The bitter words shook, as did Avery’s teacup and saucer. Charlotte quickly removed them from her hands and set them on Blayne’s desk before they could fall to the floor and shatter. She returned to her chair and stared at Albert. “You broke into your sister’s office and stole my manuscript?”
“Can you believe it?” Avery’s eyes hardened against the tears. “It is the worst sort of betrayal.”
Indeed it was. Charlotte glanced at Blayne whose furious glower ought to make Albert regret ever coming here. She could not imagine he’d wrong his sister in such a way. Or her, for that matter. He’d always been so pleasant. “How could you?”
When all he did was shrug, Blayne crossed to where he sat, grabbed him by his cravat, and hauled him upward until he gasped. “Answer the question.”
Albert fell back in his seat and coughed. He turned to his sister. “Will you really let that brute treat me like that without protest?”
“Call my husband a brute once more,” Charlotte warned Albert, “and you’ll have more reason to fear me than him. Now answer the question.”
Albert scowled. “It’s unjust how hard we struggle to make ends meet when all you have to do is write a ridiculous story.”
“My ridiculous story,” Charlotte said with mounting anger, “required a lot of hard work. You’d no right to steal it or to reap the reward of my labor.”
“My suspicion regarding Albert’s involvement,” Avery said, “was first raised when I learned of the extravagant purchases he’d begun making. There were new clothes, a gold pocket watch. He even moved out of the rooms we’d been sharing and rented a place for himself on Bond Street. When he turned up to work one morning with an expensive looking new bonnet for me, I had to ask how he could afford it.”
“Bloody hell, Avery,” Albert snapped. “You’re a damn fool when it comes to business. The contracts you offer your authors give them too great an advantage without leaving you with a big enough profit. Especially with regard to someone as successful as Charles Cunningham. My God! I had to do something or we’ll end up in the poorhouse once the last of our inheritance gets depleted.”
“Nothing can justify what you did,” Charlotte murmured. “I thought you were my friend, Albert.”
He answered with a snort. “Friends don’t tease each other with promises of something more.”
Charlotte sat back. “I never did any such thing.”
“He fancies himself in love with ye,” Blayne said. Addressing Albert, he asked, “Am I right?”
“She’s too good for the likes of you,” Albert seethed. To Charlotte he said, “You broke my heart when you told me you meant to marry that man.”
Charlotte shook her head. She’d never considered Albert’s interest in her as more than a passing infatuation. “So you decided to punish me? Is that it?”
When Albert didn’t respond, Blayne said, “I’m thinking I’d like Mr. Carlisle to be my opponent in the upcoming match this evening.”
Albert straightened. “What match would that be?”
“The sort where I get to punch ye in the face,” Blayne informed him. When Albert blanched, Blayne tilted his head. “Unless ye convince me of how sorry ye are and give my wife the money ye owe her right now.”
“Unfortunately,” Avery cut in, “there’s no way for you to be reimbursed in full since Albert already spent much of the money he received for the manuscript. But Albert and I have recently visited P. Agerson Publishing to inform them of the situation.”
“Surely they’ll want to press charges,” Blayne said.
“I think Mr. Agerson took pity on me. We agreed it had all been a big misunderstanding, provided Albert quits the publishing business entirely. Mr. Agerson has assured me further payments for the publication of The Marquess’s Unresolved Mysteries will go to you once you’ve met with him in order to make the necessary arrangements.”
“Thank you, Avery.” Charlotte turned to Albert and stared him down. Most of the confidence he’d shown upon his arrival had vanished. Instead, he now looked like a weak man cowering in his chair. “Well?”
He gave Blayne a hasty glance. When Blayne flexed his hands Albert met Charlotte’s gaze. “I’m sorry for what I did. It was wrong of me.”
“While I appreciate that,” Charlotte said, “I think it would be wrong of me to let you walk away unpunished.”
Albert’s eyes widened while Blayne turned toward her with unmistakable surprise. Apparently he’d thought she’d be soft and lenient. She smirked. Not after all the trouble Albert had put her through.
“Considering you’re now out of work, Albert, and my husband requires a new dishwasher, I expect you to show up here every morning for a full day’s work until the money you owe me has been paid off.”
Outrage filled Albert’s eyes while Blayne quietly chuckled. “You want me to slave away for free?”
“I’m thinking it will dissuade you from ever doing something like this again.”
“I told you we shouldn’t have come here,” Albert said to Avery.
His sister scoffed at him. “Shut up, Albert, and face the consequence like a man.”
“I’m sorry this happened to you,” Charlotte said when she and Blayne escorted Avery to the door a few minutes later while Claus showed Albert the kitchen. “But I am glad you were able to help. The Marquess’s Unresolved Mysteries will probably have to remain with P. Agerson Publications, but maybe the next novel I write can be published through you again?”
“Would you really trust me with another contract?”
“You’ve proven yourself to be a loyal friend, Avery. The blame for what happened lies exclusively with Albert.”
“And if yer brother is correct with regard to yer contracts leaning too far in the author’s favor,” Blayne said, “I’d be happy to help ye out from a business standpoint.”
“Oh.” Avery smiled for the first time since she’d arrived, then frowned. “But that might not be in your wife’s best interest.”
“We like to think of ourselves as fair-minded people,” Charlotte said. “I do not want to take advantage of you any more than you would want to do so of me.”
“In that case, I would be happy to accept any help you’re willing to offer. Thank you both.”
Charlotte pulled her friend into a hug. “We’ll be in touch.” As soon as she was gone Charlotte turned to Blayne. “Poor woman.”
“Indeed.” He drew Charlotte into his arms. “This victory does have a sting to it.”
“I still can’t believe Albert did this.”
“He wanted ye for himself, lass, and when he realized that wouldnae happen, he sought to hurt ye.”
“And his sister.”
“A man in love doesnae always ken how to use his brain.” He tilted her chin up and lowered his mouth to hers. “How else can ye explain why I let ye transform me into yer fake fiancé?”
“That happened the day after we’d just met,” Charlotte said while gazing into his brown eyes. “You cannot mean to tell me you’d already fallen in love with me then.”