way. I’ll not marry you, and I don’t give a fig for the scandal.’
‘You’ll be ruined,’ he growled. ‘Your father will rot in prison.’
‘I’ll sell Trevan,’ Amelia retorted, surprised to see the sudden panic in his eyes. Did his uncommon interest in her lie with Trevan House? What could a man as wealthy and connected as Lord Winters care for this remote little place? In spite of her retort she knew that if her father’s debts were as heavy as he said then the sale of Trevan would barely scratch the surface.
‘You’ll do no such thing. You will either give yourself willingly,’ Horatio warned her, the look in his eyes sending a tremor of fear through her, ‘or I’ll drag you upstairs and take what’s been promised me.’
‘You can’t,’ Amelia said wildly. ‘I’m promised to someone else.’
Even if he was about to send me away
, she thought. Horatio however merely laughed. ‘Is that what you’ve been doing up here, my dear? Playing the whore? All the more reason for you to be taken in hand, then.’
Amelia spat at him. ‘I’d rather be a whore,’ she retorted, ‘than your wife.’
The blow came so quickly she barely saw it coming, just a blur in front of her face as Horatio backhanded her viciously. She heard Sally scream, and then through the ringing in her ears as she fell sideways to the floor heard a bellow of rage. Dazed, she saw a tall strong figure with a shock of red hair barrel into Horatio.
Jasper. He had come for her after all. He thrust Horatio up against the wall, a hand at his throat.
‘Put your hands where I can see them, or I’ll choke the traitorous bastard,’ Jasper snarled at Horatio’s henchman. ‘You, girl, go and fetch help.’ Sally did as she was bidden, running the way Jasper had come. Amelia sat herself up, her head ringing, and Horatio, even though his face was reddening under Jasper’s grip still managed to sneer at her.
‘So this is who you’ve been whoring for, some petty Scots bastard,’ he wheezed. Jasper tightened his grip.
‘The name,’ he all but growled at Horatio, ‘is Lord Glendir, and if you call her a whore again, I’ll string you up before the Law gets the chance. Oh yes,’ he nodded as Horatio’s eyes widened in surprise, ‘I know all about your dealings with the French. You’ll not get either Amelia or access to the smuggling trails.’
‘Smuggling trails?’ Amelia was confused. Jasper nodded grimly, keeping his gaze firmly on Horatio.
‘Lord Winters here—’ he practically spat the man’s name ‘—has been selling arms to France. After operations were discovered and shut down in Cornwall, they were planning on using the old smugglers’ caves nearby. This double-dealing traitor doesn’t like getting his own hands dirty and has managed to elude us. Until now. Perhaps if you weren’t so arrogant,’ he addressed Horatio, ‘you would have realized we were on your trail.’
Amelia drew in a sharp breath as things suddenly fell into place. That explained why Horatio had been so eager to marry her that he was even prepared to bail out her father; he wanted the control of her lands—and the smugglers’ trails that led onto them—that being her husband would give him. But what was Jasper’s involvement in all this? That knowledge too seemed suddenly all too obvious. He was a spy for the Crown. That explained his absences and the mysterious reputation—and why he had been so guarded with her. Amelia pressed a hand to her still-ringing head as she tried to take in this new revelation.
The scarred-faced man, who had been sidling his way towards the front door hoping to make his escape before Sally returned with help, had stopped and looked over at the two men, his expression one of disgust.
‘What’s all this about the French? You told me we were ‘ere to fetch yer woman. I’ll not work for some Frenchie.’
Jasper turned slightly at the man’s words, and although he kept his arm firmly at Horatio’s
‘You’ll be ruined,’ he growled. ‘Your father will rot in prison.’
‘I’ll sell Trevan,’ Amelia retorted, surprised to see the sudden panic in his eyes. Did his uncommon interest in her lie with Trevan House? What could a man as wealthy and connected as Lord Winters care for this remote little place? In spite of her retort she knew that if her father’s debts were as heavy as he said then the sale of Trevan would barely scratch the surface.
‘You’ll do no such thing. You will either give yourself willingly,’ Horatio warned her, the look in his eyes sending a tremor of fear through her, ‘or I’ll drag you upstairs and take what’s been promised me.’
‘You can’t,’ Amelia said wildly. ‘I’m promised to someone else.’
Even if he was about to send me away
, she thought. Horatio however merely laughed. ‘Is that what you’ve been doing up here, my dear? Playing the whore? All the more reason for you to be taken in hand, then.’
Amelia spat at him. ‘I’d rather be a whore,’ she retorted, ‘than your wife.’
The blow came so quickly she barely saw it coming, just a blur in front of her face as Horatio backhanded her viciously. She heard Sally scream, and then through the ringing in her ears as she fell sideways to the floor heard a bellow of rage. Dazed, she saw a tall strong figure with a shock of red hair barrel into Horatio.
Jasper. He had come for her after all. He thrust Horatio up against the wall, a hand at his throat.
‘Put your hands where I can see them, or I’ll choke the traitorous bastard,’ Jasper snarled at Horatio’s henchman. ‘You, girl, go and fetch help.’ Sally did as she was bidden, running the way Jasper had come. Amelia sat herself up, her head ringing, and Horatio, even though his face was reddening under Jasper’s grip still managed to sneer at her.
‘So this is who you’ve been whoring for, some petty Scots bastard,’ he wheezed. Jasper tightened his grip.
‘The name,’ he all but growled at Horatio, ‘is Lord Glendir, and if you call her a whore again, I’ll string you up before the Law gets the chance. Oh yes,’ he nodded as Horatio’s eyes widened in surprise, ‘I know all about your dealings with the French. You’ll not get either Amelia or access to the smuggling trails.’
‘Smuggling trails?’ Amelia was confused. Jasper nodded grimly, keeping his gaze firmly on Horatio.
‘Lord Winters here—’ he practically spat the man’s name ‘—has been selling arms to France. After operations were discovered and shut down in Cornwall, they were planning on using the old smugglers’ caves nearby. This double-dealing traitor doesn’t like getting his own hands dirty and has managed to elude us. Until now. Perhaps if you weren’t so arrogant,’ he addressed Horatio, ‘you would have realized we were on your trail.’
Amelia drew in a sharp breath as things suddenly fell into place. That explained why Horatio had been so eager to marry her that he was even prepared to bail out her father; he wanted the control of her lands—and the smugglers’ trails that led onto them—that being her husband would give him. But what was Jasper’s involvement in all this? That knowledge too seemed suddenly all too obvious. He was a spy for the Crown. That explained his absences and the mysterious reputation—and why he had been so guarded with her. Amelia pressed a hand to her still-ringing head as she tried to take in this new revelation.
The scarred-faced man, who had been sidling his way towards the front door hoping to make his escape before Sally returned with help, had stopped and looked over at the two men, his expression one of disgust.
‘What’s all this about the French? You told me we were ‘ere to fetch yer woman. I’ll not work for some Frenchie.’
Jasper turned slightly at the man’s words, and although he kept his arm firmly at Horatio’s
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