The Marquis Who's Wicked (Higher Court II)

XXIX. Making Up the Decision

Ian sighed as he was looking at the map of the recent riots that were happening all over the island before he rubbed his face with his hands, wanting to get out of the courtroom as soon as he possibly could. But of course, Nick has another plan coming for them when he saw the duke was pulling some other ledgers that went way back in the ancient time when The Origins perhaps lived. Ian arched his eyebrow at him. "Seriously? Do you want to look at the ledgers now? But it's almost morning and I don't think that we to spend the night at the Stone Tower when we have our wives to warm our beds," he stated as Nick shrugged. The duke was smirking.

"Well, Becca would not be minding when I am busy with the tenants' payment as Becca called my tasks at the Stone Tower," Nick chuckled softly before he was sighing. "Perhaps I am missing my wife dearly as well, Ian," Nick said, rubbing his mouth as Ian was snapping his finger at him.

"See? I told you we can pick this up tomorrow. Perhaps we have better luck to find the perfect solution as to how The Origins managed the tenants and the commoners when they were riling up like this. I know this is not the first time for us to be handling this kind of situation," Ian said as Nick was turning to look at him, arching his eyebrow as the duke smirked.

"Have any field experience with this, Kain?" he asked before Ian was rolling his eyes at his friend.

"If I was, I will be giving some pointers on how to make sure that the commoners will have complied with our demands. But as you can see, I am stuck with you here in the courtroom of the Higher Court and I am desperate to get back to my wife," he stated before Nick was laughing. He never thought the day that he will see Lord Dorian Hassildor be anxious to get back to someone other than himself. Perhaps the matchmaking by Ara is bearing fruits, Nick pondered as he felt the same way with his wife Becca. Maybe, just maybe, Ara had a knack for matchmaking a lord with another lady of the polite society. The duke sighed before he closed the ledgers and stood up from his seat as Nick was taking his coat, hat and gloves as Ian was tugging on his gloves.

Ian smiled at his friend before waving his hand, striding toward the door as he was eager to leave the duke and the courtroom as soon as possible. The marquis was restless before he was smirking at Nick. "I told you would be anxious to be with your wife too, Nick. I see you tomorrow then when I have wrapped myself inside my wife's arms,"  the marquis said before he was rushing out of the Stone Tower, getting inside the waiting carriage that bore the crest of silver griffin before the coachman was driving home, toward his eager wife that was ready to make Ian feel heavens again.

*****

Emily was pacing back and forth as she was looking at the missive on the table that she put on. She was in the new yellow room that she cannot wait to show to Ian when he got back from the Stone Tower. But not without telling her husband first of the secret that he kept from her.

A very important secret that would determine the relationship between her brother and Emily for the rest of her life.

"Where are you, Ian? Come home now so that I can be angry with you," Emily mumbled to herself as she was smoothing her hands over her skirts. Her silk slippers were padding across the carpeted floor of the yellow room. The gaslight was illuminating the room as the candelabras were shining. She exhaled a deep breath that she took before as her sensitive hearing, thanks to the enhanced genetics that she got from her husband, was capturing the claps of hooves of a very familiar carriage ride.

Emily turned toward the window as she was standing still, looking out at the black carriage that bore the silver griffin crest of Marquis of Kain before it rounded in front of the foyer of the townhouse. The marchioness was sucking on her breath when she saw that her husband, who was nodding at the footman that opened the carriage, was smiling as he was gripping his silver-headed cane. Then, Ian got off the carriage and walked toward the entrance of the townhouse.