Sarah nodded. Of course he would have done. That was when Lord Ramsgate had had trained assassins hunting him down. “Don’t move,” she snapped at the marquess, and she stalked across the room to Hugh.

“I would recommend that you not move, either,” she said, and she walked around to the far side of the bed to saw through the rope that immobilized his left hand. She was about halfway through the fibers when she saw Lord Ramsgate begin to rise to his feet. “Eh eh eh!” she screeched, pointing the knife in his direction. “Back on the floor.”

He complied.

“You’re terrifying me,” Hugh murmured. But it sounded like a compliment.

“You could have been killed,” she hissed.

“No,” he told her, his eyes serious. “I’m the only one he would never touch, remember?”

Her lips parted, but whatever she was going to say evaporated as her mind began to spin.

“Sarah?” Hugh sounded concerned.

He wasn’t the only one, she realized. He wasn’t the only one.

The last bit of rope snapped, and Hugh pulled his arm to his side, groaning as he massaged his overstretched shoulder.

“You can do your ankles,” Sarah said, just barely remembering to turn the handle out as she gave him the knife. She marched back over to Lord Ramsgate. “Stand up,” she ordered.

“You just told me to sit down,” he drawled.

Her voice fell to a menacing growl. “You do not want to argue with me right now.”

“Sarah,” Hugh ventured.

“Quiet,” she snapped, not even bothering to turn around. Lord Ramsgate rose to his feet, and Sarah stepped forward until he was backed against the wall. “I want you to listen to me very closely, Lord Ramsgate, because I am only going to say this once. I will marry your son, and in return, you will swear to me that you will leave my cousin alone.”

Lord Ramsgate opened his mouth to speak, but Sarah was not yet done. “Furthermore,” she said before he could make more than a syllable of sound, “you will not attempt to contact me or any member of my family, and that includes Lord Hugh and any children we might have.”

“Now see here—”

“Do you want me to marry him?” Sarah cut in loudly.

Lord Ramsgate’s face went red with rage. “Who do you think—”

“Hugh?” she said, holding her hand behind her. “The knife?”

He must have freed his feet, because when he spoke, he was a lot closer than the bed. She turned to look; he was standing a few feet behind her. He said, “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Sarah.”

He was probably right, blast him. She had no idea what devil had overtaken her, but she was so bloody angry right now that she had half a mind to strangle Lord Ramsgate with her bare hands.