Brian closed his eyes beseechingly a moment, wondering how such a beautiful woman could possess a razor-edged tongue. Although he would have liked to have said the very same thing, protocol and restraint prevented him from doing so. His grip tightened on Peyton, preparing to protect her from Colin’s wrath.
But he never got the chance. Much to his shock and Peyton’s as well, Thia tore herself free from Toby and thrust her meaty fist in Colin’s face.
“You heard her, you misbegotten whoreskin,” she seethed. “Return home. You are not welcome here.”
Colin did not flinch as Thia planted herself in front of him, her chubby face threatening. Instead, he smiled humorlessly, a gesture which completely terrified Peyton. “I cannot without my intended. When I return, you will go with me.”
Thia did not react immediately. Then, it was as if Colin had slapped all of the bravery from her body; she staggered back, her eyes seeking her father in disbelief.
Brian, however, was fully focused on Nigel. “That was never agreed upon, Nigel. I never intimated that I would consider it.”
Nigel took his son’s cue and stepped forward, a smug expression on his face. “You were given a choice, were you not? Ivy or Thia. Since Ivy is, shall we say, all but lost, you have apparently made your choice. Thia shall wed Colin.”
“She will not!” Peyton was feeling stronger. It was odd that she should find herself defending a woman who had so recently tried to kill her; however, the common enemy seemed to join them as peculiar allies. No one, not even Thia, deserved such a fate.
Colin turned to her harshly. “This is none of your affair, Lady Summerlin. You told me to stay out of Summerlin concerns and I will demand you refrain from interfering in Warrington matters,” he passed another distasteful glance at Thia before turning on his heel. “Have the contracts drawn up, Father. I wish to be done with this by the morrow.”
Nigel watched his son march down the corridor before turning his attention to Brian. He shrugged callously. “You made your choice, Brian.” With a lingering glance at Thia, he turned after his son.
For an endless, hanging moment, no one spoke. Peyton stared at the empty corridor, too shocked and dazed to respond. As she gazed into the dimly lit hall, a body suddenly appeared, walking towards her and Peyton knew even at a distance that it was Alec. He was the only man as tall as a god and as wide as a bear, his gait nothing short of a graceful swagger. Brian’s steward scampered after him as they came into the light.
Alec did not look at anyone but Peyton. He reached out and snatched her from his father’s grip, pulling her into a protective embrace. Peyton, still dazed and shocked, collapsed against him. Only when his wife was cradled in his arms did Alec dare to gaze at his father.
His voice was a growl. “I was told that there was some trouble. I would calmly ask what kind of trouble there was.”
Thia couldn’t answer; in spite of the obvious wound on her face, she turned away from her brother as if to ignore his question. Brian gazed at his son with a mixture of grief andconcern. “A small tussle, Alec,” he said quietly. “Nothing of concern.”
Alec would not accept his simple explanation. Instead, he looked to Toby. “What happened? And no lies, or my wrath shall be swift.”
Toby wasn’t afraid of his older brother; at least, not truly afraid. But he did harbor a healthy respect for his strength and fighting abilities. Feeling trapped, he avoided Brian’s piercing gaze and cleared his throat.
“A tussle, Alec,” he said quietly. “I intervened before anyone was seriously injured.”
Irritation growing at their evasive replies, Alec pulled Peyton’s face from the safe haven of his chest and gazed deeply into her eyes. To his surprise, she smiled wanly and did not afford him the opportunity to put the same query to her. “I saw…. that is, I….I was spying on Thia,” she whispered raspily. “She had every right to become angry with me.”
Thia looked to Peyton in pure astonishment. Peyton met her gaze from the vise of Alec’s hands, hoping that somehow the woman’s bloodlust would fade when she realized Peyton was unwilling to publicly condemn her. Aye, she could have confessed, but she simply could not bring herself to repeat the disgusting facts. Mayhap if Thia saw that she was disinclined to reveal her secret, the tensions between them would ease. After all, Alec loved his sister a great deal. Peyton did not want to divide them, no matter what the circumstances.
Furthermore, Thia was in a good deal of trouble already with the Warrington betrothal. Before Alec could respond to her admission, she changed the subject. “Colin is demanding to wed your sister in Ivy’s stead. You must not allow this.”
As she hoped, Alec’s attention was immediately diverted and his sky-blue eyes sought out his father with shock. “Is this true?”
Brian’s lips possessed the familiar bluish twinge as he looked away from his son’s intense gaze. He sighed heavily. “Thia should have been pledged long ago.”
Alec dropped his hands from Peyton’s face. “Have you gone completely mad? Pledging my sister to that bastard?”
Brian met his son’s gaze, feeling distinctly weary. He had been an example of a weak-willed man within the past several days, giving his word only to refute it, making decisions only to change his mind. And Alec had witnessed all of his failings. Their clash not an hour before had been testimony to the fact that Alec no longer respected his father, and Brian was beyond devastated.
Gazing into Alec’s eyes, he could read the contempt radiating from his son. But he was cornered; Nigel had made his demands known and he must comply, even if it meant betrothing his only daughter. He had no choice if the Summerlin name was to remain unblemished, no matter what Alec thought of him. Someday, mayhap, he would understand Brian’s sacrifice.
“You have given me little choice in the matter,” he said softly. “You married Lady Peyton and Ali has presumably married her sister. The Warringtons are demanding compensation.”
“Thia is not compensation for my actions,” Alec said hotly. “I shall not allow this.”
Brian looked to his son, his expression considerably less tolerant. “You are not her father. I am, and I believe a match between Colin and Thia will be a suitable one. ’Twill bind the House of Summerlin to the House of Warrington, establishing close ties.”
Alec listened to his father reason as if he were trying to convince himself that the union would be a beneficial one. But they both knew the words to be empty and desperate.
“I do not want to be married,” Thia suddenly whispered, her face ashen. When her father reached out to touch her, shebacked away violently. “I won’t marry him. I…. I do not want him!”
