Page 79 of A Trap by the Rakish Duke
Lord Keldbrooke’s eyes narrowed and he took a menacing step forward, his fists clenching at his sides. “So…the Duke comes to protect his precious wife, does he? You are the one who has driven her to this madness!”
“Enough!” Philip shouted, a fierce edge to his voice. “Leave while I am still being pleasant, Keldbrooke.”
In a sudden fit of rage, Lord Keldbrooke pulled a pistol from his coat, aiming it squarely at him. “I will take you down the same way I took down your brother!” he snarled, venom dripping from his words.
Aurelia gasped, instinctively stepping in front of Philip. “Father, please! Lower your weapon!”
Philip reached for Aurelia’s arm, trying to pull her back. “Step away, Aurelia!” he commanded, but she stood her ground, her heart racing.
“Why are you defending him?” Lord Keldbrooke spat, incredulous. “He is our enemy!”
“Philip is my husband, not my enemy. I love him!” Aurelia cried out, her voice trembling.
The declaration hung in the air, heavy with tension.
Lord Keldbrooke hesitated, his grip on the pistol loosening as he looked from his daughter to Philip, realization dawning in his eyes.
“Love?” he scoffed. “You love this man?”
“Yes!” Aurelia cried, her heart racing. “I will not let you hurt him!”
Lord Keldbrooke’s expression darkened and he tightened his grip on the pistol once again, his eyes blazing. “Then you will pay for this, Aurelia. I will kill you unless he returns what he has taken from me, including you, my dear.”
“You will do no such thing!” she screamed, her voice breaking with fear and anger.
“Watch me!”
Lord Keldbrooke’s face twisted in fury and without hesitation he pulled the trigger.
However, instead of the sharp blast of gunpowder there was only silence.
He frantically pulled the trigger again, but the pistol refused to fire.
“What is this?” he snarled, striking the weapon in disbelief, his fury mounting as it failed to release the deadly shot he so desperately wanted.
Philip stepped forward, a grim smile playing on his lips. “That, Keldbrooke, is the end of your vile schemes.”
Lord Keldbrooke’s eyes widened in shock, and his grip on the pistol tightened. “What have you done?”
Philip crossed his arms over his chest, his voice calm yet laced with satisfaction. “I had my trusty aide John follow you after your visit to Aurelia yesterday. I knew you could not be trusted and I knew you would try something reckless. I instructed him to remove the bullets from every weapon in your townhouse.”
Lord Keldbrooke’s face turned crimson, his hands shaking with rage as he stared at the useless pistol. He looked up at Aurelia, but what he saw in her tear-filled eyes cut him deeper than any weapon could.
“You were truly going to kill me,” Aurelia whispered, her voice trembling with disbelief and sorrow. “Your own child.”
For a moment Lord Keldbrooke faltered. His hand lowered, his face softening as he took in the full weight of what he had just tried to do. But pride and anger quickly took hold once more, and his mouth twisted into a sneer.
“I was doing what I had to…”
“No!” Aurelia cut him off, shaking her head as tears slipped down her cheeks. “You were trying to save yourself. You never cared about me. You only cared about what I could do for you, how you could use me to get what you wanted.” Her voice broke, raw and pained. “I am done with you. I never want to see you again.”
Lord Keldbrooke opened his mouth but before he could speak, Philip moved in front of Aurelia, his jaw set with steely resolve. “You have wreaked enough havoc, Keldbrooke.”
The older man glared at him, his pride wounded and his fury blazing, but before he could lash out further, Philip’s fist shot forward in a swift, powerful motion. The punch landed squarely on Lord Keldbrooke’s jaw with a sickening crack and he stumbled backwards, collapsing to the ground.
Philip stood over him, his voice calm but deadly. “I have collected every piece of evidence I need. The authorities will receive it all. You will spend the rest of your life in prison and there will be no escape.”
As if summoned by Philip’s words, the constables appeared at the edge of the park, striding forward with determined steps.
