Page 99 of A Well-Trained Lady

“Have you located them?” Lord Thorton stepped through a much wider opening in the hedge a few yards in front of us, and Lady Beatrice blew out an exasperated breath.

“Not yet.”

“Why did you not tell me there was a larger opening?” Lady Beatrice demanded, scowling at Lord Thorton.

Not a touch of remorse was evident in his features. “Why did you not wait behind like I instructed?”

Lady Beatrice huffed indignantly. “Why I never—”

The sound of a faint cry compelled me forward to a small copse of trees. “Ruth!” I took hold of my skirts and ran, the sound of men arguing growing louder.

A small clearing opened, and I caught sight of Augustus pinning Mr. Green to the trunk of a large tree. Ruth watched in terror, tears streaming down her face.

“Ruth!” I called, gesturing her to me.

Her widened eyes met mine, and she made haste to where I stood, collapsing into my embrace with a sob.

“How you call yourself a gentleman—” Augustus growled through gritted teeth.

Mr. Green glared back at him, his face growing red with anger in his futile attempts to free himself from Augustus’s unrelenting hold.

I heard Lady Beatrice gasp and the hurried footsteps of Lord Thorton from behind.

“Release him, Mr. Brundage.” Lord Thorton pressed past me.

Augustus’s gaze landed on Lord Thorton, a look in his eyes I had never seen in him before—absolute loathing. He did not relent.

Lord Thorton lifted his hands in a gesture of peace. “Let him go, and we will discuss this.”

Augustus’s chest heaved as he pressed harder into Mr. Green, but then he gave one final push on Mr. Green’s chest and stepped back. Mr. Green hurried to right himself, tugging at the bottom of his jacket to straighten out the creases left by Augustus’s grip.

Augustus pointed at Mr. Green. “Don’t you ever come near Ruth again.”

Mr. Green looked up at Augustus, his face still red with fury. “I only acted in accordance to Miss Seton’s inducements.”

Augustus’s eyes flashed to me, and I dropped my gaze, unable to bear the accusation in them. “Had she known of your intentions, she never would have encouraged a degenerate like you.”

“And yet here we stand.” Mr. Green’s eyes flicked toward us, a slight smirk on his lips. “Witnesses to attest to what has transpired between us.”

My lips parted, and I held a hand over Ruth’s ear, pressing the other against me, as though that would somehow keep Mr. Green’s accusations from sinking in.

“You scoundrel.” Augustus started forward again, and Lord Thorton stepped between them, his large arms outstretched to prevent another altercation.

“Come now, gentlemen. Let us be reasonable.”

“Reasonable?” Augustus threw up a hand toward Mr. Green. “How is one to be reasonable when it is evident what his purpose is?”

“I love her,” Mr. Green said, causing Ruth to lift her head. “I love you, Ruth. I did not mean to frighten you, but I could not restrain my desire for you.”

“Liar.” Augustus stepped in an attempt to block Mr. Green’s view of Ruth. “Your only desire is for her supposed fortune.”

Ruth went rigid in my embrace.

Augustus shook his head, the muscles in his jaw flexing. “Well, I’ve never been happier to inform someone that she has no fortune. I received a letter two days past informing me that the Court of Chancery ruled against our appeal. The Crown is officially the sole inheritor of the Setons’ estate.”

As we all stood in stunned silence, the hurt began to set in. My dearest Ruth had nothing, and Augustus had not confided in me about it.

Augustus drew in a breath and directed his vehement glare back on Mr. Green. “Will you still profess your love for her when she is as poor as you?”