Chapter 40
Uncle Robert clanked on his glass with a table knife.
“Friends, as we do every year, we’re happy to end the festival here with dinner for the community’s leadership. My sister Mary and I thank you for coming. And I’d like to congratulate my nephew, who just this afternoon accepted his great-grandfather’s title.”
Robert and Mary raised their glasses, and guests followed.
“To my nephew, the earl, and to his lovely white rose, Ellie.”
I winced at the veiled reference to my ancestors.
There was no pride in that for me, only pain and loss.
To distract myself, I thought about the herd of deer that frolicked near my bedroom window most mornings. The little doe, how she taunted me with her freedom.
If only I could be as free as her.
Will pulled my hand beneath the table up to his lips.
My heart leaped, and I smiled at him—the one person in my life who’d been entirely honest with me.
“Sounds like you made your decision,” I said.
His mouth twitched with a controlled smile.
“You asked me to fight for us. Keeping the title in my family strengthens our position.”
Robert went on again about the town’s business district.
Will interrupted him, gestured for him to take his seat, and then stood to address everyone, his voice booming through the hall as he spoke.
“I chose to continue my family’s title just as my brother had.”
Grief washed over his face momentarily.
“There’s no need for formalities in the present, and business continues as usual. But when there’s need in the community, I want you to reach out to me or to my brother Thomas. This town and the county mean quite a lot to my family, and we’ll help whenever we can…let those be the words you take with you.”
Champagne and whisky glasses clinked. Guests cheered.
“Hear, hear, mate!”
He then nodded at the waiting catering staff.
Floorboards creaked and shadows dashed around the hall as the waitstaff bustled about, delivering steaming dinner plates to the tables.
Will pulled out my chair and reached for my hand.
My stomach rolled, but I pushed back at it. He had a plan, I realized, so I gave him my hand and stood by his side.
“I’d like you to welcome Ellie into your communities. The government offered her British citizenship by descent. She is indeed the heiress to another old English family just as you’ve all speculated.”
“Make her your countess,” someone called out.
Will teased the room with one of his magnificent grins.
“Do you think a woman of such grace would have me?”
People laughed and toasted him again.
“She is welcome in this town. Quite welcome,” one man shouted.
Will grabbed that opportunity to become serious.
“Listen, there’ve been recent attempts on her life. You’ve all heard about what happened to her family. Help me protect her.”
His last two words resonated heavily, and once more guests responded to him positively.
A small adrenaline rush tingled through my body.
Watching Will command the room stunned me. He captivated everyone with his authority and his charm. They wanted him to be a leader in their county.
He made a show of kissing my forehead protectively, then repositioned my chair for me.
“Now let’s eat this food my mum put out for us before it gets cold,” he said.
Heads nodded, silverware clanged against dinner plates, and the hall buzzed with conversations again.
Someone called out Will’s name.
“Go on,” he called back.
Will scanned the room while stuffing roast beef into his mouth. He took another bite, swallowed some whisky, and then pounded his glass onto the table as he got to his feet again. But this time he took off his jacket.
“Something on your mind, Mr. Green?”
My heart accelerated, the hammering dropping into my stomach.
Thomas understood Will’s actions and jumped up from his chair, positioning himself behind mine.
Will gave his brother a nod and dropped his arms with his fists clenched.
“I won’t ask again…is there something on your fucking mind, Green?”
Charles Green took a long pull from his glass before rising to his feet.
“Your reputation is indeed earned, I see. You’re quite the seductive, barbarous hellion they say you are.”
“And here you stand, insulting me in my house while drinking my whisky, seeking whatever advantage you can gain. Go on, Green…your insults mean nothing to me. But threaten what’s mine, and ah, well, that’s something else. Cross that line, and you’ll find out how barbarous this hellion can be.”
The room grew quiet.
The air became still and heavy with menace, contempt, fear.
Chairs screeched over wood as Charles Green’s three brothers got to their feet, causing Will’s security team to rush in and position themselves strategically.
I held my breath as anxiety slowly consumed me.
“Look at you, Hastings…uncompromising and sanctimonious. My family will no longer support yours or keep your father’s secrets and pacts. For one woman?—”
Charles Green pointed at me, slurring his words.
“Save us all the trouble. Find another one for your pleasure.”
Before I could even track his movement across the room, Will had the man’s throat in his hands.
“You’re threatening her?” he asked.
Even though he held the man’s throat, his demeanor stayed low key. Those of us who knew him recognized his unnatural calm before losing control of his anger.
Green’s face turned red as Will applied more pressure.
Will’s nostrils flared, and the muscles in his face and jaw grew tighter.
“Since you’re familiar with my reputation, Mr. Green, you must know that I don’t hesitate to act when my family is threatened.”
I stared at Will as his intense eyes filling with rage. His storm was about to hit. He lifted Green from the floor, and the breathless man’s feet kicked at the air.
The sight, the flailing limbs, forced my brain from its lockdown, and I shouted.
“Thomas! Do something. Stop him!”
Thomas and Ben sprang into action, crashing through tables and people to get to Will. And so did Charles Green’s three brothers.
Others shouted. Someone screamed. Most ran for the door.
I cried out for Will, but he couldn’t hear me.
Thomas couldn’t convince him with words to release the dangling man with the bluing face. Finally, he wrapped his arms around Will’s neck and dragged him backward, forcing him to let go.
My reckless screams drew two of Charles Green’s brothers over to me.
They crept through the chaos and surrounded me. The youngest brother held a gun at his side. His stinking breath drifted on to my face as he spoke.
“You can’t be worth all this. No fucking way.”
He should have known as well as I did that if he pointed that gun at me, if he touched me, he would be a dead man. Fear climbed up my throat, and I swallowed it—no one had to die if I talked this man down.
“Walk away now, please. You know this won’t end well if you don’t walk away from me right now while there’s still time. Please.”
The other one slithered closer. His deep-set eyes moved up and down my body.
“You’re right, it might not end well, but I think you can fix that. He hasn’t been able to stop himself from falling all over you—can’t say I blame him—so you go on and tell him to let us go.”
Charles’s two brothers pushed in closer to me.
“Please,” I begged. “Let me go before he sees you. If he?—”
Too late. My name blasted from Will’s mouth, and he charged in our direction, throwing things out of his way. His eyes locked on to Seth Green, the man stupid enough to come near me with a gun.
Glasses shattered. A chair sailed through the air.
I foolishly stepped in front of Seth, to shield him from his certain death, but the stupid, stupid man wrapped one arm around my waist and pressed the gun between my shoulder blades.
“Back off, Hastings...I’ll kill her...I’ll do it!”
Time slowed to a crawl.
As Will cleared the distance between us, his gaze came to mine. I was powerless in the moment but also comforted by the violence burning in his eyes. Because as long as it burned, I knew I would live.
He leaped forward, his feet leaving the ground as he lunged for me.
“Elle, come to me now,” he shouted.
Ben followed right on his heels, making a dive of his own.
Will’s body took mine to the floor. He twisted to keep from crushing me, but the air still slammed out of my lungs.
Ben’s arms went around Seth, his considerable weight taking them both to the floor beside us. They wrestled for the gun.
A gunshot exploded in my ears.
My entire body jerked.