Page 73 of The Thorn and the Rose

“Give it up, Childe.”

Rosemarie watched as Lord Ashburton stepped forward, holding her brother’s attention.

“You!” Everett growled furiously.

“Yes, me. The only man here who deserved any of your wrath, and yet you punished men who had no part in this, and worse, your own family. You used your own sister without shame, you hurt and abused her, and yet you believe I am the sinner here? Well, I’ve guilt enough to atone for, that’s true, but I have never laid a hand on a woman in anger, and if I’d known Jenny carried my child, I would have married her.”

“You lie!” Everett snarled. “You ruined her, she was innocent…”

Lord Ashburton’s jaw tightened, and Marie knew he wouldn’t say anymore so she spoke up. “He wasn’t her first lover, Everett. Jenny was no innocent when she went to Lord Ashburton. She made her own choices, and she didn’t choose you because you’re a bully who would have made her life a misery, as you have mine!”

Everett turned on her and lunged, moving with more speed than she expected. With a scream she leapt back, but before Everett could reach her, Thorn came out of nowhere, tackling her brother so hard she felt the impact of them falling shudder through the frozen ground.

“Thomas! Look out,” she screamed, as she saw the flash of a blade, the moonlight glinting on the wicked edge as it lanced down towards him.

Before it could make contact, she heard a grunt of pain and Everett’s head snapped back. He tried again to strike with the knife, but Thorn caught his wrist, holding him off, and then his brother was there, and Ash and Leo, all dragging Everett off him. Cursing and struggling with rage, he looked half mad, which suited Rosemarie perfectly well as she nodded to Mr Ludlow, who had finally deemed it safe to appear and was watching the spectacle with wide eyes.

“As you can see, Mr Ludlow,” she said coolly. “It is my brother who ought to have been in your care, for he is a danger to himself and others.”

Mr Ludlow nodded. “I do see, Miss Fortesque, and I can only apologise for my error, but you can rest assured, your brother will be safe with us. We’ll take good care of him. Go on men, take him now.”

Rosemarie turned away, hurrying towards Thorn, not wanting to see the men restrain Everett in the straitjacket they held between them, only knowing it was finally over. His furious curses and shouts rang out through the night, but she ignored them, knowing she need never hear his voice again.

“Thorn!” she exclaimed, throwing herself at him in relief. She had been so horribly afraid for him in the moments he had fought her brother.

“Are you all right?” Thorn demanded, taking her in his arms, his hands moving over her. “He didn’t hurt you?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head and embracing him tightly. “How could he, with you and Lord Ashburton and your friends here to protect me? I am quite well but… but…”

Rosemarie looked down at her hand, her heart quailing as she felt something cool and wet and saw dark liquid staining her gloves.

She looked up at Thorn and gave a shout of alarm. “You’re hurt! Oh, Thorn, where, what has he done to you?”

Thorn shrugged and presented her with his arm, the beautifully tailored jacket showing a neat tear and the blood-soaked shirt beneath. “It’s only a scratch,” he said with a grin.

His brother snorted and shook his head. “I bet you did that on purpose, just so you could say that.”

“I did not,” Thorn said indignantly. “You take that back, Pip!”

But he did not protest when Rosemarie fussed over him and kissed him and called him her hero, because he truly was. She had wanted a man to save her, to be a hero of the kind she had dreamed about as a girl, and even though she had occasionally saved herself too, she knew, without a doubt, that he really was.

Now Everett would be kept in a place he could not escape from, a place where he could never hurt them again, and she could begin again, with Thorn, and start their lives together in peace… supposing her mother would let them get married any time soon.

Chapter 23

Leo,

I think it is time we had a word about that club of yours. The Sons of Hades has been notorious for too long and it is no longer something I might overlook. When you and your friends were all young and foolish and knew no better, I was prepared to turn a blind eye. The images currently decorating the print shop windows leave me no option but to look, and what I see is the end of the line. You are no stripling now, but a man grown, and it is high time you left such outrageous escapades behind you instead of acting as ringleader for the next scandalous headline.

It is high time you married and settled down like a reasonable man and put such nonsense behind you.

Your mother and I are organising a series of dinner parties to aid you in your search for a wife and you will attend each and every one of them.

You will do me the favour of honouring me with your presence before the end of the week to discuss the matter. Do not let me down, you will not enjoy my repost.

―Excerpt of a letter to Mr Leo Hunt from his father, Mr Nathanial Hunt.

14th February 1850, Dern Palace, Sevenoaks, Kent.