"And I am supposed to believe that?" His nostrils flared. "Why would she do that?"
"To tell me she loved me… away from you, away from everyone." My fists balled and I had to fight not to do the one thing I'd never done in my life — well, perhaps not the one thing, but the one thing I never thought I would do: I wanted to break Anthony's nose.
Anthony looked over my shoulder at Rebecca and stared at her for the longest time. I suppose his simple mind couldn't fathom love. True love. Real love. Honest love. We hadn't done anything to be ashamed of, and, in my mind, I knew we would be married soon — though I needed to ask her and tell her my secret.
"Go back to the house. You'll catch your death from this cold." He motioned over his shoulder. "Go on now."
Rebecca hesitated for a brief second then complied. She reached the bottom of the steps and turned toward me. From the torchlight, I saw her full red lips, red from our kiss, and I wanted nothing more than to take them again. "If I gave you the wrong idea, I am sorry."
"Don't apologize to him, Rebecca. Go on, now." Anthony had the nerve to say. To treat her like his own property and tell her what to do? What was going on with him? He had always been a level headed chap until today and it was as if he had become bewitched.
"No, Miss Rebecca. You need not apologize. Not for that. Not for any of it," I called to her. She paused her exit and stared at me for the briefest of seconds before she put her crimson cloak over her head, took the lantern, and headed off into the darkness.
When she had gotten a good distance away, Anthony closed the distance between us and pushed me back. I stumbled and had to catch the railing to keep from falling. "What the devil?"
"What did you do to her?" He stalked toward me. The light flickering in his eyes caused him to resemble the devil.
"I didn't do anything to her!" I tried to gain my balance and the scoundrel pushed me down again.
"Do not lie to me, Frederick. I saw you. I saw it with my own eyes. You held her hands so she couldn't defend herself, and you attacked her."
"I kissed her." I said almost jovially. Here I thought Anthony of all people would know that. "There was no attacking."
"I saw you."
"You saw wrong." I stood and looked down on him. Anthony was a tall man, I'll give him that, but he wasn't as tall as me. "I didn't hurt her. I wouldn't do that."
He sneered. "Because you love her so much."
It would not have taken much to have broken his teeth. "Yes. Because I love her so much."
Anthony scoffed and rolled his eyes. At least he had the foresight to back away and get out of reaching distance of me. "Frederick Dodsworth, you silly, stupid man. You only met her this evening."
"Have you ever been in love?" I asked because I knew the answer.
His nose flared. "No."
"No… so how do you know what it feels like? What it makes you do?"
"I know it would never cause me to force myself on a woman."
"I didn't… I wasn't forcing myself. Dear God, Anthony, I was kissing her!"
Why the devil could I not get him to understand? He looked at me as if I was the villain. As if I had done something wrong. I did nothing wrong. Not in God's eyes anyway and no one can convince me otherwise.
"You were…" He stopped and pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's not why she brought you out here."
"And how do you know that? Because you know her so well?" I shot back.
"She's my cousin."
"A cousin you haven't seen in years, you said so yourself." I wanted to walk passed him and be done with this conversation. I wanted to find Rebecca and talk to her some more, for there was lots of things to discuss.
Anthony shut his eyes as if trying to decide on what to say next. I knew a good thing for him to say next: nothing. "Frederick," his voice softened. "I understand you think you love her. She is beautiful and much too kind for her own good. She would make any man a wonderful wife."
"However…?"
"However," he sighed. "Frederick, you are not the man for her."
My chest constricted and, honestly, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I mean. I understood the words, obviously, but— "I don't understand. You are my friend."
"She deserves better," he said bluntly.
In that moment, I knew what would happen. He would go tell Rebecca about my lack of title just as I feared he would. "I have money. I can get money. She won't want for anything. I'll make sure of it, Anthony. My father's friend — my benefactor — he will help me."
"You have never met your benefactor," he reminded me, as if I didn't know.
"No, but he hadn't ever given me cause not to trust him. I know if I asked, if I told him the circumstances, he would help secure me a job. I can take care of her." I found myself pleading with Anthony, needing him to understand.