“No. No, because you are not going to fight someone much less experienced than you here,” Isabel added with a pointed look. He had the decency to look a little abashed. “You would seriously injure Thomas and we both know it.”
Except for Thomas, apparently. “What?” He argued. “I would do just fine. Move out of the way, sister. I told you what I would do. And my job as your brother starts with taking care of your husband.”
She whipped her head around to face him. “By breaking everything in my house? I don’t think so.”
His mouth dropped open like he was ready to argue. But then he glanced over his shoulder and his gaze caught on the nearby shattered glass. “Ah. It’s not that bad. We’ll be fine. Just give me a swing at him. I can prove to you––”
Overwhelmed with frustration and confusion and hurt, Isabel could feel her body shaking. But she didn’t let it stop her from interrupting to take charge of the room.
“No. You’re both stopping. You, you’re leaving,” she told her husband and then back to Thomas to say, “And you are personally cleaning up this room.”
“I’m not leaving,” Sebastian said as she started to depart. “Isabel, please! You must hear me out.”
Scoffing, Thomas said, “No, she’s not. There’s nothing you could say to fix any of this. You ruined any future you had with Isabel. You’re nothing but a liar and cheat, so you should leave at once.”
“This isn’t your house.”
Isabel’s hands balled into fists as she considered punching both of them. Would it hurt them at all? Or would it just hurt her?
“Stop fighting already!”
“He lied to you!” Sebastian thundered, shouting in a way to her like he never had before. The whole room seemed to shake. It left her shocked as she stared. “Thomas lied! And he tricked us.”
Part of Isabel dimly realized he wasn’t angry at her. Not exactly. He was angry about…
Thomas laughed and moved in front of him. “Don’t listen to a word he says. You can’t trust him. Remember what you saw in the conservatory? Remember that, Isabel?”
As her brother talked and tried to get her attention, reminding her of every little thing that was wrong with her husband, Isabel couldn’t help but note Sebastian wasn’t defending himself. Was it because everything was true? She knew some of it was… And yet he wasn’t trying to convince her in the same way that Thomas was vying for her attention.
Instead, Sebastian was focused back on her brother, fuming.
Why isn’t he saying anything?
“Thomas?” Isabel managed to say faintly.
“Yes, dear sister? Shall I have him tossed out?”
She tried to shake her head but couldn’t seem to move her body just yet. It didn’t feel like hers. Nothing felt real. It was all wrong. There was too much going on and she didn’t know what to make of it, not in this noise.
So she told him, “Do kindly shut up.”
A blustery sound escaped him. “Isabel! Why?”
“Because you’ve said enough.” Slowly she managed to crane her neck back to face him. Thomas was red in the face, awfully put out. It reminded her of the day in court where he attempted to justify every wrong thing he had done. Her stomach grew queasy and she had to take a step back toward a chair. Not ready to sit down just yet, but to have something to hold on to.
Thomas never moved but Sebastian did, taking a step in her direction before dropping his hand like he might have reached for her.
Like he was trying to protect her.
Letting a shaky breath escape, Isabel gathered her courage. “You may speak after Sebastian has said what he wishes. Sebastian?”
“You would let him––”
“If you cannot be quiet, then I will ask you to leave,” she snapped.
He jerked back in surprise and stared at her through wide eyes. But Thomas was silent, sullenly crossing his arms, as he turned to glare over at Sebastian.
Turning to her husband as well, Isabel nodded. “Please explain yourself.”
