with slow, predatory steps.
"I told you before, you fool," Lord Farrington hissed, his voice dropping to a dangerous, lethal whisper. "I do not want the money. I want the Duke. And they have been too quiet lately. The Duchess of Carleton is a clever woman, and the Duke is not a man to simply surrender."
Farrington stopped right in front of Hawksley. He glared down at the sweating Baronet.
"Did you do this?" Lord Farrington demanded sharply. "Did you arrange a little accident to scare him? Because if you damaged my future son-in-law and delayed my plans, I will ruin you."
