Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“Hector, what—what are you doing here?”
Hector ignored Miriam’s indignant stammer altogether. She was not entitled to any answers from him, and she’d not be getting any.
Rather than that, he focused his attention on Benedict.
The younger man had the audacity to smirk at him, setting his teacup down in its saucer.
“Well,” he said. “The bastard returns home at last. What seems to be the trouble, Hector? Did you have trouble managing that marriage of yours? Couldn’t keep your wife in line?
Did she do something to disgrace herself?
Or perhaps she simply realized she ought to have waited until the more preferable brother deigned to give her his attention, rather than settling for the scraps? ”
Hector didn’t answer. He wasn’t going to dignify his brother’s comments with a response of any sort.
Instead, he strode across the room, drew back his fist, and punched Benedict squarely in the face.
Benedict yelled in pain and rage, his own fists rising.
“You brute!” Miriam shrieked. “How dare you touch my son?”
“Shut yer mouth, Miriam,” Hector growled. “Don’t ye make this worse than it already is for yerself.”
“Are you threatening me?” Miriam demanded, a waver in her voice.
She was truly frightened of him, Hector realized.
She really did think him a brute and a threat to her.
What an odd thing to encounter. He had grown up terrorized by this woman, and when he had come of age and ceased to feel frightened by her, he had wanted nothing more than to keep his distance.
This was the first time he felt a sense of power over her.
“I’m nae threatenin’ ye,” he told her. “I’m warnin’ ye. Ye’ll cooperate with me, the both of ye, and do exactly as I tell ye, or there’ll be consequences ye willnae like.”
“You can’t come into my house and speak to me this way!” Miriam raised her voice. “Help! We need help in here!”
Of course, Hector had expected that.
He strode over to a chair in front of the fire, noticing that while Benedict’s fists were still raised, he hadn’t moved to strike.
He snorted at him. “Nae even goin’ to hit me back?
I supposed ye’re too afraid to raise a hand to anyone who could give ye a fair fight.
Ye’ll only resort to violence when it’s a woman ye’re facin’, is that right? ”
Benedict opened and closed his mouth.
“Oh, stop gapin’, ye look like a fish.”
“How—how did you…?”
“Ye said somethin’ to her,” Hector guessed. “Somethin’ to stop her from tellin’ me the truth of what happened at that party. But I have me ways, Benedict, and ye were a fool to think ye could keep it from me. Ye put yer hands on me wife.”
Miriam spoke up again. “She was his by rights,” she said, but her voice was high and uncertain.
“Nay. He gave up any right to her when he didn’t marry her on what was to be their weddin’ day. Ye cannae leave a woman at the altar and expect her to still be there for ye when ye choose to return.”
“It’s disgraceful. They had an engagement. And Benedict was doing her a favor agreeing to marry her in the first place after the scandal she caught him up in.”
“And was he doin’ her a favor when he caught her in the garden and put his hands on her without waiting for her permission?”
“A husband has the right,” Benedict growled. “And she ought to be my wife.”
“A true husband would never treat his wife that way. I would never do such a thing. Ye call me a brute, and perhaps ye’re right, but I would never harm me own wife.
And she is me wife, Benedict, nay matter what ye might like to think about it.
I stood at the altar with her. I exchanged vows with her. And ye did none of that.”
He took out the papers in his pocket and tossed them to his stepmother.
She looked down at what he’d thrown at her but made no move to touch it. “What is this?”
“This is information about a ship leaving for America in five days’ time,” he told her gruffly. “There’s money enough for the two of you to book passage. I want ye out of my life.”
“You’re mad,” Miriam said. “We’re not going to America. There’s nothing you can do to make us. You may have managed to usurp the title that ought to have been Benedict’s by rights, but you cannot eject us from the country.”
“Oh, I can,” Hector countered. “Ye may not like it, stepmaither, but I am a duke, and me word has power. I can let the constables know what Benedict here did—me wife has the marks on her to prove it. And even if he tries to deny, it will be his word against me own. And I am the duke.”
Miriam pressed her lips together and said nothing.
“And as for ye,” he went on, “I know ye’ve been mishandling me faither’s money in ways that have cheated his business partners since his death.
I’ve turned a blind eye to it, because I wasnae interested in how that money was put to use.
But if ye force me hand, I’ll be only too happy to let the constables know all about that as well.
I’m sure it would be of interest to them.
Ye’ll both find yerselves behind bars if ye decide to stay here.
So I would suggest gettin’ on that ship and thankin’ me for offerin’ ye a way out of yer own messes. ”
“You’re a bastard,” Miriam hissed at him.
“Bastard I may be, but I’m a better man than the son ye raised and always claimed to prefer,” he told her. “And that’s good enough for me. Be on that ship in five days, the both of ye, or there will be hell to pay.”
