Page 51 of His Scandalous Lessons
Samuel. He wouldn’t have come here unless it was to do with Anne. Something was wrong. As he strode out of the room, he told his sister, “We’ll talk about this later. First chance I get.”
But first, he had to help Anne.
Chapter 29
The carriage rocked fretfully along the country road. Anne clasped and unclasped her hands as her heart knocked hard against her ribs. The interior was quiet, nothing but soft breathing and the occasional whisper of fabric between father and daughter.
“You will stay with His Grace once we arrive,” Stanton said. “If I need your assistance on political matters, I will call for you. No sooner.”
Anne stared in astonishment. Though she could barely see her father’s face, she felt his eyes on her. “You’re not staying for the wedding?”
“Kendal has a special license and staff who can serve as witnesses. I have business to attend to.”
“What business?”
“I don’t believe I asked your opinion on the matter.” He made a dismissive sound. “Good god, Kendal is going to have to work a great deal to undo the Duchess of Hastings’s influence. I don’t see that her lessons had a positive effect on you, if your insolence is any indication.”
Oh, Anne wanted to be insolent. She wanted to rage. She wanted to show him who she really was, and it wasn’t some subservient daughter who sought approval from him where she could find it. She never was.
“The duchess is my friend,” she said.
“Your friend. I doubt Kendal will think too kindly on her once he sees how impertinent you’ve become.”
“I don’t care what he thinks.”
Stanton looked at her sharply. “Stop whining, Anne, and stop staring at me like that. Look down, for god’s sake. Have I taught you nothing?”
Rage burned inside her so hot and intense that her skin heated. “Oh, you’ve taught me very well. I’ve learned so much from you about how to manipulate men. How to gather information.”
“Anne, you will cease this—”
"Where are the children Kendal adopted, Father? Somehow, I think you know.”
Stanton froze. She heard sounds from him, as if he wasn’t quite sure what to say. Then, before she could blink, he was across the seat, grasping the front of her dress. “Where did you hear about that? You can’t—” He let out a brittle laugh, then. “Richard Grey. Seems you’ve been more busy than I thought. I’d wondered what prompted him to start looking into Kendal. Should have known it had to do with a woman. I underestimated you, Anne.”
“You always have,” she said softly.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done? You bloody little idiot.”
“What I’ve done? You’re prepared to hand me over to a man who takes children from the rookeries and...and does what? Abuses them? Kills them? Both?” At her father’s silence, Anne shook her head. “I knew you were heartless; I didn’t expect you to be an absolute monster.”
“I had to,” he hissed. “Do you have any idea how much capital it takes to become a politician of note, let alone Prime Minister? We came fromnothing, Anne. No money, no connections. That pretty dress you’re wearing? This carriage? Who do you think has paid for all this?” He made a sound of derision. “Children die in the rookeries every damn day, Anne. And if they grow up, they vote how their landlords tell them to, and I pay their landlords to make sure it’s for the party. They’re of no consequence. A few less mouths to feed. Their mistresses were happy to be rid of them.”
“Yes,” Anne said in disgust, “a complete monster.”
“Monster I am. If Richard Grey takes all this away, what will you be left with? Nothing.” Stanton tightened his grip on her. “But I’m going to fix this. Once I let him know I’ve found out his sister is a bastard, married to a criminal from the rookeries, he’ll keep his trap shut or she’ll face ruin. His family is his weakness.”
Anne stared at her father in disgust. “And if he doesn’t?”
He was quiet a moment. Then: “I have other ways. I’d rather not use them, but I will if I have to.”
Murder. He was going to kill Richard.
Anne shoved her father away and made for the door of the carriage. She threw it open.
“Anne!”
The road was going fast underneath them. The coach swayed. Stanton grasped her hard, but she slammed his hand against the wooden frame of the carriage door. He released her with a sharp howl. “Anne!”
