Page 39 of An Enchantress for an Earl

“Release her, Villeham, at once!”

Lord Villeham lifted one hand and wrapped it around her throat, causing Violet to struggle a little to breathe – but at least that meant that his grip on her body, and his restraint of her arms, was weakened.

“I don’t think so, Merryfield. I do believe that I am glad to see you. Now I can simply deliver my demands at once. I could just choke her now, and cut off her air until she collapses, but I do think that I prefer she see and hear everything. There is something rather enjoyable about anguish. Now, let me make the requirement clear. The committee will find that anti forgery methods are impossible to implement, even after today’s demonstration, and will present that conclusion to the House of Lords. Any attempt to implicate me will cause this dear lady to suffer regrettable damage – to her reputation, and to her body. I will hear your words of agreement now, and then it will be necessary for me to ensure that you find yourself elsewhere, and that any return to this building will discover it an empty shell.”

Violet watched Lord Merryfield’s face, and saw the struggle there, a struggle which she understood, even if many might not. He was being asked to lie, to get his father to lie, and he found that concept almost impossible, even to save her. The integrity in that stance impressed her, even while her fear grew.

And what Villeham had said… none of it guaranteed her release, and at least part of it implied hurt to Lord Merryfield, if he was to ‘find himself elsewhere’. She could not permit him to be hurt, not for her. She loved him too much to contemplate such a thing.

The thought stopped her breath in her throat, even more than the grip of Villeham’s hand already had.

She loved him. There was no doubt of it. Why had she been so foolish as not to truly see it before now? She had acknowledged liking him, but this, this was far beyond that. He met her eyes, and what she saw there left her filled with an agony of guilt.

“I… yes. I will make it happen, if that is what it takes to ensure that you do not hurt her.”

That he would do such a thing, for her…

Behind him, a shadow filled the doorway, and Violet realised, seconds before the man moved, that the forger had returned and was about to attack Lord Merryfield from behind. She twisted, hard, in Villeham’s grasp, and with what air she had, she screamed.

“Behind…”

The words were cut off by Villeham’s hand moving from her neck to cover her mouth, but they were enough. Lord Merryfield spun in place, and narrowly avoided the forger’s roundhouse blow swinging towards his head. The two men closed in on each other, each casting careful blows, and seeking advantage. Violet watched, terrified that Lord Merryfield would be hurt, yet glad that she had saved him from that first blow.

The bindings the forger had been carrying lay on the floor in the hallway, out of Villeham’s reach for now – which at least left her partly free. If she waited for just the right moment…

>>>

The back door to the building had proven to be locked, but also so old and warped that with a few well-placed shoves it opened. Arryn rushed through the small kitchen, and down the hallway beyond – he had to get to her, to save her from Villeham, whatever the man planned to do with her.

As he moved, a door opened ahead of him, and a man came out, closed it, and turned the other way in the hallway, limping onwards. Arryn froze in place, waiting until the man went into another room, even though he could hear Lady Violet’s voice coming through that door. At least, if she was speaking, she had not been badly harmed. But he could not know how long that would be the case.

He moved forward again, until he stood just outside the door. Then, with a sudden surge, he flung the door open and stepped into the room.

“Release her, Villeham, at once!”

Lord Villeham lifted one hand and wrapped it around Lady Violet’s throat, causing her to struggle a little to breathe.

“I don’t think so, Merryfield. I do believe that I am glad to see you. Now I can simply deliver my demands at once. I could just choke her now, and cut of her air until she collapses, but I do think that I prefer she see and hear everything. There is something rather enjoyable about anguish. Now, let me make the requirement clear. The committee will find that anti forgery methods are impossible to implement, even after today’s demonstration, and will present that conclusion to the House of Lords. Any attempt to implicate me will cause this dear lady to suffer regrettable damage – to her reputation, and to her body. I will hear your words of agreement now, and then it will be necessary for me to ensure that you find yourself elsewhere, and that any return to this building will discover it an empty shell.”

Arryn watched her face, met her eyes, and understood, in that moment that he loved her.

Utterly.

There was a terrible clarity to the realisation which despite his innate inability to lie, despite every piece of resolve, left him certain of what he would do.

He would lie, and get his father to lie, for Lady Violet was more important to him than anything.

“I… yes. I will make it happen, if that is what it takes to ensure that you do not hurt her.”

Villeham smiled at him, a smile which was not in any way pleasant, and went as if to speak, when, suddenly, Lady Violet twisted in his grasp, and screamed a word.

“Behind…”

The words were cut off by Villeham’s hand moving from her neck to cover her mouth, but they were enough. Arryn spun in place, and narrowly avoided the forger’s roundhouse blow swinging towards his head. The man came at him again, and he found himself in a battle. Whilst the man’s limp gave Arryn some advantage, it was small – the fellow fought with a desperation Arryn had rarely seen.

All through it, his heart cried out that he should finish this, that anything could be happening to Lady Violet, even as he fought this madman. He redoubled his efforts, pushing the man back towards the hallway.

Sounds echoed, and for a moment he was disoriented – then he realised – he had just heard the front door being flung open. Reinforcements – but… who for?