Chapter 19 #2
She quickly realized that she’d underestimated the amount of ale he had drunk as he jumped in front of the door with his arms stretched wide, barring their escape.
“Just let us go!” Avery cried angrily as she gripped Melissa by the arm and held her back. “You can go and live your miserable life without us!”
“How dare you talk back to me!” their father snarled, his teeth bared, as he lunged at them both, his arms outstretched in front of him, his fingers in a claw-like grip.
Pushing her sister to the side, Melissa took the brunt of their father’s attack as he backed her up against the table and wrapped his hands around her throat.
“Leave her alone!” Avery yelled from her position on the floor before jumping to her feet and beating at her father’s back with her fists.
Reaching behind him in an attempt to fight her off, George let go of Melissa’s throat, giving her the opportunity to fight back.
Thinking quickly, Melissa reached for the inkpot and threw it into her father’s eyes.
“Argh!” he roared in agony as his eyes filled with the black liquid.
“Now!” Melissa screamed as he stumbled away from them and used the inside of his shirt to wipe his eyes.
Both sisters quickly headed to the door, nearly tripping over the ropes that had been kicked to the side.
“I won’t let you get away!” George continued to yell as he lunged forward in a random direction with his eyes shut, gripping for whatever he could as he fell to the ground.
Melissa’s hand was on the handle of the door as she felt the vice-like grip on her ankle, dragging her down.
“No!” Avery cried out as her sister was dragged back into the room. “I won’t let you take her!” She pulled at Melissa’s hand with all of her might.
Realizing that one of them had a better chance of escaping and going for help, Melissa raised her head and looked her sister in the eye. “Go,” she mouthed so that their father wouldn’t hear.
“No.” Avery’s eyes widened as she realized what Melissa wanted her to do. “I can’t leave you,” she whispered as her hands began to slip.
“Go and get help.” Melissa winced from the pain of George’s unkempt nails digging into her ankles.
Coming to the same realization, Avery gave her sister a sad look and let go of her hand.
The door slammed shut as Avery escaped, leaving Melissa to the mercy of their father.
“I’ll get you for this,” George swore under his breath as he continued to rub his eyes with the inside of his shirt while holding onto Melissa’s ankle with one hand.
Trying to herself free, Melissa felt him reaching for one of the ropes before he wrestled her legs together and tied her up once again.
“Ye can stay on the cold floor now, for all I care,” he growled as he retrieved another rope and tied her hands in front of her stomach before getting to his knees.
Melissa watched as he stumbled toward a pail of water that stood beside the fire and washed his face.
“You almost blinded me, you little chit,” he said angrily as he tried to clean his face.
“I’ll do more than that if you try and lay another hand on me,” Melissa angrily spat in his direction.
“Since when did you turn into a snake?” he asked as he reached for a soiled piece of linen and wiped his face. He threw it at her when he was done.
Melissa moved her head out of the way just in time as the cloth landed beside her on the floor.
“Perhaps I got it from you,” she shot back with a defiant look in her eyes.
She’d be damned if she’d ever let him see that he was getting the better of her.
“You seem to be the biggest snake around here.”
“I should take the rest of the ink and pour it down your throat,” he grumbled as he sank into a chair and blinked. The ink began to clear from his eyes, leaving grey stains in the corners. “I swear I’ll kill you if my vision doesn’t return to normal.”
“You can try,” she said as she laid her head on the cold floor of the cottage.
“But I can promise you that I’ll only fight back.
Do you really want to risk losing something else?
” She decided to mock him, knowing that he was a vain man.
“I could rip out the remainder of your hair. It will probably never grow back, given your age.”
Glaring at her, George reached up and smoothed back the last strands of his hair.
The years of living in the slums had not been kind to him.
“Shut up, before I shut you up,” he threatened and lifted his hand in the air, making her wince despite her best efforts.
“You’ve already gone and messed up my plans. ”
“Oh, yes.” She smirked at him. “Now you only have one of us to ransom. What will you do now that your money had been halved? Kill Ewan?”
“I may just kill that soppy bastard in any case,” he grunted as he pushed himself up once again and walked over to the bucket of dirty water.
“But don’t you worry, with Avery gone, I’ll still hold you to ransom for the same amount.
Do you think your brother-in-law cares for you enough to give up half his wealth?
” He dipped his hands into the dirty water before splashing his face.
Melissa bit on her lower lip as she considered the facts. Darragh cared for her deeply, but did he care for her enough to give up his wealth? Would he not choose his family over her if it came to that?
“And how about your precious Daniel?” George continued as he rubbed his face, washing the rest of the ink down his neck.
“Does he love you enough to give up everything he’s worked for all of his life?
That’s what I will be asking of him if Darragh does not wish to comply with my demands.
” He paused and looked at her for a second.
“I can see I’ve hit a nerve there.” He smirked.
Melissa’s face fell as she wondered if Daniel loved her enough to give up his castle and all of his lands. He’d married her to save both of their reputations, but that didn’t mean that he loved her.
She shut her eyes and rested against the hard floor as she began to question whether or not she would be leaving the cottage alive.
Please come for me, Daniel.