Only A Hero Will Do by Susan Lodge

Author:Susan Lodge
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Crooked Cat publishing
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Hetty braced for the blow, but the crop stopped in mid-descent, level with her face. He gently prodded the soft flesh beneath her chin, making her whole body quiver. Then he smiled – a promise of pain. He clearly was not going to hurry his revenge.

While her eyes were riveted on the crop, his other hand whipped out and grasped her shoulder. Spinning her away from the wall, he pushed her toward her father’s large oak desk. He put the crop down on the desk and Hetty whimpered a small sigh of relief until his hands captured her chin and his lips roughly claimed hers.

Rage fuelled her strength, and raising her arm, she battered the side of his head with her fist in a desperate blow. His head jerked aside, and he released her lips.

“Damnation, Hetty – you really must learn to cooperate.”

He slapped her face, making her eyes water, then grasped her arm and pushed her face down over the polished surface of the desk.

“Now, you ungrateful little wretch, perhaps I can demonstrate how displeased your behaviour has made me.” Hetty watched in horror as he picked up the crop that lay inches from her nose.

Panic raced through her. “Let me go, you animal! I have told you our wedding is off.”

Red-hot fire slashed across her buttocks as the crop crashed down. Hetty gasped, first in shock then in agony, as he repeated the action once more. Even through her skirts the pain was excruciating. She heard the swish of air as the crop rose again just before his restraining grip was mercifully lifted from the small of her back.

Pushing herself up with shaking hands, she saw Stark lying in the corner. He must have travelled several feet through the air to arrive at the spot. His eyes were wide, his nose bloody, and his neckcloth rumpled. She turned to the tall figure of her rescuer.

Anthony Avebury stood between them, staring down at Stark with a look of utter contempt.

Stark groaned. “Avebury, what the devil are you doing? My business is with your father, not you. How dare you treat me in this manner?”

“I rather think the disturbing way you are treating Hetty is my business,” Anthony replied.

Stark tested his jaw and nose gingerly with his hand. “Have you not heard? She is my betrothed. She has to get used to obeying my orders. I was just teaching her a little discipline after all the trouble she has caused.”

“As I recall, no wedding has taken place, so she does not belong to you, Stark. More to the point, after witnessing your particular brand of courtship, I can now understand why Hetty was forced to flee.”

Anthony took off his coat, and Stark visibly quaked, much to Hetty’s delight. Her stepbrother headed toward her, and she felt a rush of appreciation as he wrapped the smoky warmth of his jacket around her shoulders.

“Are you all right, Hetty?”

She nodded, watching him closely, revelling that someone in her family was actually on her side.

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