His father sat with his hands laced over his stomach, glaring at Theo and Esaias. The door closed behind them with a slam, but it wasn’t only Bennet and his father in the meeting. Gerard, Ward, and a couple of Bennet’s most loyal soldiers stood around the room with Sephardi posted in the corner.
“Theo?” Esaias whispered in warning.
Theo gave him a stern look. He stood before his father, crossing his arms over his chest. There was nowhere for him to face besides him. He didn’t have the luxury of controlling the room and keeping his distance. Five of Bennet’s soldiers were all within an arm’s length. Any icy chill creeped up his back as his father cleared his throat.
“I hear you interfered in Bennet’s arrest?” he said, his voice dark and gravely.
“Yes, sir.” Theo gave his father the respect he wanted. There wasn’t room for games.
“Why did you interfere?”
Theo forced a breath as his body attempted to shake. “Amaris cured Esaias of his scrying fever. Bennet is wrongly accusing her of killing one of his men. He claims she—”
“I’m aware of this incident with scrying fever,” his father interrupted, eyeing Esaias beside Theo. “What I want to know is why you felt the need to attack one of your officers?”
Esaias went rigid, and Theo felt his eyes straining on him. All the eyes in the room were, and it made his skin crawl. His hand twitched. Heballed it into a fist to fight the monster. He didn’t know why he’d attacked Gerard, why he’d felt the need to throw Amaris behind him.
“It isn’t Amaris’s fault. She didn’t know.” Theo kept the bite from his tone as sweat dripped down his back.
“Are you certain?” his father asked, his voice rising. “I asked you to learn who she is, and you defend her instead.” He slammed his fist against the desk, rattling the vase of dead snowdrops. The decrepit stems shook and scattered wilted petals.
“She couldn’t defend herself. Someone had to.”
“I won’t have this among my soldiers,” his father rasped.
“Sir,” Sephardi interrupted.
The room fell silent as everyone focused on where she stood strong in the corner.
She inclined her head and passed a glance to the others in the room. “The soldier Bennet speaks of never came to Miss Carter about his condition. He was only showing signs of a simple illness for days and sprouted the rash last night. He was on sentry duty with me, and I tried to send him to Miss Carter. He refused and said he wouldn’t be treated by the likes of her. He died in the night.”
Theo’s stiff spine belied the shaking in his legs. He refused to allow himself to buckle before his father.
“Then, Corporal Salter, will you escort Miss Carter from the dungeon to the gardens.”
“The gardens?” Theo stammered.
“Twenty-five lashings,” his father declared.
Theo’s heart skipped a beat.
“For both of you. Do you really think you two were careful last night?” He dragged his finger along the desk, rubbing at the accumulated dust. “Were you planning to help her escape?”
“No, I—”
“She’s lucky a lashing is all she’ll receive for—”
“I’ll take her punishment.”
Stunned, his father’s eyes narrowed, and their mismatched nature was demonic.
“You can’t—” Bennet began.
“According to the law, I can.If a penance shall be bestowed upon an individual, it is the right of a tenant to accept the punishment of another,” Theo recited the law, knowing it like the back of his hand. He had it memorized for the purpose of one day getting Adelaide out of trouble with her constant rebellion.
“You’ll take all fifty lashes?” his father growled.
“Yes,” Theo said, drawing back his shoulders. He’d never received more than ten before.
