Kilham’s lip curled derisively. “That’s what we all thought. But she…” he tightened his arm around her making her catch her breath, “…she knew the truth.”
“What truth is that, my Lord?” Giles kept his voice even and his words courteous. Nothing to be gained by making the man madder than he already was.
“That my idiot father made a second will.”
“What?” Gwyneth’s astonishment was plain, but Kilham would have none of it.
“You knew. Don’t try to lie. You made him do it. You made him leave control of everything to you. Youbitch…”
Kilham drew the knife back, slicing her throat once again, and this time seizing her hair, making her arch back and reveal even more of her neck.
It was at that moment when Giles realised Royce had joined Jeremy and Evan. All three were approaching from behind Kilham.
And he didn’t know they were there. The bushes hid them, and the grass beneath their feet deadened their footfalls.
“My lord,” Giles called out, hoping to keep the man’s attention focused on himself. “This is not necessary. Can we not talk about this? I cannot believe my Lady would wish to keep you from your rightful inheritance.”
“Oh you’re mistaken. Of course she would. She made him change his will. She always hated me. She forced me out of the house, turned my father against me…there’s nothing she wouldn’t do to spite me.”
Royce was near now, very near.
“Can you not let her speak?” pleaded Giles. “Let’s hear her endorse your statements. Let her tell us what happened…let her tellyouwhy it happened…” He wrung his hands. “Please, my Lord. Don’t hurt her until you know the truth…” He poured fear and pleading into his voice, a dramatic turn that he prayed would convince Kilham to keep looking at him.
He ignored the terror in Gwyneth’s eyes; he could not risk losing Kilham’s attention. Royce was too close.
“Come, my Lord. Help me understand. That way perhaps we can solve this together like gentlemen. You have a long and proud heritage…don’t give it all up for a mistake…”
“She’ll fill you full of lies, the way she did my father. She lied to him. She took lovers. I know she did. She betrayed him. Moved into his life, made him marry her and then betrayed him. And took everything away fromme…”
The words ended on an angry shout, and Royce chose that moment to intervene.
“Excuse me.” He tapped on the Earl’s shoulder.
Kilham jumped at least a foot in the air, barely missed nicking Gwyneth’s chin and turned to meet a fierce right hook that knocked him clean off his feet.
Gwyneth stumbled away and fell into Giles’s arms while Royce, Jeremy and Evan disarmed the Earl and tied his hands together behind him. They were not particularly gentle about it.
The man sobbed and screamed and rambled, his words becoming unintelligible as his fury overtook his senses.
“Get him out of here. Put him in the barn. I’ll send for the Constable…” Royce directed Jeremy and Evan.
Gwyneth was clinging to Giles, but barely.
“Gabriel…” Giles did his best not to panic. “Help me.”
Her gown was sodden now, as was the skin of her chest and her bodice. The little cuts on her throat weren’t bleeding anymore, but he had no idea how deeply that knife had plunged into her body.
Gabriel lifted her easily, cradling her in his arms.
“I’m all right,” she said, her face still far too pale. “Just a wee nick…” She promptly fainted.
“Royce.”
The man came running at Giles’s yell, having seen their prisoner on his way to the barn. “Kilham’s restrained. He won’t hurt anyone again, ever, if I have my way.”
“You can’t kill him,” Giles said, grabbing him by the arm and hurrying him along behind Gabriel. “I need you to take care of her right now.”
“Can I kill him after that?”