He turned and strode from the room.
“But where did he go?” Alexandra asked the maid tending to her fire. “And why? What made him leave?”
She had awoken to find herself alone, and it had frightened her after the events surrounding her homecoming. Was Hector angry with her? Was he planning to return to the old standby of ignoring her, claiming he was trying to be respectful and give her space?
Had he been frightened away by the fact that they had finally confessed their feelings for one another? Was that why he had left?
She didn’t like to think that it could be that, but she also knew it was possible. That was the reason she had hesitated to put her trust in her husband right from the very start. A man could always disappoint you.
She hadn’t been able to guard her heart when he had comforted her after the incident with Benedict.
She had allowed the truth to come out. In that moment, she’d felt as though all her fears had been for nothing at all.
She couldn’t possibly be in any danger—not from a man who so clearly cared about her as much as he did. It wasn’t possible—it couldn’t be.
But he had fled, apparently, and now she was no longer sure.
“I’m sorry, Your Grace,” the maid said. “I was to tell you he’ll return soon, and to see to it that you get something to eat if you’re hungry. Would you like anything?”
“No,” she managed. “I’m not hungry.” She didn’t think she would be able to relax enough to eat until Hector returned—if, in fact, he did. “Is there nothing else you can tell me?”
The maid hesitated. “Well,” she said, “I suppose I can tell you that he looked positively fearsome when he left. I’m glad those eyes weren’t fixed on me, that’s for sure.” She shivered a little. “Whoever he was going to see, I’d hate to be in their shoes today.”
Alexandra didn’t have time to even begin to imagine who the target of her husband’s wrath might be. The conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door, and Hector’s voice called out to them. “Alexandra? Are ye awake?”
Her breath caught; for a moment, she didn’t know what to say, but she managed to find words. “Come in,” she called, her voice softer than she’d have liked it to be.
He heard her just the same. He opened the door and stepped inside. “Leave us be,” he said quietly to the maid, and she scurried out, looking back over her shoulder as she went.
Hector moved to her bedside. She watched as he settled himself there and let out a long sigh.
Finally, he spoke. “It’s all me fault,” he said. “I should have accompanied ye to that party as ye asked.”
“No,” she protested. “Nothing is your fault, Hector. You did nothing wrong.”
He held up a hand as if to stop her. “I should have gone with ye,” he said. “And in the future, I’ll be sure to do just that.”
“You really don’t have to—”
“Alexandra. Did ye nae hear me earlier? I love ye. I want to be with ye.”
Her heart filled, and a shudder escaped her. “I wasn’t sure—when I woke and you were gone, I didn’t know if perhaps you regretted what you’d said?”
His face darkened. “I daenae regret it. I left to deal with that damned brother of mine.”
So he knew. He knew everything. “I’m so sorry,” she breathed.
“For the last time—stop apologizin’. He’s the one who was in the wrong, accostin’ ye like that. I only wish ye’d told me—but yer faither let me know what had happened.”
“Father told you?” She blinked, trying to make sense of it.
“He saw ye leavin’ that party and put the facts together. Wish ye’d told someone. But ye daenae need to worry now,” he added. “Benedict is gone for good—or will be in a few days. He sails for America this week.”
“He’s leaving?” Alexandra repeated.
“Couldnae have him here with him threatenin’ ye.
Best nae to ask any more questions about it, though,” Hector said.
“Just trust that it’s all been handled. He’ll nae bother ye again.
” He hesitated. “And neither will I, if ye say ye daenae want me to. I understand ye daenae want to help me have an heir. I daenae require it of ye. I only want ye—whatever ye will allow me to have. I love ye, and that’s true. ”
Alexandra bit her lip. “I’ve feared having children,” she said.
“But with you…well, you make me feel as if it might be all right. You even make me yearn for it. Because I want to have every experience in life with you, Hector.” She chuckled softly.
“I never would have believed I could feel that way about a man, but you have truly taken me by surprise.”
“Everythin’ about ye has been a surprise to me,” he agreed.
“Don’t give me my space again,” she said. “Promise you won’t. I’ve missed you terribly over these last few days.” She chuckled. “I even missed the way you call me lass.”
Hector laughed, too. “Happy to indulge ye, lass.”
He leaned over and pulled her into his arms.
Alexandra didn’t know which of them closed the distance between them first, whether he leaned in or she did, but their lips met in a kiss, and it was the very first one they had shared that made her feel free to go on enjoying it as long as she liked.
She threaded her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer, and he hummed with soft pleasure and approval.
His tongue parted her lips. She gave up all resistance and allowed him to claim her, thinking that if this was what marriage was going to be, she was very grateful indeed that she had decided to give it a chance.