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Her fingers dug into the girl’s arms. “Tell me right now, Vicky. Tell me if he used you to get to me.”
Her cherub face crumbling, Vicky nodded. “I’m sorry, Sloane—but I didn’t know you and I didn’t know how nice you were and Uncle Reiner wanted me to help him. He never needs my help, never thinks on me, and he asked me to do it. So I did. He didn’t know if you were dangerous or not.”
“He didn’t know if I was dangerous?” Her voice went into full screech. “So he sent a little girl in to talk to me?”
Tears started to brim in Vicky’s eyes. “I’m so sorry, Sloane. I didn’t think it would hurt anything and after he let you out I was just so happy to have someone to talk to that I didn’t think it mattered.”
Sloane’s head dropped forward as she seethed in a breath of rage. Releasing Vicky’s arms, her head jerked up and she wiped a thumb across Vicky’s cheek, swiping away a fat tear. “Don’t you worry on it, Vicky. This isn’t your fault at all. That responsibility lies solely with your uncle.” She clasped her hands onto Vicky’s cheeks. “Do you understand? This isn’t your fault. I am mad at your uncle, not you. Tell me you understand that.”
Vicky nodded, the distraught tears in her eyes somewhat mollified.
“Good.” She pulled Vicky into a quick hug. “Now you will have to excuse me for a few minutes.”
Without waiting for Vicky to reply, Sloane spun from her and charged toward the castle.
She made it into the interior and was stalking down the main corridor that ran the length of the first level before Lawrence’s boots clomped onto the floor a distance behind her, quickly catching up. She stopped at the door to the study just down the hall from the library.
Her look whipped back to the guard, her words a hiss. “Leave me be, Lawrence.”
“But, miss, you cannot disturb his grace.” The words came out between heaving breaths that sent his whole body jerking with every gasp. He must have run up the hill after her.
Her hand went onto the door handle. “But nothing—you think his grace cannot manage a wee woman like me?” Before Lawrence could jump in front of her, she pushed her way into the room and slammed the door behind her.
Behind his desk, Reiner jumped at the intrusion.
She didn’t give him a moment to breathe and was across the room in six strides, her rising voice filling the wide expanse. “How could you do that to poor Vicky—do you ken how distraught she is right now? Having to keep your blasted secrets?”
Reiner watched her approach, a glacial look registering on his face. “Secrets? Slo—”
Her arm flew wide, not letting him interrupt her tirade. “All she wants is for you to notice her—notice her just a little. And when you finally do it is only because you want to use her.”
Belying the cold countenance on his face, a vein in his forehead started to throb. He stood, his hands splaying wide on the smooth surface of his desk. “I beg you not to barge into my study and scold me.”
“You sent a child—a child—in to ask me questions when you couldn’t get answers yourself. You didn’t ken if I was dangerous—I could have hurt her.”
Recognition sparked in his brown eyes. “You are speaking of when Vicky first went into your room?”
“Of course that’s what I’m speaking of.” Her words hissed. “You sent an innocent child into a dangerous situation.”
His head shook. “I was just outside the door, Sloane. I would have stopped you before you could do any damage to her.”
“You would have stopped me?” Her right hand flew up and thumped down onto the desk. She leaned forward, her eyes skewering him. “You blasted idiot. Do you ken how long it takes to hurt someone—to kill someone? Seconds. Seconds it would have taken me to harm her—and you—you put her in that danger. What kind of a man are you?”
The rage that flew across his face was palpable, spiking the very air around him. “You’re standing incredibly close to me when you rightly know it would take me only seconds to reach out and injure or kill you.”
“So now you’re threatening me?” Her eyebrows went impossibly high and she straightened, pulling her shoulders back. “Although, that’s much more admirable than tossing your innocent niece in front of danger.”
A growl bubbled from his throat and he stalked around the desk, stopping when he was only a breath away. His look sliced into her. “You are in no position to judge how I run my household, Sloane.”
“I am in no position?” Her hand slapped onto her chest as she turned to fully face him. “Of course I’m in no position to do so—I’m a bloody captive here—so who better to tell you that you’re being a miserable uncle?”
He leaned over her, a snarl on his lips. “Don’t force me to lock you up in your room again—for I will do so and throw away the blasted key.”
“If that’s what it takes to get you to see what an ogre you’re being to your niece, then it’s bloody well worth it.” She stepped in closer, her chest brushing against his as she craned her neck to keep her eyes locked on him. “Do you ken how belittling that is—to not be seen as anything other than a means to an end? To be given no regard except for how she can serve your needs?”
Her hands folded into fists at her sides. “She’s a real person, Reiner. A little person that needs to be seen as valuable just because she is who she is. She needs to matter aside from whatever blasted plans you have for her. Do you even ken anything about her? Do you ken that she has incredible wit? That she loves to run but is never allowed to? That she speaks French so flawlessly at this point you could send her to the French court and not a person would blink an eye?”
Her lip curled up and she shook her head, taking a step backward. “Yet all you see her for is her studies. How to mold her so that you can marry her off the first chance you get. Or are you to make an alliance with her marriage—that seems much more your style. Use those under your thumb for your own purp—”
