Or give them to Harriet, wherever she might be.
Chapter Sixteen
ACROSS TOWN,HARRIET STOOD FROZEN IN THE SMALL KITCHEN,wishing she could somehow communicate with her mind to her sisters, warning them to remain outdoors.
“What in God’s name areyoudoing here?!” the Earl of Tidewell spat. They were the first words out of his mouth upon returning to his daughters two days later. His luck had run out and with it, theirs as well.
“Father, how are you?” Harriet asked, her voice syrupy, head bowed. Overtures of submission were historically safest when dealing with their father, Hamish, especially when he’d been drinking. And if he’d run out of money, surely he had been.
“I asked whyyouwere here. Inmyhouse,” he thundered. “I thought you’d gotten yourself leg shackled. Though it is difficult to credit a duke’s son going after my Harriet, isn’t it?”
“I couldn’t argue otherwise, Father. Though we did marry.”
“What are you doing in my house, then?”
“I only thought—”
“You only thought I’d pay for your comforts? Save that duke of yours some coin, eh? Does he want to board his horses here in mymews as well?” They hadn’t been able to keep a horse in years, but Harriet ignored that. “I’ll be damned before I take in another man’s wife!” Hamish Bancroft was growing more and more livid. Of course, her mind-communication hadn’t worked, because at that moment, Frances and Caroline returned from their walk to the cheesemonger.Stuff and bother!
“Oh, Father, you’re here,” Caroline muttered. The sisters shared glances with one another to assess his mood. Harriet’s eyes told her sisters just how dire the situation was.
“You sound surprised to see me in my own house!” Hamish bellowed, turning and advancing on her.
“I’m not, Father, only …” Caroline, more than the rest of them, grew meek at their father’s rages. Philippa had always shouted back, defiant in the face of his violence. Frances brushed it off, staying quiet and removed in his presence and laughing about it later.
Harriet, of course, tried to talk him down.
“She’s delighted, Father. We all are.” Harriet rushed over and laid her hand on his arm to calm him. Only it seemed to do the opposite.
He stopped, looking down at her in disgust and then up at her.
“You think to lay a hand on me?” he sneered. Harriet quickly pulled back. “When I can no longer lay a hand on you?”
“No, no … of course not, Father …” But Hamish was far past the point of listening.
“I can no longer strike you, can I? You’ll just go tattling to that duke of yours.” He reached out and grabbed Harriet’s arm, gripping hard enough to bruise. “And youarehis property now, aren’t you?I can’t very well damage a duke’s property, can I?” he taunted, tightening his grip. Harriet refrained from correcting that Alexander was a duke’s son. And a second son at that. And not at all interested in her or her well-being.
“Father, please, let me—”
“Let you what? Run my accounts into the ground again? You were meant to be the intelligent one, yet once again, I haven’t a sixpence to scratch with. I wonder what it is you do with all my blunt. Is that how you attracted the duke? Heaven knows it wasn’t a love match. That was never in the cards for you. And I’m to believe a duke would pickyouof all my daughters? The man would have to be blinder than Caroline and deafer than Beethoven!” He laughed heartily at his barbs, gleeful at getting to belittle two daughters at once.
Unfortunately, none of his daughters shared his amusement at his gibes.
That, as it turned out, was an insult too large to be borne. He dropped Harriet’s arm and crossed the room in a few short seconds, grabbing Caroline next, who let out a yelp that seemed to satisfy him. The manlovedinspiring fear in others.
With all the care one might use to swat a fly, he struck Caroline across the face. All three girls tried their best not to let their reactions show; they had been here many times before. Caroline’s eyes teared up. Frances balled her hands into fists, clearly stewing in anger. Harriet swallowed nervously.
“Father, please let her go, I—” Harriet scrambled, trying to think of what she could do. “I’ll leave. I promise I’ll leave.”
“I changed my mind.” He grinned at her. “You can stay. You canwatchme manage those daughters that stillaremine. There’s no need to strike you at all, is there?” He reached up again, ready to hit Caroline once more.
“Wait!” Harriet yelled, louder than she’d ever spoken to him. She wasn’t certain she’d ever given him a command in her life. “I have money. Thirty-four pounds. You can have it—if you’ll leave.”
He crossed back to Harriet now, his prey forgotten at the mention of money.
“Ahh, so youdidtake my money, then, did you? Thought to filch from your own father?” The idea of the Earl of Tidewell having thirty-four pounds to steal was laughable. Harriet wasn’t certain how to play this hand, but she took a risk, bypassing his accusation.
“Will you leave immediately? If I give it to you?”
