Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
* * *
“Not to worry dear,” her aunt Leticia patted her arm. “You’ll see him soon enough.”
“Lord Hemsworth?” Arthur frowned. “I have no dealings with him other than when he won my London Townhouse in a bet. Why would he-” Arthur stopped, recalling the conversation he’d had with Lord Hemsworth at his doorstep, about his father’s squatters.
* * *
Surely that couldn’t be what this was about…could it?
* * *
“What?”
* * *
“Hmm?” Arthur looked up startled at the voice interrupting his thoughts and realized the entire room was staring at him expectantly. “Oh, um, well, I just thought of something.”
* * *
“Pray do tell,” Lord Benjamin said eagerly.
* * *
Arthur sighed. “Lord Hemsworth came to me while I was in London to collect my mother. He seemed to have some grievances about the townhouse. Something about squatters. He seemed to want my help to get rid of them. Well, they were, or are, my father’s former servants and I did not want to see or speak to them again and so I turned him down.”
* * *
“And he would kidnap our sister over that?” Frederick said incredulously.
* * *
“Frankly, I'm not surprised. He’s a nasty man,” Janice said.
* * *
Arthur looked at her in surprise. “Is that so? I’ve heard nothing of it. Would you mind sharing what else he’s done?”
* * *
Janice looked away. “It was nothing. Just some petty unpleasantness.”
* * *
“I’d like to know anyway. I’m sure your father and brother would too.”
* * *
She looked down, fidgeting with her hands. She sighed, deeply, still avoiding their eyes. “It was after…London. I came home and there were some whispers I had to endure. Lord Hemsworth did more than whisper. He disparaged me and made inappropriate advances to me. I managed to evade him.”
* * *
The rage that overtook Arthur on hearing those words was unlike any anger he’d ever felt before. He felt sure that were Hemsworth in front of him now, he would not hesitate to run a sword through him. “Why didn’t you tell me? I would certainly have called him out.”
* * *
She smiled sadly, lifting her eyes to meet his. “I know. That’s why I didn’t say a word.”
* * *
Arthur was hard-pressed to stay in his seat. Somewhere to his left, someone sighed. He didn’t bother to turn his head to see who it was. He was too busy staring at Janice, wanting to communicate with his eyes what he could not with his body.
* * *
He could see by the way her eyes lighted and softened that she’d gotten the message. Lord Benjamin cleared his throat. “Well…I have sent a note to the district magistrate and hopefully soon, they shall place the viscount in custody and he will name his accomplices.”
* * *
“Hopefully,” Arthur agreed. “If not, I will be challenging him to a duel.”
* * *
Janice shot to her feet. “No! Please don’t. Not on my account.”
* * *
“On whose then?” Arthur asked, getting to his feet, as did the other men, “Whose honor should I defend if not yours?”
* * *
She stared bleakly at him, shaking her head. “I do not want you to get hurt.”
* * *
Lord Benjamin cleared his throat. “Come along,” he said to the others in the room, “let us leave them to speak.”
* * *
Lord Benjamin ushered out the other members of the family who had gathered to hear Janice’s account of her abduction. Her brother Fredrick looked back at him, his eyes eloquent with threat and Arthur put his hands behind his back, to indicate his intention to behave.
* * *
They left the door open of course but dispersed. For the first time since he’d left for London to pick up his mother, they were alone. He could not help but walk towards her and embrace her, his hands circling her waist with a sigh of relief. “I have missed you,” he whispered in her ear.
* * *
“I missed you too. I wanted your touch so desperately last night. Why did you leave?”
* * *
“I was afraid for my mother. Forgive me. I wanted to stay but…”
* * *
She nodded against his shoulder. “I do understand. At least my head does. My heart is still a bit bruised.”
* * *
He tightened his hold on her. “Who can blame it. I feel a bit battered myself. I was terrified that we would not find you.”
* * *
She huffed, her breath ghosting warmly against his neck. “That’s strange, because I knew you’d find me.”
* * *
“I’m glad one of us had faith.”
* * *
They stood silently together, swaying gently from side to side. Arthur savored the feel of her in his arms, thanking the heavens that he was able to do this again.
* * *
“I’ll never let you go again,” he whispered hoarsely.
* * *
Her fingers dug into his back. “Good,” she said. “So please do not go looking for trouble. Let the law deal with Lord Hemsworth!”