The Duke's Masked Wife 2: The Prince's Outcast Bride-Chapter 211: Paying debt (3)

"You will not do any kind of business here. Regardless of what my son owes you, you don’t get to walk in here and demand that we do as you say. You are to put those things back," Kate said, angry that they were taking what belonged to her. "We will pay you."

Victor placed the paper, which contained his deal, on top of a chair. "You’re an angry little lady. It’s the opposite of what I hear about you around town. You’re right," Victor said, clapping his hands to gather his men. "I didn’t give you a chance."

"I’ll give you one day to gather the money for the first payment. I’ll send one of my workers back here to collect it tomorrow night. I like this home, so I am going to do my business here," Victor said, ignoring what Kate wanted.

Since Victor was owed money, Kate wasn’t in a position to give orders. If she wasn’t careful, Victor would take the home.

"Put back what you picked up, except for the portrait. Would you look at this?" Victor took a portrait of the late baroness. "I don’t remember her being this beautiful."

Kate attempted to move, but she remained seated. "Put that back."

Victor handed the portrait back to his workers. "You’ll get it back when you pay me off. I remember that she once worked in a brothel and married her way into your father’s home. She hid where she came from for years. A woman like that has my attention." freёweɓnovel_com

Victor admired a woman who knew how to swindle a man. They were the ones he liked to employ. He was curious if Kate was anything like her mother.

"It’s time for you to leave," Noah said, pointing at the door.

For the first time in his life, Noah wanted to get a gun. The sole purpose of the gun would be to kill Victor and every other man who was in his home now.

"I will leave. I don’t want to disturb your time worrying about your son. I will do another act of kindness to search for him along with you. No one ever borrows for me and runs off for long. I bid you all a pleasant night," Victor said, dramatically bowing.

Kate hated Victor and tried to think of why Warren would ever go to such a man. She understood men having their needs and being desperate to go to brothels, but Warren should have known better.

Noah saw Victor and his men out of his home. He waited for Victor to get into a carriage to depart.

Mary sighed in relief and fell to the floor. She was worried the men were going to take her away, and there was nothing the Kennedys could do to help her. Why was Warren with these kinds of men?

"You must go to the town guards," Mary said, seeing it as the Kennedys’ only hope.

"No," Kate shook her head. "He wouldn’t have revealed all of this and left us unwatched. Despite what he said, he wouldn’t want the town guards going after him. We must pay him off."

Mary didn’t think Kate and Noah should waste money on the likes of those men.

"Mrs. Kate, those men who lend money to others never stop asking for money. No matter what was written, he will always claim that the money owed increases by the day. Even if you paid him off now, he would come again. That is how they own you in the end," said Mary.

Kate didn’t trust Victor, but she doubted Victor would leave them be and allow them to safely approach the town guards.

Kate believed wholeheartedly that there were town guards who were customers of Victor’s brothel who would report back to Victor.

There was only one man Kate could trust to help her and to find Warren.

"We must speak to Mark. He will return to ask what I knew about Simon. Do not leave now, Noah," Kate said, thinking it was too dangerous. "We cannot trust that he is not near our home. Lock the door."

"It is already locked," Noah said, his gaze still on the gates. He wanted to get Kate out of this home. "That boy has caused us nothing but trouble."

"Noah-"

"No!" Noah yelled, not wanting to hear excuses. "I gave him work. He has always been fortunate to have a roof over his head and a warm bed. He was up to no good."

"Still, we must find him. After we find him, we can scold him. We can pay off what he owes," Kate said, thinking of a few valuables she could sell off.

There were a few items belonging to Kate’s parents that she couldn’t push herself to sell off, but she had to for Warren’s sake.

"Maybe he is hiding because he owes them," Kate said, a little less worried.

"Kate," Noah said, trying to keep his voice down. Kate wasn’t the one he needed to yell at. "If he is hiding because he owes them money, then he should have known they would come here looking for payment. He has doomed us."

Kate remained silent because she couldn’t argue against what Noah said. Warren had placed them in a bad position, but he was still their son.

"Where are you going?" Kate asked, puzzled by Noah storming off.

Kate was left with Mary, who was still on the floor, her right hand clutching her side.

"You, what is wrong with you?" Kate asked, suspicious.

Mary shook her head. "Nothing. Those men frightened me. I thought I would have been handed over to them."

"How cruel do you think I am? I wouldn’t use you to cover my son’s debts," Kate said, annoyed she was left with Mary.

"Thank you, Mrs. Kennedy."

"Don’t thank me since I didn’t do anything. I simply think they would have realised how useless you are, and nothing much would have been paid off. You seem to care quite a lot for my son. Don’t," Kate warned Mary. "Don’t do anything outside of what your job entails."

Kate wasn’t certain if her suspicions were correct, but she didn’t want to think of Warren and Mary being together. It reminded her of an awful relationship her mother once had with the butler.

Since Warren didn’t make any mention of it, it couldn’t be love.

Not long after, Noah returned with the money he found in Warren’s room, along with new clothes. "It’s been right under our noses all along. Tomorrow I will take his things and sell them. This money will go toward paying off his debt."

Noah planned to continue his search for Warren in the morning, and when he found Warren, he was going to give him a good beating right before he forced Warren to leave.

Noah and Kate had done their part in raising Warren. They didn’t deserve to be dragged into Warren’s mess.

"You’ve had an eventful evening," Noah said, going to Kate to lift her. "You need to get something warm to eat."

Kate didn’t object to Noah lifting her, but she couldn’t possibly eat when her son was missing.

For the first time in years, Kate prayed that nothing had happened to her son just when she was going to do better with her life. Warren needed to see her change and change right along with her, since he was heading down a terrible path.

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