He found her in the tower. A memory came back to him as he climbed the spiral staircase. He’d been here before. Then he remembered. This was where she’d fallen out of the window and all his problems had begun. This was all her fault. He was cold, tired, and filthy and it was all because she wouldn’t listen to him, wouldn’t come home like she was supposed to, wouldn’t do as she was told.
He pulled the knife out as he climbed. He could hear her humming to herself. She sounded happy. She wouldn’t be happy for long, not until she’d apologized for everything she’d put him through. He’d teach her a lesson and then he’d go find that Scotch prick and run him through for looking at his bird.
He couldn’t wait to see the look on Callum’s face when he realized he’d been bettered by Edward.
Later, he told himself. First, deal with her. He walked up the last few steps and pushed open the door, stepping into the tower room. “Here we are again,” he said, gratified to see her yelp with shock at his sudden appearance.
“Edward?” she asked, squinting. “Is that you?”
“Of course it’s me,” he snapped, wiping mud from his face before taking a slow step toward her. “Don’t you even recognize your own partner?”
“You’re not my partner. We broke up.”
She didn’t look scared of him. That was irritating. He held the knife out in from of him, waving it slowly from side to side. Still she didn’t look afraid. Why not? Was she too stupid to realize she was about to be taught a lesson she’d never forget?
“You can’t marry Callum,” Edward said, stopping in the middle of the room. “You belong to me.”
“No, I don’t,” she replied, her arms by her side. “Look at you, Edward. You’re a mess.”
“I’m a mess because you went and threw yourself in a river and I had to go through hell tracking you down. Now, come and sit down. It’s time for your lesson.”
“No, Edward. I’m done with you and your lessons. Now why don’t you just turn around and leave?”
He barked out a laugh. “Leave? You want me to leave after everything I’ve done for you?”
“What have you done for me? You’ve made me afraid to be myself but not anymore. You’ve broken my ribs. I nearly lost an eye because of you but you know what? I’m done with being scared of you. You want to come at me with that knife you go for it but you better make it good because you’re only getting one shot.”
Edward roared with anger. “You will be scared of me!” He lunged forward, swiping the knife down through the air, aiming to cut her face just enough to see that fear in her eyes that he so loved to see.
She still refused to look scared. He lost control, screaming and running at her as she darted backward. He lunged with the knife and as he did so he over reached, losing his balance and falling.
He wasn’t worried. She would catch him. She wouldn’t dare let him hurt himself.
She stepped to the side and he had time to see the sky outside the window before he fell through it, unable to stop himself in time.
He turned over in the air, looking back up and seeing the tower above him as he fell. She didn’t even look out at him. He was furious. He would make her pay for this. He’d do more than just teach her a lesson. He would hurt her so much she-
His body thumped into the ground, the knife falling from his hand and running down the side of the moat, sinking into the water.
Hundreds of years later a metal detectorist would dig up the knife and get it dated. When he was told it was only ten years old he would throw it out. He had bet it was older from how corroded it was but he lost the bet. He had no idea a knife bought in 2008 had been in the moat for centuries.
Edward didn’t know anything about what happened to his knife. He lay perfectly still not knowing anything at all.
