Charity held very still. He had struck very close to the truth. Maybe running away was not the answer to everything, even though it sounded like the most convenient one.
“I am not trying to run,” she said, keeping her voice calm with effort. “I am trying to keep them safe.”
“And I am keeping them safe,” Duncan replied. “In my house, no one can touch them, and if he resorts to legal means, then we will have a plan as well. It is nothing that you need to worry about.”
“But that does not prevent me from worrying. Please, tell me what you are going to do in plain words. What are the steps?”
She could see that Duncan was not used to being held for answers like this, but she had no choice. Had it concerned only her, she would have trusted his judgement, but she needed something more concrete when it came to her sisters.
“My solicitor writes to him tomorrow,” he said. “In the meantime, my men will be instructed tonight. No one enters without being questioned, nor does anyone leave with your sisters without my permission. And you,” he added, “perhaps you need to give them some clarity as well.”
Charity nodded slowly.
“Tomorrow,” she said. “I owe them many answers, but I suppose that I have just been dragging my feet.”
She knew that Augusta, at least, would not settle until she knew more.
“Try not to worry too much,” Duncan said. “These things have a habit of sorting out.”
“You are hopeful,” she said. “Between the two of us, you have more optimism.”
“I wouldn’t call it optimism,” he said after a moment. “More like, I know what my abilities are and have trust in myself. I would urge you to do the same. Though I have noticed… You do not like that I make decisions without speaking to you first.”
Huh.He had noticed that.
“No,” she said. “I do not like it.”
“It reminds me of your past?”
“Yes,” she sighed, “but I am also not trying to accuse you of being my uncle, so do not take it that way.”
“Say what you mean,” he replied.
“I mean that I have had years of men deciding what happens,” Charity said, keeping her voice mild, “I know you are not Edward. I am not saying you are. But you do things quickly, and you do not explain first, and if I am going to be in this house with my sisters and marry you, then I cannot be treated as though I am just a subject.”
“You’re not a subject,” he said. “Even this dinner, had I not arranged it, you would not have come spoken to me, and our conversation would have been delayed. And now, witheverything that we have discussed, I think you will understand why it is was better for your sisters not to be here.”
Charity did not deny it, because it was true.
“So instead, you avoided me,” Duncan replied, irritated,
“I did,” Charity said, finally. “Maybe you find it cowardly.”
“Just unnecessary.”
“When you are in a room, you make it feel as though there is one right answer and everything else is an inconvenience.”
“Is that what you think?”Duncan’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I thought we had been making progress.”
Charity hesitated for a moment, then decided she was done hedging. “Sometimes,” she said.
Duncan leaned back in his chair.
“Fine,” he said. “Next time, I speak to you first. But when I do, you speak back, Charity. You do not sit in silence and then tell me later that you had objections I never heard. It goes both ways.”
Charity gave a small nod, then added carefully, “And next time, you do not assume that if I hesitate, it means I am refusing.Sometimes it means I am thinking, or trying to find words that will not frighten my sisters. They do not know you yet, and I cannot fix that in a day, and I cannot spend every minute defending you to them either. That will only make them more suspicious, so I need you to give them time, as well.”
Duncan was quiet for a moment, then he asked, “Do you fear me?”
