Even though her brother had shown her how terrible he could be, she still hoped that he would prove her wrong. Perhaps he was merely drunk or depressed. Perhaps he was merely provoking her.
“He’s a murderer, Lucy!” Daniel exclaimed, looking pained. “He paid a thug to set fire to the house in Suffolk. He killed my cousin just because Kenneth discovered that Joshua was part of some dockside smuggling filth.”
“That’s not true! Don’t believe this man, Lucy! Who would you believe, a virtual stranger or your own flesh and blood?” Joshua roared.
Lucy shuddered at the wordbloodand wondered if she truly knew her brother after all.
“You did not want to be caught! You were greedy, Marsleigh. Your greed and fear of being discovered killed my family. You did not even have the mettle to do it yourself.”
“I did it for you, Lucy!” Joshua screamed, facing Daniel fully.
He looked manic, sweat beading his temples. His eyes were wide, insanity evident in them. He paced in a circle, his body shaking. “Kenneth would have taken everything: my title, my money, and my freedom. That means nobody would be able to protect you. You would be on your own, penniless, if I had let him report me to the authorities. I saved us, Lucy!”
Lucy made a sound of disgruntled disbelief. Did her brother truly believe the nonsense he was spouting?
“You saved yourself!” Daniel hissed. “If you truly cared about your sister’s well-being, you would not have committed a crime.”
The time for talking seemed to have ended, as the two collided with such force that Lucy flinched and backed away from the scuffle.
It was not what you’d expect from two gentlemen fighting. It was not the type of fisticuffs they learned from trainers. It was a desperate fight, as each struggled for survival or at least domination.
The two grappled until they lost balance and rolled on the floor. They hit the legs of her washstand, sending her porcelain pitcher shattering against the floor, water splashing them both.
While Daniel was bigger, stronger, and using brute force, Joshua gave him a fight with the strength of a cornered animal. He clawed at Daniel’s eyes while the latter used his bigger frame to slam him against the legs of the bed.
“You are a leech, Marsleigh!” Daniel bellowed, even as he received a blow to his cheek.
“Stop it, both of you!” Lucy screamed.
Daniel’s lip was already split; Joshua certainly knew where to hit, his blows landing with cruel precision.
Then, something shifted in Daniel. It was as if the decade of suppressed but sustained rage exploded. With a guttural cry, he lunged forward, caught Joshua by his lapels, and managed to throw the smaller man across the room.
Joshua hit the far wall with a sickening thud.
“You are a jailer, not a brother! You have been hiding her from the world so you can keep her for yourself. To control her. This is what it’s all about. You are a little man who needs someone to dominate, and you thought a woman you made believe to be delicate was the perfect target.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Stonewynn!” Joshua shrieked as he scrambled to his feet.
His breathing was ragged.
Lucy knew her brother was not used to such physical exertion. Daniel was right about him not being able to do what needed to be done.
“I am the only one who truly sees Lucy for what she is! And you, Stonewynn, do you think you want her? You will tire of her within weeks, not even a Season.”
Lucy’s heart ached at the admiration in her brother’s voice. If only he weren’t so entrenched in his own madness. His mind had become twisted along the way, and she didn’t know why.
Was it the pressure of their father’s and mother’s deaths?
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she blinked them away.
“I will never tire of Lucy! She is not a form of entertainment!” Daniel roared.
Lucy was struck by the rawness of his response. He was not the sort who would get caught up in emotions, and seeing him undone like this made a tear spill over.
“I pushed her away because it isn’t safe to be with me. What I didn’t know then was that the danger was her own brother. I had to think of her safety and not what I wanted because I love her! I love her more than my life and everything I own, Joshua. I would have given up my quest for revenge if I were certain it meant peace for her. But no, it was not to be.”
The room fell deathly quiet. Lucy grew acutely aware of the fire crackling in the hearth. The two men were panting from exertion and pent-up emotions.
