"I fully intended to!" he snapped, taking umbrage at the suggestion that he wouldn't have immediately proposed. He'd be planning on it and he didn't intend to change his schedule for anyone, but he also wouldn't have Macnair thinking he'd somehow made him propose sooner.
After a slight pause he added, "I'll agree to those terms." He wanted to duel Macnair to the death if he was honest, he'd never rest easy knowing Macnair was making eyes at his wife but he was her cousin and hopefully more brother than cousin in her affections, he didn't wish to start their marriage off with his responsibility for her cousin's untimely death. If Macnair died there was a greater chance word of the duel would get out and her family might very well like the asshole and resent him for killing him, plus he could kiss goodbye to his chance of being Minister if word traveled too far. If Macnair managed to kill him... His mother would probably never forgive him for it and he didn't want to die having disappointed her.
"When I win and marry Miss Lestrange, know that I will kill you if you lay a hand on her inappropriately. I won't challenge you, I won't even let you know that I know, it'll be sudden, unexpected, and immensely painful." He'd never seriously threatened to kill a man before - threatening his brothers during sibling squabbles as children didn't exactly count. Hopefully he wouldn't actually have to look into trustworthy assassins after this, hopefully Macnair was more trustworthy than he'd thus far given him reason to believe.
After a slight pause he added, "I'll agree to those terms." He wanted to duel Macnair to the death if he was honest, he'd never rest easy knowing Macnair was making eyes at his wife but he was her cousin and hopefully more brother than cousin in her affections, he didn't wish to start their marriage off with his responsibility for her cousin's untimely death. If Macnair died there was a greater chance word of the duel would get out and her family might very well like the asshole and resent him for killing him, plus he could kiss goodbye to his chance of being Minister if word traveled too far. If Macnair managed to kill him... His mother would probably never forgive him for it and he didn't want to die having disappointed her.
"When I win and marry Miss Lestrange, know that I will kill you if you lay a hand on her inappropriately. I won't challenge you, I won't even let you know that I know, it'll be sudden, unexpected, and immensely painful." He'd never seriously threatened to kill a man before - threatening his brothers during sibling squabbles as children didn't exactly count. Hopefully he wouldn't actually have to look into trustworthy assassins after this, hopefully Macnair was more trustworthy than he'd thus far given him reason to believe.
