Adrian hurried out of his hiding place and stopped right in front of his cousin. Folding his arm across his chest, Adrian glared at the foolish man.
When Walden looked up, a gust of wind blew his hood off. He stared at Adrian with wide, frightened eyes.
Adrian shook his head. “I should have known it was you.”
“I... I don’t know what you are referring to, milord.”
Adrian rolled his eyes. “I know you’re dense boy, but I thought you’d know when you’d been defeated.” He kicked Walden’s black boot. “I want you to admit that you are responsible for all the accidents that have been happening recently.”
“Wh-what accidents?”
Adrian blew out a frustrated breath. “Collin’s saddle girth being cut, and then him being shot at. And let’s not forget when a plant fell off the banister and nearly hit my head.”
Walden shook his head quickly. “I didn’t do that.” Another rock sailed through the air and hit Walden’s arm. He cried out and rubbed the spot. “Who is doing this to me?”
Adrian crouched to his cousin’s level. “I’ll make a deal with you. If you tell my father everything you’ve been doing, I’ll make the rocks stop striking you.”
“N-no. I... didn’t do it.”
Adrian shrugged and stood. Seconds later, another rock slammed into his cousin’s jaw. Walden sobbed as his fingers flew to the reddened spot. A drop of blood appeared on his chin.
“All you have to do is tell me,” Adrian continued, “and I’ll stop the rocks from hitting you.”
Tears filled Walden’s eyes. “I didn’t want to do this,” his voice cracked. “This was my mother’s idea, not mine.”
Shock was like a bolt of lightning zipping through Adrian, and he stumbled backward. “Aunt Beatrice?”
Walden nodded vigorously. “Yes. My mother wanted me to get Collin’s title.”
Anger filled Adrian, and he wanted to shake some sense into his aunt. Betrayal from her actions left a bitter taste in his mouth and a painful knot in his gut. He reached out his hand and helped his cousin stand. “I’ll go with you into the manor and you’re going to tell my father – and everyone in that room – what you and your mother have done.”
Tears fell down Walden’s red cheeks. “I’m sorry, Lord William. I... I really didn’t want the title, but mother forced me to do it.”
“Come on,” Adrian snapped. “You can tell that to the people inside.”
He glanced over his shoulder toward where Lyndsey had been, and he motioned her over. “Come, my love. It’s getting too chilly to be out here now.”
She hurried next to him and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they walked toward the house.
Walden hurried ahead of them, rushing into the manor.
“Are you going to be all right?” Lyndsey asked.
“Eventually I will. It’s just hard to believe a woman who has been like a second mother to us would do such a thing.”
“I’m sorry you had to go through that.” She slid her arms around his waist as they walked into the house.
The closer they walked toward the sitting room, the louder everyone’s voices became. Adrian’s father’s voice was the loudest as he scolded Beatrice and then ordered her to leave the manor posthaste.
The older woman bustled out, scowling at Adrian on the way. He couldn’t hide the hurt that he felt, and he hoped guilt would consume her. Seconds later, a blubbering Walden hurried out of the room toward his mother.
As Adrian walked into the room with Lyndsey, he glanced at his brother. The look of betrayal on Collin’s face matched exactly how Adrian felt.
He took Lyndsey’s hand and lifted it to his mouth, and brushed a kiss across her knuckles. “You are absolutely amazing, my love.”
She smiled. “Why do you say that?”
“Because I have never seen a woman use a slingshot so effectively and effortlessly.”
