She stepped away from him. Her head throbbed, and a sudden exhaustion took her. “How can you be so ungrateful towards us? Papa welcomed you here, fed you, and protected you, and you accused him of such a heinous crime.” She pointed a finger at him. “You’re in cahoots with Paul. You two want to rob my father. The police are a diversion to give you time to steal from him.”
His muscles bulged as his face reddened. “No. I don’t know why Paul stole from you, but that has nothing to do with what I saw last night. Your father met other conspirators in the barn. The meeting wasn’t with the farmers.” He grabbed her hands, his features hardening. “It hurts me. It really does. But I’mnot lying, and I’m not mistaken. Your father gathered thirty-six barrels of gunpowder to destroy Sir Howard’s house with his children and party guests in it. Please believe me.”
“No.” She slid her hands out of his. “I refuse to believe such a thing until I speak to him.”
She turned towards the manor, determined to see her papa immediately. She wouldn’t leave. She’d wait for him somewhere. Surely, he’d tell her it was all a big mistake, then laugh with his deep baritone, and they would have lunch together. And Keith would leave the manor.
“Don’t go.” He followed her, and she didn’t care.
Where would her papa be? She was halfway to the stables when she spotted him. “Papa.”
He waved her away. He carried a rifle, and a cut bled from his forehead. “What the hell are you doing here? Leave. Leave, dammit!”
She rushed to him, but his angry expression slowed her down. Keith tensed, following her.
She hugged her papa with desperation. “Papa?—”
“You must leave.” He gave her a shove, causing her to stagger. “Go to the town. Stay away from the manor.”
“Keith says you’re a Fenian.” She hardly recognised him. The cold, hard expression of his face was foreign to her.
He ignored her and glared at Keith. For a split second, she could swear he was about to aim the rifle at Keith. Either she misunderstood his move or he changed his mind because he lowered the rifle and stepped back.
His jaw clenched. “Keep her safe. Youoweme that.” Something passed between them with a quick exchange of nods.
“Come.” Keith pulled her towards the path to the town.
“Is it true?” She sank her boots into the ground, refusing to move. “Tell me the truth.”
Her papa kissed her forehead. “I meant to build a better world for you.” His face transformed into that of her lovely, sweet papa before returning cold and unforgiving. “If something happens to her, I’ll kill you,” he said to Keith.
She could hear her heart shattering. The agonising sound rang in her ears. She let Keith drag her wherever he wanted to while Papa ran towards the barn, rifle at the ready.
The day wasn’t perfect after all.
