Earl of Billington and Miss Lyndon

Chapter 06

Ellie let go of the handle.

Charles cried out in pain as his aching ankle was unable to hold his weight, and he landed on the ground with his legs and hands twisted.

"Your words are so bad!" exclaim Ellie

Charles scratched his head. "Don't I just ask you to marry me?"

Ellie tried to hold back her tears. "That's too cruel to tease."

"I'm not flirting."

"Of course it is," Ellie turned around, resisting the urge to kick the man's waist. "When I've been so good to you this afternoon."

"Very good" repeated Charles

"I don't have to stop and help you."

"Yes," murmured Charles. "right."

"You should know that I would have been married if I had wanted to. I'm not getting married."

"I wouldn't think otherwise."

Ellie felt a scornful tone at Charles' voice, and the times he actually kicked Charles.

"Ouch!" exclaiming Charles. "What's that for? I'm telling the truth."

"You're drunk" accuse Ellie.

"Yes" I'm Charles, "But I've never proposed to a woman before."

"Oh, that's right," Ellie snorted. "If you want to say that you're in love at first sight with me, I'm telling you right now, that doesn't work at all."

"I didn't mean it at all" said Charles. "I would never insult your intelligence in such a way."

Ellie blinked her eyes, thinking that this man seemed to have just insulted one of his characters again, but she was not sure what.

"The point is..." Charles stopped and cleared his throat. "Do you think we can continue this conversation somewhere else? Maybe in a place where I can sit comfortably in a chair, not on the ground like now."

Ellie frowned before sticking out her hand reluctantly. He still wasn't sure that Charles wasn't joking, but Ellie's treatment of him wasn't as gentle as before, and right now, his guilt was completely troubling his mind. Ellie can't believe she just kicked a guy who fell, what else if the guy fell because of her.

Charles grabs Ellie's hand, wakes up and tries to balance her body. "Thank you," said Charles flatly. "You really are a woman with a strong personality. That's why I intend to ask you to be my wife."

Ellie's eyes narrowed. "If you don't stop mocking me..."

"I think I told you I was serious. I never lie."

"What you just said must be a lie" Ellie replied scathingly.

"But I never lie about anything important."

Ellie ruffled her waist and snorted loudly "Hhmmpp."

"Lord Billington, you're famous as a playboy all over Kent! Even my brother-in-law said the same thing."

"Remind me to strangle Robert if I meet him" Charles grumbled.

"Even you're probably the most famous playboy in all of England. I don't know for sure because I haven't left Kent in years, but..."

"Many say that a playboy husband will be a good husband" Charles said.

"playboy is insaf," Ellie said. "And I doubt you have any plans in that direction. Anyway, I'm not getting married to you."

Charles took a breath. "I really wish you'd take it."

Ellie looked at him with a look of disbelief. "You're crazy."

"I assure you, I'm completely sane." Charles grinned. "The only one who's crazy is my dad."

Suddenly Ellie's mind was filled with a baby laughing crazily, then she took a step back. Many say that madness is a hereditary disease.

"Oh, my God," grumbled Charles "Of course it's not really crazy. He just left a cursed bond for me before he died."

"I don't see what it all has to do with me."

"Everything is related to you." Charles said unclearly.

Ellie took another step back, deciding that Billington was no longer crazy, but was already deserving of a crazy hospital in Bedlam. "I'm sorry" he said hurriedly, "I've got to go home. I'm sure you can walk on your own from here. Your carriage you said was around here. So you should..."

"Miss Lyndon," interrupted Charles sharply.

Ellie stopped talking.

"I have to make it" continued Charles flatly, "and I have to do it in fifteen days. I have no other choice."

"I can't imagine that you're going to do something that doesn't go your way."

Charles ignored Ellie's words. "If I don't get married, I'll lose my inheritance. Everything that was passed down to me." He laughed bitterly. "I'll only have Wycombe Abbey, and believe me, it'll collapse if I don't have the cost to keep it."

"I've never heard of a situation like this" Ellie said.

"It's not common."

"I think it's kind of stupid."

"For that matter, madam, I won't argue with you."

Ellie squeezed out her brown skirt while thinking about Charles words. "I don't understand why I should help you" Ellie said at last. "I'm sure you can find a suitable wife in London. Didn't they call that place the Wedding Market? I think you'd be considered a pretty decent husband candidate."

Charles smiled bitterly. "I feel like a hunted deer."

Ellie looked up at Charles and felt her breath choking. This man is very handsome and charming, and Ellie knows that she is not immune to the charms of this man. "No," I'm Ellie, "I don't mean that."

Charles shrugged his shoulders. "I've been procrastinating on the inevitable. I-i know. But here you are, showing up at a time when my life was desperate..."