Page 76 of Worth Any Price
“Sayer,” he managed to say hoarsely, “I’ve just decided something.”
“Oh?”
“From now on, you’ll have to find your own fucking way around Fleet Ditch.”
Sayer grinned suddenly, seeming to understand the reasons behind his vehemence. “I suppose you think you’re too good for this place, now that you’re a viscount. I knew it was just a matter of time before you started putting on airs.”
Lord Radnor was clearly astonished to see Lottie at her family’s home. His hard, black gaze moved from her face to Ellie’s, comparing the two of them, cataloging the differences. When he looked back at Lottie, his face was taut with a mixture of hatred and longing.
“You have no right to interfere,” he said.
“My sister is an innocent young girl who has done nothing to you,” Lottie flared. “She doesn’t deserve to suffer because of my actions. Leave her alone!”
“I’ve invested twelve years of my life in you,” Radnor said between clenched teeth, taking astep forward. “And I will be repaid for those years one way or another.”
Lottie glanced incredulously at her parents. “You can’t truly mean to give her to him! How can you have slipped so far beyond decency? My husband said that he would take care of you and assume your debts—”
“Ellie will have a better life this way,” her father mumbled. “Lord Radnor will provide well for her—”
“You don’t mind the fact that he intends to make her his mistress?” Lottie glared at them all, while Ellie cowered behind her and sobbed against her back. “Well, I won’t have it! I’m leaving now, and taking Ellie with me—and if anyone dares to lay a finger on us, he will answer to Lord Sydney.”
The mention of Nick seemed to infuriate Lord Radnor. “How dare you? You have cheated, betrayed, and insulted me beyond all bearing, and now you mean to deprive me of the one recompense I ask for.”
“You don’t want Ellie,” Lottie said, staring at him steadily. “You want to strike back at me. To punish me for marrying someone else.”
“Yes,” Radnor exploded fiercely, seeming to lose all self-control. “Yes, I want to punish you. I raised you up from the mud, and you have brought yourself low again. You have corrupted yourself, and in doing so, you have deprived me of the only thing I have ever desired.” He came to her in a few aggressive strides. “Every night I lie abed imagining you with that swine,” he shouted into her face. “How could you choosethat loathsome animal over me? The filthiest, most debauched man on—”
Lottie drew back her hand and struck him hard, her palm smacking the side of his face with numbing force. “You aren’t fit to speak his name!”
Their gazes locked, and Lottie saw the last remnants of sanity disappear from Radnor’s eyes. He reached out for her, his hands closing around her like a hawk’s talons, and he jerked her off her feet until she fell against him. Behind her, Ellie gave a fearful shriek.
Lottie’s parents appeared too stunned to move as Lord Radnor dragged her from the house. Caught fast in his grip, Lottie stumbled and tripped down the front steps. Radnor shouted something to his footmen, while she fought and twisted in Radnor’s arms, until he cuffed the side of her head, landing a painful blow on her ear. Lottie reared and shook her head to clear a shower of brilliant sparks. Her gaze found Daniel, who had been beset by Radnor’s footmen. Despite Daniel’s size, he was no match for two of them.
“My lady,” Daniel cried, and reeled backward as a heavy fist smashed into his face.
Radnor sank his hand into Lottie’s hair and tangled his fingers tightly in the pinned-up locks. Locking his other arm around her neck, he forced her to go with him to his carriage.
“See here, Radnor—” came her father’s anxious voice. “We’ve said you can have Ellie. Release Lottie, and we’ll—”
“Thisis what I want,” Lord Radnor raged, dragging Lottie with his forearm clamped around her throat, making her choke and gag as she was deprived of air. “No more bargains. No substitutes. I will have Charlotte and be damned to all of you!”
Lottie clawed frantically at the crushing vise of his arm, her lungs feeling as if they would burst. She couldn’t breathe... she needed air... black and red streaks blurred her vision, and she felt herself go limp in Radnor’s punishing embrace.
Chapter Fifteen
Lottie did not fully regain her senses until she felt herself being half-dragged, half-carried into Lord Radnor’s London home. Her head pounded viciously, and her throat ached as she struggled against his unrelenting grasp. Somewhere beneath her fear and fury, she was aware of a deep relief that Ellie had been spared. Her sister was safe, and now everything had boiled down to the confrontation that Lottie had always known would happen, between her and the man who had dominated most of her life.
Although Lottie was aware of a few exclamations from nearby servants, none of them dared to interfere. They were all fearful of Radnor, and they would not lift a finger to prevent him fromdoing as he wished. She wondered what his purpose was in bringing her here. His London residence was the first place that would be investigated when it was discovered that she was missing. She would have expected him to take her to a remote place where they could not easily be found.
Radnor hauled her to the library, locked the door shut, and shoved Lottie into a chair. Holding one hand to her bruised throat, she crumpled into the seat. A few moments later, she felt something hard and cold prod against her temple, while one of his hands pulled her head to the back of the chair.
Lottie’s heart stopped beating as she understood the reason that Lord Radnor had brought her here. Since he could not have her, he intended to destroy her.
“I loved you,” Radnor said quietly, sounding perfectly sane, even as the end of the pistol barrel trembled against her head. “I would have given you everything.”
Strangely, Lottie found that she was able to answer in just as rational a tone, as though they were having an ordinary conversation and her life was not about to end with the pull of his finger on the trigger. “You never loved me.” It hurt her throat to speak, but she forced herself to continue. “You don’t know the meaning of the word.”
The pistol shook harder. “How can you say that after all that I have sacrificed for you? Are you really so ignorant?”
