Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas

spirits accompanied him, strongly evident even from where Amanda sat. She wrinkled her nose in distaste, wondering how a man could have drunk so much at this early hour of the day.
    â€œDevlin,” the man roared, his corpulent jowls jiggling from the force of his wrath, “I have cornered you like a fox, and there will be no escape from me! You will pay for what you have done!”
    Just behind him, Fretwell tried to pry himself free of the man’s beefy comrade, who appeared to be some kind of hired thug. “Mr. Devlin,” Fretwell gasped, “take care. This is Lord Tirwitt…the one who…well, he seems to believe that he was slandered in Mrs. Bradshaw’s book—”
    Tirwitt slammed the door in Fretwell’s face and turned toward Devlin, brandishing a heavy silver cane. Fumbling a bit, he pressed a hidden catch on the handle, and a double-sided blade sprang from the end, converting the cane to a deadly weapon. “You demon from hell,” he said viciously, his small, dark eyes burning in his red face as he stared at Devlin. “I will have my revenge on you and that malicious bitch Mrs. Bradshaw. For every word you published about me, I will cut a slice from you, and feed it to—”
    â€œLord Tirwitt, is it?” Devlin’s keen gaze locked on the man’s puffy face. “If you’ll put that damn thing away, we’ll discuss your problem like rational beings. If you hadn’t noticed, there is a lady present. We’ll allow her to leave, and then—”
    â€œAny woman found in your company is no lady,” Tirwitt sneered, gesturing wildly with the knife-tipped cane. “I wouldn’t put her on a level above that whore Gemma Bradshaw.”
    A murderous coldness settled on Devlin’s face, and he stepped forward, seeming unconcerned by the threat of the cane.
    Amanda intervened hastily. “Mr. Devlin,” she said briskly, “I find this performance remarkable. Is this some sort of farce you’ve arranged in an effort to frighten me into signing a contract? Or are you in the habit of receiving deranged callers in your office?”
    As she had intended, Tirwitt’s attention was drawn to her. “If I am deranged,” he snarled, “it is because my life has been blown to bits. I have been made a laughingstock by the evil brew of lies and fantasy that this bastard has published. Ruining peoples’ lives for profit…well, the time of his comeuppance has arrived!”
    â€œYour name was never mentioned in Mrs. Bradshaw’s book,” Devlin said calmly. “All the characters were disguised.”
    â€œCertain details of my personal life were shamelessly revealed…enough to make my identity abundantly clear. My wife has left me, my friends have abandoned me…I have been stripped of everything that matters.” Tirwitt breathed heavily, his rampaging fury gaining momentum. “I have nothing to lose now,” he muttered. “And I will take you down with me, Devlin.”
    â€œThis is nonsense,” Amanda interrupted curtly. “Charging about in this manner…it is ridiculous, my lord. I’ve never witnessed such outrageous behavior—why, I’m tempted to put you in a book myself.”
    â€œMiss Briars,” Devlin said carefully, “this would be a good time for you to keep your mouth shut. Let me handle the matter.”
    â€œThere is nothing to handle!” Tirwitt shouted, charging forward like a wounded bull and swiping the double-sided blade in a swift arc. Devlin leapt to the side, but not before the knife caught him, cutting through the fabric of his vest and shirt.
    â€œGet behind the desk,” Devlin snapped at Amanda.
    Amanda retreated to the wall instead, watching in amazement. The knife must be remarkably sharp, she thought, to have cut so easily through two layers of cloth. A crimson stain soaked rapidly through the fabric. Devlin seemed