“Then what did you come for?” Edward’s face reddened
Duncan’s gaze flicked briefly to Charity, then returned to Edward. “Her sisters, they are under my guardianship now,” he snapped, “Bring them here.”
“You have no right….”
“I have every right,” Charity cut in, “to see them. You have been unlawfully keeping them from me.”
Edward’s gaze flicked over her face.
“You will come with me,” he said, abruptly, and before Charity could react, he seized her arm.
“Let go,” Charity tried to break herself away.
“You will stop this nonsense,” Edward hissed, still gripping Charity’s arm. “You will sit down and listen. Enough of this foolishness, and you are to do what is required of you for once in your life.”
“You’re hurting me. Let go of my arm.”
Edward did not loosen his hold. If anything, his fingers dug in further.
“You have no notion of what you’ve done,” he snapped, “and I will not have you standing there and speaking to me as though I am some meddling neighbor…”
Duncan’s voice came from behind Charity.
“Take your hand off her.”
Edward’s head turned, and his lip curled as though he’d been interrupted mid-prayer. “This is a private matter, Your Grace. You know how difficult women become when they are allowed too much freedom….”
Performance.
Charity went still at that word. Funny how her anger and her fear for her sisters were theatrics to entertain him.
“I understand what you are trying to do, trying to frighten me into obedience,” Charity spat at him.
“I am correcting you, and there is no need to be so dramatic.”
“You will release her,” Duncan said, stepping forward.
Edward looked at him properly then, at his height, the breadth of his shoulders.
Physically, they were no match.
“You are forgetting yourself,” Edward said, attempting dignity. “You are in my house. I intend to speak to my niece in private because she has become hysterical. You may not understand English households, Your Grace, but we do not conduct these conversations like…”
Charity jerked again, trying to wrench free. Edward’s grip tightened, and she hissed under her breath. Duncan’s hand closed around Edward’s wrist.
He caught Edward’s wrist and held it there, stopping him from dragging Charity any farther.
“Do you mean to assault me as well?” Edward’s breath came hard. “Stay out of this,Your Grace.”
Edward’s eyes went to Duncan’s hand. Then he twisted, and in the same movement, he swung his other hand.
The slap landed hard across Charity’s cheek.
It was fast.
One second, she was arguing, the next her head snapped to the side with the force of it. She stumbled and brought a hand up, more from shock than pain. Her breath caught. When she swallowed, she tasted blood at the corner of her mouth, and she blinked hard, refusing to let it show how much it had rattled her.
It all happened very quickly after that.
