“You can’t do anything to stop me,” Isaac said. “You and I both know that in the eyes of the law, she belongs to me. And there is no way that Parliament will grant Sarah a divorce. She is nothing.”
“She is the daughter of a marquess,” Winston countered, his voice rising with indignation.
Isaac scoffed. “Who was publicly disowned by her own father,” he jeered. “Or did you forget that little detail?”
Winston put his hand up. “Do the right thing, Isaac,” he encouraged.
“And what is your definition of the ‘right thing’?” Isaac asked, his grip tightening on Lady Sarah.
“My aunt clearly doesn’t want to go with you,” Winston responded. “You must let her go.”
Isaac shook his head, his expression hard. “And should I also let my son go?” he asked. “Have him raised by a man who turned his back on his own sister?”
“My father is different now,” Winston asserted.
Mattie’s eyes caught some movement high in the trees near the barn, a flash of color. Someone was up there. Was it Jasper?
Isaac cocked the pistol, drawing back Mattie’s attention. “Leave us be, my lord,” he mocked. “Sarah wants to be with me.”
In a defiant move, Lady Sarah said, “No, I don’t. And I suspect that you don’t want to be with me either.”
“I love you!” Isaac shouted.
Lady Sarah huffed. “I daresay you want my inheritance more than you want me.”
“Those go hand in hand,” Isaac responded.
“What if I give you the money?” Lady Sarah asked, desperation tinging in her voice. “And you just walk away from us.”
Isaac’s face grew hard. “No! I won’t give up on us.”
Lady Sarah shifted her head to meet Isaac’s gaze. “There is no ‘us.’ There never has been,” she stated, her voice cold. “You have despised me from the moment my father refused to release the dowry.”
“That isn’t true!” Isaac exclaimed. “You have just grown more disobedient with time, and you are teaching our son to disobey me now.”
“I am teaching Matthew nothing. He sees you for who you are,” Lady Sarah remarked. “A monster.”
Isaac’s eyes grew wide with fury. “I will show you a monster!” he shouted. He shoved the pistol into his wife’s side, causing her to cry out in pain.
A shot rang out, echoing throughout the field. Isaac fell to the ground, dead.
Mattie’s eyes turned towards Grady, but his pistol was still at his side. Her gaze immediately turned towards the trees and saw movement in them.
Winston put his hand out to shield Mattie. “Who goes there?” he demanded.
A few moments later, Melody stepped out from amongst the cover of the trees, a pistol in her hand.
“Melody?” Winston asked, his voice full of shock. “What did you do?”
Melody held a pistol in her hand, her voice calm and collected. “I wasn’t about to let Isaac kill Aunt Sarah.”
“So you killed him?” Winston asked, his eyes wide with disbelief.
“It was either him or Aunt Sarah, and I made my choice,” Melody said firmly. “A simple thank you would suffice.”
Lady Sarah rushed over to Melody and threw her arms around her. “Thank you, Melody. You have freed me from my prison.”
Grady stepped over to Winston and remarked, “I told you that Lady Melody was a good shot.”
