Lady Beast's Bridegroom (A Twist Upon a Regency Tale Book 1) by Jude Knight

Author:Jude Knight [Knight, Jude]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2023-02-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Peter’s resolution was put to the test sooner than Arial expected. They were going through the invitations and discussing each one when someone set up a banging on the front door.

Arial’s first thought was that Peter’s stepmother was back with another litany of complaints. Then Barlowe opened the door, and the visitor began shouting before he was across the threshold. Arial flinched. She could feel herself shrinking in her chair. Don’t be ridiculous. You are married now. Josiah has no power over you.

“What has your master done with my unfortunate cousin,” Josiah shouted at poor Barlowe. “There are laws in this country against fortune hunters who inveigle wealthy halfwits into marriage. I warn you, the only way to save yourself is to abandon your master and turn witness for me.”

Peter gave Arial’s shoulder a quick squeeze of reassurance. He opened the door and leaned over the stairs to call down to the front hall. “Let him come up, Barlowe. On his own. Those other gentlemen can wait in the street.”

Other gentlemen? Who had Josiah brought with him?

Peter added, “And close the front door, please. I imagine the neighbors have heard more than enough. If you have a moment, can you send someone with that message I mentioned earlier?”

Arial frowned at the last sentence, which seemed out of place. She took a deep breath. Peter knew what he was doing. Peter would not let Josiah hurt her. Her heart raced and her hands were clammy as the man’s approach was heralded by continued threats against Peter. It was clear he assumed Peter had sent his unwanted wife away as soon as the money was in his hands.

Peter will protect me became a constant chant and allowed her to face the villain with an assumption of calm when Peter stepped out of the doorway to let him into the room.

Josiah stopped in his tracks when he saw her. “You are here. I thought…”

“We heard what you thought,” Peter pointed out. “It is true, as my nurse used to say, we see in others a reflection of ourselves.”

Josiah turned on him, setting his shoulders and clenching his fists. “Now see here—”

Peter was a good six inches taller and at least as broad, but without any fat. He greeted Josiah’s attempt at intimidation with one lifted eyebrow, then interrupted the man to ask Arial. “The Earl of Stancroft, I presume?”

“Yes,” Arial agreed.

Peter turned back to Josiah. “Leave our house, Stancroft. You’re not welcome here.”

“Now see here,” Josiah hissed. “I have a warrant giving me guardianship of my cousin. You have no right to keep her from me. I have constables in the street to help me enforce the warrant.”

That eyebrow went up again. “Show me this warrant.”

It was a bark of command, and Josiah responded by pulling a folded sheaf of papers from inside his coat. Peter flattened them and read the top one, and then the next, and the one after.

For a wonder, Josiah waited. When Peter finished the fourth and last page, and handed the papers back to Josiah, Josiah smirked.

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