Catch a Falling Heiress: An American Heiress in London by Laura Lee Guhrke Page A

the company and give him a salary to support me, or assist him with investments, but he wouldn’t pay the debts of his banking firm. He just wouldn’t do it.”
    “Not even to keep his son-in-law out of prison?”
    “Prison?” Miss Holland and her parents echoed the word in astonished unison.
    “Yes, prison. The funds we gave him were to be held in trust, and instead, he used them to pay other debts and make other investments. That is embezzlement and fraud. If he doesn’t repay us by Tuesday, we will press charges, and he’ll be indicted by New York prosecutors for his crimes.”
    “That’s enough.” Van Hausen turned on him in a blaze of fury. “You shut your mouth.”
    “Or what?” Jack laughed. “You’ll shut it for me? You tried that already tonight without much luck. Do you want another go? No,” he murmured as the other man didn’t move. “I thought not.”
    Van Hausen drew a breath, working to regain what was left of his temper and his dignity. “I won’t listen to any more of this, and Linnet won’t either.” He turned to the girl. “Don’t let them ruin things for us. Come with me, Linnet, now, while we still have the chance.”
    The girl did not comply with this plea. Instead, she studied him for a moment, then she slowly pulled her hand out of his grasp. When she took a step back, shaking her head, Jack felt a jolt of jubilation and relief so strong, he wanted to haul her into his arms and kiss her all over again.
    “Damn it, Linnet,” Van Hausen cried, “you don’t believe any of this, do you? It’s all lies.”
    “If that’s so,” she replied softly, “then we have no reason to rush off in the night, do we?”
    “But if we don’t go, now, tonight, your reputation will be destroyed. I can’t let that happen.”
    “But you said you don’t care about my reputation, so waiting a few days shouldn’t matter much to you.”
    “It matters for your sake.”
    “What if I say I don’t care? It seems to me,” she added when he didn’t reply, “that by Tuesday, the truth of your situation will be known, which ought to clear you of any wrongdoing.” She paused, watching him. “Won’t it?”
    “I can’t wait!” he shouted at her. “Don’t you understand? Waiting will ruin me.”
    “I do understand.” She gave a nod. “I understand that a man doesn’t have to be British to be a fortune hunter.”
    “Damn it, Linnet, you’re my last chance.” Van Hausen’s voice was shrill with panic. “If you don’t marry me, I’ll go to jail, and it will be your fault.”
    Her face turned cool and hard, like a face carved in marble. “If you go to jail, it’s your own actions that will have put you there,” she answered, and there was an edge to her voice that was reminiscent of her father. “Not mine.”
    Jack looked at Van Hausen, saw the purple flush of rage come up in his face and the curl of his hands into fists. When he took another step toward Miss Holland, Jack was ready for it. He moved, putting himself in front of the girl before the snarling words, “You bitch!” were even out of Van Hausen’s mouth.
    Jack wrapped a hand around the other man’s throat and hurtled forward, using all his weight as he slammed the cur against the wall beside the door. His rage, held so long in check, surged up until he almost couldn’t contain it.
    “You will depart at once,” Jack told him through clenched teeth, his hand tightening until the other man couldn’t breathe. “Because if you don’t, I will beat you to a bloody pulp. And I can assure you, I will take great pleasure in doing so.”
    He left off choking Van Hausen and reached for the doorknob with his right hand as he grabbed a handful of the other man’s evening jacket with his left. He opened the door and shoved Van Hausen over the threshold, sending him stumbling down the corridor. He waited until the other man had vanished around the corner before he closed the door.
    “Well, this is a fine kettle of fish,”