“You have my answer.” Emmeline began to rise to her feet.
“He does not love you, my dear girl,” Felicity spoke in a condescending tone, and now it was Emmeline’s turn to be upended. “I can see in your eyes that you know it is true.”
“It is none of your business.”
“But you cannot tell me that he loves you because he has not told you such a thing.” Felicity smiled her cold, cruel smile, and Emmeline felt the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. “Has he?”
“It is none of your business,” Emmeline repeated, unable to think of anything else to say.
“So, you know it is true. And I am sure you are perfectly well aware that Hunter is still in love with me. He has always loved me, and he always shall. Is that what you really want? A life spent loving a man who can never love you in return? You do love him, do you not?”
“It is …”
“None of my business, yes, I know.” Felicity flapped her hand as if to bat away Emmeline’s inconsequential words. “I can see now that you love him, and I pity you, really I do.”
“I do not need your pity,” Emmeline said angrily, although she had sat back down in her chair and continued to listen.
“I think you do, my dear. In truth, I can hardly bear to think of it.” Felicity paused for a moment to distractedly study her crisp white gloves. “Really, I can hardly bear to imagine you pining for a man who lays at your side. Inches away from you and yet, in truth, so far away that he can hardly see you. So far away that in his dreams it is me who lays beside him and not you.”
“I will not listen to such talk. You go too far, Your Grace.” Emmeline was furious.
“I can see that you are not going to comply with my demands.”
“That is the first thing that you have been right about since you came in without invitation. I shall not comply with your demands, as you put them, and shall bid you good day.” Emmelinerose to her feet and walked towards the drawing room door, pulling it sharply open towards her.
When she saw none other than Kent Fitzgerald standing on the other side, she almost screamed. She had not expected him to be there for a moment, and as her mouth fell open, he strode into the room past her and closed the door, barring her way.
“Mr Fitzgerald, have you just arrived?” Emmeline said, her mind practically whirling with confusion.
“No, I arrived with the Duchess,” he said, giving a smile that was so calculating it almost rivalled Felicity’s.
“I am afraid I do not understand,” Emmeline said, feeling suddenly afraid.
There was something in her cousin’s eyes, something that she had only ever seen a suggestion of before. But it was there now, there in full force. The man was quite unhinged, she was sure of it, and his eyes held such cruelty that she felt cold from head to foot.
“I had said to you all along that it would be much simpler if you married me. You get to remain here at Tarlton, as would your mother and sister. Furthermore, the Duchess of Galcross and the Earl of Addison would finally be together, just as the Lord intended them to be.”
“You speak for the Lord now, do you?” Emmeline said and immediately regretted her sarcasm when he took a step towards her and let her see that he was holding a Baker rifle.
He held the rifle at his side, leaning it gently against his leg. Emmeline gasped again, realizing now that she was in very real danger.
“But why? Why have you come here with a rifle?” Emmeline was about to fill her lungs ready to scream when her cousin held up his hand.
“I have already checked, and your servants are on the other side of the house. They are all busy, and none of them saw us approach. None of them shall see us leave either.”
“I am not leaving with you, Mr Fitzgerald.” Emmeline said, her voice giving her away, clearly displaying her fear.
“Yes, you are leaving with me. You have been given a choice, not only by me but by the Duchess herself. You are the one who has chosen not to take it, and if you attempt to create a fuss of any kind, then I should tell you that I am not afraid to use this.” He cast his eyes down towards the rifle at his side.
“Then I shall call off my engagement. I shall break it this day, I promise,” Emmeline said, desperate that she should at least remain in her home and safe.
“No, I do not think you can believe a word she says,” Felicity said, rising slowly to her feet, her demeanour most relaxed given the circumstances. “I think it is time that you take her with you.”
“You are quite right, Your Grace. I have certainly been far too lenient and accommodating these last weeks when I ought to have been anything but.”
“Lenient? Accommodating?” Emmeline was suddenly furious. “Again, you talk as if you have some control over me, and you do not. You have never had control over me, and you never shall.” At the moment that she once again filled her lungs to scream, her cousin struck her hard on the side of the head with the butt of the rifle.
Before the sound had escaped her lips, the pain shot through her, and her world turned black.
Chapter 25
Hunter had taken to horseback, deeming it somewhat quicker than having his carriage made ready. Furthermore, he could go across country and cover the few short miles between Addison Hall and Tarlton Manor in half the time.
Quite why he was rushing, he could not really tell. After all, it seemed very likely to him that Emmeline had chosen to leave. Still, he could not leave her sister and mother wondering and worrying, desperate to know where it was she had gone to. As far as he was aware, they had no immediate family, barring the dreadful Kent Fitzgerald, and so her options were limited as far as suitable lodgings were concerned.
And yet he knew he was not simply rushing on account of Constance and Rose Fitzgerald. He was rushing on his own account, desperate to know what had become of the woman he loved so dearly. When he had first received the hurriedly written note that Rose Fitzgerald had sent him that morning, Hunter had been unable to believe what he was reading. In truth, he had thought that the two of them had found even more common ground of late, overcoming the somewhat rocky path they had followed through the Duke’s funeral and the curious proposal of marriage Emmeline had received from her cousin but failed to disclose to him. It seemed as if they had turned a corner into a brighter day, and there was hope for them both, even hope that she would one day come to love him as he loved her.
Rose had written to tell him that Emmeline had been missing overnight, that she had been gone from the house when they had returned from a trip into town to the haberdashery. At first, they had thought her to be out walking, but as night had fallen, they had come to realize that it was something a little more serious than a walk. Rose had begged that he would attend at his earliest opportunity and do what he could to help them find her.