The last time she had seen him, when she was ten and six, he had towered over her. But in the five years since she had grown, and now they were almost eye to eye. It was difficult for him to loom over her threateningly, though that did not stop him from trying.
She looked back at him, unafraid now that she was in the thick of it.
“I have heard enough of your vitriol in my life, uncle. Your words do not affect me as much as you think,” she scoffed.
He grabbed her arm. “I’ve had just about all that I can take from you,” he grumbled. “You’re coming with me.”
“Let. Her. Go.”
A voice thundered, and suddenly there was another hand over Uncle James’s arm prying his fingers off of her.
“How dare you come between us! After kidnapping the girl from the convent. You will be shunned from society once they hear of this!” her uncle howled.
“Is that so? What of when they hear of the murders you have committed, Lord James?”
“Nothing but lies perpetuated by a disgraced duke for his own ends,” James hissed. “Do not interfere in this matter, or I will bury you! It has nothing to do with you.”
“Oh, but it does,” Silas said calmly.
Helena gave him a disbelieving look. Surely he wasn’t about to betray his investigation on her behalf?
“How?” Uncle James asked.
“Lady Helena is under my protection. She was from the moment she stepped into my home. As you said yourself, it would not have been proper for her to be here, unsupervised, without good reason. As soon as she came here, we both knew where this was going—that she would take my name, and become my Duchess.”
Uncle James’s jaw dropped, as did Helena’s.
“I do not believe you,” Uncle James huffed.
Silas’s mouth twisted. “That is hardly my problem, now is it? You will need to unhand my betrothed this instant, and leave my home forever. If I find that you have tried to contact or harass her in any way, there will be consequences. And you will not like them.”
“You lie,” James persisted, looking in horror from Silas to Helena.
“Why would I lie to the likes of you?” Silas sneered. “I have no need to.” He pointed towards the door. “Now will you leave, or shall I throw you out myself?”
James seemed rooted to the spot, bug-eyed and gaping in disbelief. “You do not want her. She is more trouble than she’s worth. You’d do better to toss her in the gutter,” he said.
Silas took a step forward. “Leave. Now.”
Her uncle pursed his lips, his fists trembling in rage. Then, his cool, charming mask slipped back on.
“Very well. I shall take my leave. But you should know,” James turned to face her, his eyes teeming with venom, “that this isn’t over.”
“Get out of my house,” Silas took another step forward, his own hands clenched into tight fists, clearly ready to strike at any moment.
With a final glare, James stormed out of the parlor.
Helena let out a breath of relief. Then, she turned to look at Silas, who seemed completely unruffled by the day’s carryings on.
“What were you thinking?”
He quirked an eyebrow. “What wasIthinking? What wereyouthinking, bursting in here like that?”
“I was afraid of what he might do!”
“And you thought that confronting him was the best way to deal with that?”
“He—he threatened to spread rumors that would affect your sister. I didn’t want her to suffer because of me.”
