“You’re the Bushy Hero.”
He sighed.“Yes.That’s correct.”
“I’m such a fool.I should have seen it sooner.The boxing, the bruising, the late nights.I was just so worried about Priscilla.”
“An admirable quality,” he said, but his own heart was still pounding.Would Priscilla accept his answer now or was there too much damage done?
“But…” She shook her head.“Why would a viscount put himself in danger like that?”
“It’s a long story and one I should likely tell Priscilla before I share it with you.”
“Oh dear,” Lady Westmoreland said again.
“What?”he asked.
But her head was shaking back and forth, her eyes filling with tears.“I’ve done it again.I’ve meddled when I shouldn’t have…”
He shook his head.“You had every right to be suspicious of me.”
Her shoulders slumped as she nodded.“Thank you.”
“But now I need you to go back in there and make certain that Priscilla is all right.At least for now.If Eugene isn’t hurting her, we’ll find a way to get her out of that house as soon as we can.”
“And if he is hurting her?”
“I’ve got two fists, a sword, and a pistol and I’m quite good with all four.”
“Good to know.”
“Can you do it?”
She gave a tentative nod and then started back up the steps.He fought the urge to follow, charge in and pull Priscilla back out.Then again, it seemed like he knew already.
He was likely the last person she wished to see after what Charlotte had said.And if by some miracle, she’d still consent to marry him, he’d do better to secure the license and wed her the moment he took her from the house.
But waiting was proving to be a torture.
CHAPTERTEN
The door clicked closedbehind Charlotte, and with it, any pretense of Eugene’s control slipped away.
“Why was the countess here?”Eugene’s face only inches from hers, his face once again a distressing shade of purply red.Her lashes fluttered nervously as she attempted to back away.
“She came to…” But words failed her.If she told Eugene that she’d come to warn Priscilla about the viscount, then Eugene would know she’d been courting behind his back.Then again, he might already.He said he’d overheard…how much did he know?
“What?”His sharp voice cut into her as he shook her, his hand still clenched around her upper arm.
“She came to tell me that Clara is courting.”A lie.She knew it and so did he.
His lip curled back from his teeth and quick as a snake, his hand struck her cheek.
Pain seared across her skin as she cried out, her own palm covering the spot where the blow had landed.
“Enough from you,” Eugene might have been yelling, her head reverberated too much to know.“I’ve had enough of your falsehoods and deceptions.You’ll marry me without further delay.Your impertinence has gone too far and I’m done being patient.I am the earl and head of this house and you’ll do as I say.”
Patient?This is what he considered patient?
“But this time next week you’ll consent to be my wife or I’ll toss you and your mother out on the street.”
