Chapter 20

The doors opened revealing a huge man with sideburns and a domineering figure. He rises as he sees the figure approaching.

"Lord Kent, pleased to meet you." Mr Doughburry said with a tight smile.

"I wish I could say the same, Me Doughburry," Kent said with a fake smile.

An awkward silence followed as they glared at each other until Kent finally cut eye contact.

"Would you like some whiskey?"Kent said walking towards the table, his boots making a tapping sound on the floor pouring himself a glass.

"I didn't also expect you to have an alcohol problem in addition to the illegal dealing you put your hands into," Doughburry said, sighing.

Kent's hands paused in pouring the drink. "Whatever do you mean, Mr Doughburry?" He turned back, settling on the seat closest to him." That is a very strong allegation you have there."

"We both know it's not an allegation. He said with a dry laugh, "An allegation is something false right? And what I just said was not in any way false."

Kent turned, facing the windows teeth grinding.

"I do not know what you speak of."

"Your studies about a certain species. The hunt on those species and not to forget the weird experiments you have personally agreed to."

"Shit." He said to himself.

"Oh wait and one more the attacks and robberies of those ships at sea with the 'mysterious' people never found and also-"

"What are your intentions for coming here?" Kent asked, interrupting him.

"A while ago, my very beautiful daughter escorted you on your bon voyage where you heroically saved a girl from an island and lied to her that she was sick." He paused.

"..."

"Then you started to bang this witch who I am very sure has you under a spell because you embarrassed my daughter in front of the staff and your little concubine tried to kill her twice onboard!" He began to shout, his voice slowly rising to a crescendo.

Kent pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing slowly.

"I do not know what Donna has told you but everything she said is false and I suggest you allow her to visit the psychiatrist because I'm very sure she has some underlying medical condition currently unknown."

"You invited my daughter to your ship to increase your bonds only for you to ruthlessly embarrass her in public, in front of a stranger, and in front of cheap domestic staff." He shouted angrily, turning red.

"Would you please calm down and stop whining like a child who wasn't served sorbet?" Kent said calmly, sipping his whiskey.

Mr Doughburry looked at him angrily, his nostrils flaring.

"Bold of you to assume you can blackmail me with that "news" of yours but you can go ahead who would believe you over Lord Kent the Third, a hero to the city and a true philanthropist," Kent said, flashing a sinister smile at him.

"You promised my daughter marriage and now you make a fool of her to the entire city."

"Now that's not true. Not true at all. I promised you or your daughter nothing. I don't recall agreeing to court your daughter. I don't recall also telling her to come aboard the ship with me, you coerced me to do that and I agreed on the condition you wouldn't ever in your life spread ghastly rumors in the press about me like last time and several others."

"You'd be surprised how I could just ruin you with the evidence I have against you." He bellowed at Kent.

"Oh? I would like to see you try."

"You underestimate me Kent. It's clear that you are indeed under a spell of that witch you rescued off that island."

"She isn't a witch. I won't allow you to distort her name whatsoever. You can ask anyone who was onboard that ship. Your daughter wanted to kill herself after finding me and the Miss talking, she climbed the edge of the ships and jumped into the water and after she was rescued, she alleged she tried to strangle her while she was making dinner in the kitchen with the other scullery maids."

"Of course, you'd do anything to defend your new conquest. Just how good is her body?"

"Better than your daughter I assume. At least she isn't blinded by obsession and in the process spoils people's reputation by always acting like a victim."

"You..." Veins could be seen angrily pulsing all over Mr Doughburry's face.

"You've successfully wasted my time with your nonsense." Kent said, rising wanting to leave the room." Like I said earlier, get your daughter checked and free her from her delusions and possible mental illness. I would not take being tossed and accused like this again. This is your last chance, Doughburry."

"Kent I'm going to ruin you." He said angrily.

"So many want to but they never succeed. Have a good trial though. If you'd excuse me I have a late lunch with someone to attend to. Have a bad day, Mr Doughburry." He said with a smile leaving with a smile.

Kent left while Mr Doughburry stared angrily at the side table.

He poured himself a cup of whiskey as he tried to calm down.

The taste of the whiskey burned his throat sliding down slowly.

"God damn it." He shouted in the empty room.

"I'm going to make you pay for what you did to my daughter and I'm going to drag you and your family to ruins you can't get out of even if you tried." He thought loudly to himself.

He drank another cup of whiskey, remembering what Kent said about his daughter, becoming agitated all over all over again.

"Fuck." He shouted, swiping everything down the table.

The glasses and whiskey bottle fell to the floor creating shards of glass and the smell of heavy alcohol hanging in the air.

A maid hurriedly rushed in looking at the situation.

"Sir, are you alright?" She asked quietly moving into the room to pick up the glass.

"I'm just fine." He said gruffly.

The maid bent down, beginning to pick up the shards of the broken glass on the floor.

"Leave it." He said in a tone that was barely heard.

He glared at her slender neck as she bent down to pick up the glass. He grabbed her hair ignoring her whimpers of pain. "I said leave it, don't you comprehend English?"

"I'm sorry sir." The maid said, whimpering in pain slightly clutching the hard hand gripping her hair.

"Now get out." He said pushing her away.

She began to scamper away.

"I said get out right this moment. I do not want to see you." He bellowed angrily at her.

She hurriedly ran to the door.