“Do not worry,” Hugo told her, as his hand came up to hold her face. “I will not lose, my love.”
“You do not know that,” she rasped. “You cannot possibly know that.”
Hugo leaned in and, right there in front of her family and her betrothed, he kissed her brow and whispered, “I swear to you, all will be well. Do not doubt me now.”
As he pulled back, she frowned up at him. Did he know something that she did not? Did he have a plan? She was given no opportunity to ask as Matthew suddenly marched forward, grabbed her by the arm, and wrenched her bodily away from the man she loved.
“If I find a single bruise upon her, I shall deliver ten to you in return,” Hugo growled, as her hand grasped for his, holding onto him for as long as she could before the insistent pull of her brother’s grip finally separated them.
Matthew shoved her toward Luke, who caught her with more care, putting a strangely protective arm around her.
“Tomorrow then.” Hugo flashed a grin that Evelyn did not understand and, blowing a kiss to her that made her father huff with rage, he took his leave of the shadowed garden, heading back through the servants’ door they had emerged from.
“Ensure he leaves,” Josiah instructed Matthew.
Matthew nodded. “Yes, Father.”
Throughout all of the chaos, Miles continued to remain silent, frozen in place with a wide-eyed stare. If Evelyn had not known any better, she would have said that the man was terrified.
“As for you,” Josiah turned to his daughter, “you are to retire to your chambers at once. I shall make excuses for you with yourguests. I do not want to hear another word out of you or see hide nor hair of you until this… unpleasantness is dealt with.”
Tears pricked at her eyes as she stared back at her father in defiance, no longer afraid of the man who had made her life so miserable. After all, she was just property to him, and she was tired of pretending to be a dutiful child.
“If he dies, Father, I shall never forgive you,” she hissed. “And I shall never obey you. Goodness, if Mother could see you now, I do not think she would recognize you at all.”
Her father lunged for her, the swipe of his hand missing her by an inch as Luke pulled her sharply out of the path of the strike. The whisper of wind tickled her skin, giving her a good idea of just how much the slap would have hurt if it had hit her.
“I am taking her inside,” Luke said firmly. “I suggest you contend with the guests before gossip begins to spread.”
Without waiting for their father’s response, Luke ushered her into the servants’ corridor and through the maze of passages until they popped out in the main hallway, from a door under the stairs.
For a moment, Evelyn wondered if her brother was letting her go, giving her the chance to escape whatever imprisonment would surely follow. Instead, he led her to the staircase and walked behind her to make sure she headed upward.
“You will not let me go after him?” she asked as they reached the landing. “I can stop this madness, Luke.”
“If you are to marry him, Evelyn, it should not be an elopement, something that will be gossiped about,” Luke replied with a sad smile. “I will tell Father that I have locked your door, but do not run away. If you want an end to this, you must wait until the duel is done.”
Evelyn shook her head, a tear escaping onto her cheek. “I cannot, brother. What if… what if Hugo dies?”
“I will not let him,” Luke replied as he opened her chamber door for her. “Go on. Go inside and try to rest.”
But Evelyn could not enter her room, not yet. “So you will be there tomorrow?”
Luke nodded.
“Promise me you will keep him safe?” she begged, her heart beating violently in her chest, fear slithering through her veins.
“I promise,” Luke said. “Promise me you will not run away?”
She smeared the tears from her cheeks with her palms. “I promise.”
After all, if anything happened to Hugo tomorrow, she would have nowhere to runto. But could she trust her brother? Twenty-two years upon this earth suggested she could not, but perhaps he deserved the chance to prove her wrong.
Besides, Hugo was probably halfway back to his townhouse by now; she would never catch up to him without being caught. Even if she did, they would never make it to a place like Gretna Green to elope without her father and Matthew chasing her down like a fox during a hunt. And, deep down, maybe she knew her brother was right; therewouldbe no end to this until tomorrow crowned a victor.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
“Iadore Evelyn, and I should like nothing more than to have her as my sister-in-law, but I cannot let you do this,” Octavia croaked, quite pale in the gloom of the hallway, her hand on Hugo’s sleeve.
