‘Is it over?’ Lyndal asked quietly.
‘Yes.’ Blake’s head fell to her sister’s shoulder. ‘Yes, it’s over.’
* * *
Candace had been right. Lord Thomas found out about her little adventure into the nobility borough—and he was not happy.
He showed up at the house—with a groomsman to guard his horse—and burst through the shop door with such force the bell hit the wall opposite. Blake rushed into the shop to see what all the noise was about and stilled when she saw her uncle. His eyes narrowed on her.
‘You little harlot.’
She felt cold, her feet frozen in place as the man stormed towards her. She knew he was going to strike her before it happened, and she did nothing to stop it.
Slap.
The force of it she did not expect. It sent her hurtling into Eda, who had just entered the shop behind her. Her youngest sister caught her in her arms.
Candace stepped in front of the girls, arms outstretched like a shield. ‘Enough!’
Thomas drew a deep breath and began to pace.
‘What on earth is going on?’ Lyndal asked, rushing into the room. One look at Blake’s burning cheek answered the question. Her eyes returned to Thomas, filled with accusation.
The funny thing was, Blake could have stopped it. She could have stepped back, caught his arm, or turned her head away. But a part of her felt like she deserved it—just not for the reasons he did.
‘Hardly discreet,’ her uncle began. ‘You could have at least kept the scandal in your own borough. Chadora’s nobility cannot be expected to keep your filthy secrets. Everyone knows there is only one reason the warden’s son would take a woman to that dumping ground of a house.’ He stopped pacing, jabbing a long finger in her direction. ‘You do understand that you aremyburden now? That you just whored away your future? The best you can hope for now is some tavern merchant with low standards.’
Candace lowered her hands. ‘I think you have made your point.’
Thomas wheeled on her. ‘What sort of daughters are you raising here? Criminal mutes and whores. You better hope Lyndal stays the course, because she is your only hope now.’
Turning on his heel, he marched out of the shop, slamming the door shut behind him. The four of them watched the window shutters rattle before falling still.
Chapter 29
Harlan rarely drank, so on the rare occasions he did, he tended to drink a lot.
‘We should slow down,’ Astin said, seated on the stool beside him, ‘or we’ll never make it back to the barracks.’
They were seated at the open window in the tavern closest to the water, watching the ship merchants unload on the dock. Harlan knew Blake would be down at some point, which was why he was paying particular attention to goings-on outside. He needed a glimpse of her to put his mind at ease.
‘Did you hear me?’ Astin asked.
Harlan tore his gaze from the window. ‘What?’
Astin assessed him a moment. ‘You know I rarely side with your father, and by rarely I mean never, but I think he has a point this time.’
Harlan emptied his cup before replying. ‘What point is that?’
‘Your occupation is problematic. You’re commander of the merchant borough, a position you worked hard for.’
‘I didn’t really have a choice. My father was always going to make me work harder than any other defender.’
‘And there’s every chance you’ll be named warden when the time comes for your father to step aside,’ Astin continued, eyeing the pretty barmaid as she passed by.
That was true. Shapur had always spoken as if Harlan would one day step up and replace him. Harlan had never considered alternative paths, because the defender lifestyle had been ingrained in him from such a young age; he knew he would be lost without the discipline and structure that came with it. But now there was Blake. ‘I should have told her about the tunnels. I think it was hearing it from someone else that did the damage.’
‘You thinkthat’sthe reason? Not the being responsible for her brother’s death part?’
