Heaven And Hell novel Chapter 116

"The notorious Marquess of Havenhurst is engaged to the California native, Olivia Mathison. Surely a surprise, indeed..." she went on. Ned cast a glance at Cole, who was still busy reading the newspaper. The telly wasn't that loud so he doubted the young man had heard the tidbit about his engagement.

He couldn't believe Cole was engaged! It was very like the young man not to blab about it. A beatific smile came over Ned's face and he said with great feeling, "Congratulations, sir! I'm sure you're very happy with the engagement."

Cole made an inarticulate sound that seemed like an affirmative, thinking it was about the business venture. Ned was about to say more, when Uriah came barrelling into the room and announced, "You're engaged?"

Cole, who rarely had any of his employees talk to him in such a manner, even if Uriah had become a friend, sent a chilling stare the younger lad's way.

"Care to tell me what the hell you're talking about?" he clipped with barely unleashed fury.

Uriah, who was actually excited about the news but shocked at the speed of things, stared back at Cole like a gaping fish. He noticed the secretary doing the same.

"Why don't I just...show you." He looked for the remote and when he did, he switched the channel to a local entertainment news program, showing Cole's and Olivia's faces, same as the ones that had been used in BBC News, except this one had a very candid shot of Olivia, looking ruffled and poking her teeth with a finger. The headline went, MARQUESS OF HAVENHURST ENGAGED TO CALIFORNIAN GIRL down below, with a skinny redheaded journalist gushing everything with her partner.

"Wonder how the proposal happened! And to have the wonderful support of the dowager Duchesses of Rossington and Cynster, the Marquess and Marchioness of Sterling, and the Duke of Cynster!"

"I hear it's the entire family; now, isn't that exciting? More to come! I'm Caleb Whitford --"

"And this is Deborah Quincy --"

Uriah shut the telly and pursed his lips at the sight of Cole, who remained sitting calmly at his desk. But there was no mistaking the mask of fury edging its way onto his face.

So anyway, yeah, we'd gone to this pub called The Slippery Swan, but imagine my disappointment when there was no actual swan slipping by. Now I was seated over by the bar with Uncle Eddie, who was telling me about football and my lack of knowledge for it, drinking an actual pint of beer with him.

Aunt Mary had rushed off to the "loo" but I was so shocked when someone pulled me around the waist, dragged me off my stool, and dashed me behind a barrel of alcoholic beverage near the back of the pub. "What in the --!" I came face to face with my aunt. "Aunt Mary? Why did you --" I stopped at the sight of her wild eyes and round mouth.

"What's the matter, love?" Uncle Eddie queried, coming up behind her.

"The...our niece, darling!"

We both stared at her incredulously, waiting for her to summon up more information than just simply flapping her arms like a mother hen. I mean, my aunt is the sweetest person ever, and she gets excited a lot, but in this period, she was flipping.