Page 28 of The Rum and The Fox

For one exceedingly dark moment, Ash wanted to tell her. He wanted to look her in the eye and tell her that he had killed her beloved Thomas Todd and that he’d do it again in a heartbeat. Instead, he contented himself with a cool look.

“Go to your room or I’ll have you carried there.”

The tone of his voice and the intent behind it must have conveyed his rage rather more eloquently than he’d imagined, as after giving him a rather startled look, Hannah ran from the room.

“It’s not true, it’s not true …”

Lady Margaret stared at her daughter, who was moaning the same refrain over and over.

“Of course it’s true, you ridiculous creature. You’ve given that girl a false idea of her own worth, spoilt and indulged her and given her a deal too much freedom. You’re well served, in my opinion.”

“I think we’ve had enough of your opinion, grandmother,” Ash said, wondering if the woman had a shred of empathy in that lean frame of hers.

To his surprise, the woman gave him a look full of contempt but said nothing further as Ash sat beside his mother and took her hand.

“I’m so sorry, Mother,” he said, his voice soft as she leaned her head against his shoulder. “I’m afraid Lord Todd was neither a respectable nor a kind man. If you saw what he did to his own daughter, that must be enough to convince you.”

His mother stared up at him, her sobs arrested for a moment as he nodded.

“He beat her and her maid very badly,” he said, stroking her face with one hand. “He was a tyrant and a fortune hunter, and you have had a very lucky escape, my dear.”

“No, no, no,” Lady Anne moaned, shaking her head.

“You will see Lady Keziah Todd soon enough, Mother,” he said, his tone rather harder now. “You’ll see her father’s handiwork for yourself. Then tell me if you think he would have made a fine husband.”

Ash got to his feet. He needed a moment alone, away from all this hysteria, but his grandmother stepped towards him, her green eyes cool and curious.

“You never did tell me why the girl came to you,” she said, and Ash just stared back at her, deciding he’d endured quite enough for one day.

“No,” he said. “I didn’t.” And with that he left the room.