Page 41 of One Perfect Dance
He crooned in her ear. “Regina, my love. How can you treat me so coldly? Have I not loved you faithfully all these years?”
Regina stamped backward with her feet. “Let me go, you oaf!”
He shoved his hand over her mouth and pressed his body into hers, pushing her thighs hard up against the cabinet, so it rocked and the vase of flowers on top of it threatened to topple.
“I have been patient, Regina. I was prepared to give you time. But you are making a fool out of me, running around town with that sniveling servant Ashby. It is time for you to learn you are mine.” He bent her forward, so her face was pressed up against the wall. The vase gave up the struggle and fell over, spilling water and flowers to the floor.
Regina could feel his other hand scrabbling at her calves and then her thighs. She bit down on his fingers, and—when he yanked them away—screamed at the top of her voice.
She heard the bang when the door burst open and another crash. Some part of her that was not panicking catalogued a further breakage to Deffew’s account.
Then he was gone.
Regina rested a moment more against the sideboard, taking a deep breath to calm herself before turning towards the sounds of blows against flesh.
Elijah had Deffew by the cravat, holding him up while his other fist pounded the man’s face again and again.
Charles watched, his face white.
Deffew’s struggles were growing weaker. “Elijah,” Regina said, and then again, louder. “Elijah! Don’t kill him. Not in my drawing room.” Not anywhere, she should have said. She could not bear it if Elijah had to flee England. Unless he took her with him.
The thought had her fighting back tears. “Please, Elijah.”
Perhaps it was the quaver in her voice, but his fist ceased its stern punishment and the grim rage ebbed from his expression. “I beg your pardon, Mrs. Paddimore.” He let go of Deffew’s cravat and the worm collapsed spinelessly onto the carpet, sobbing. “Shall I take him out into the mews and kill him there?”
Regina’s gasp and Deffew’s whimper sounded together, but the dance of humor was back in Elijah’s eyes. “Or shall I call the constable? Assault is a serious offense.” He stirred the wailing idiot with his toe.
“Charles, see Mr. Deffew to the door,” Regina said. “I have new instructions for you. He is not to enter this house again. Ever.”
“You have to marry me,” Deffew said, the words garbled and muffled as he spoke around whatever injuries Elijah had inflicted. “You owe me.” She could see another thought dawn on him. “When I tell people how Ashby found us, you will be ruined if you don’t marry me.”
He flinched at the scorn in her glare, or perhaps at the fist Elijah raised.
“You tried that sixteen years ago, you benighted fool,” Regina scolded. “Do you think your consequence is greater than mine? If you say a single word about what happened here today, I shall tell the truth about the highwayman who shot my husband, and we shall see who is ruined.”
Deffew, already pale, whitened still further. He made an inarticulate sound of protest.
“Nothing happened here today,” Elijah said. “I was in the room the whole time, was I not, Charles?”
The footman nodded, a grin spreading slowly over his face. “Yes, sir. And I was, too. Chaperoning my lady, like. Since she had two gentlemen callers.”
Elijah offered Deffew his hand. The man took it cautiously and allowed Elijah to help him to his feet. Elijah leaned close to Deffew’s ear. His voice was a low and lethal whisper, but Regina heard every word. “If you say one word that casts discredit on Mrs. Paddimore in any way, I shall hunt you down, Deffew. I have learned much in my travels. I shall take you apart, and no one will ever find the pieces.”
Deffew backed away, white showing all round his irises.
“Charles, take out the trash,” Elijah commanded. The footman took Deffew by the arm and marched him out the door.
Regina collapsed onto the sofa and burst into tears.
Chapter Sixteen
In a moment,she was a warm fragrant bundle on Ash’s lap, her curves draped across his torso, her arms wrapped around him, her face tucked into his shoulder as she cried.
He patted her shoulder, murmuring comfort. “There now. You’re safe now, Ginny. He’s gone. He won’t bother you again. I have you, my darling. I have you.”
He had not seen Regina so discomposed since she was a child, grieving the loss of a kitten. He wished he’d hit Deffew harder. He’d thought he and Charles were in time, but if the swine’s violation had gone beyond what he’d seen, the dog would die for it, Regina’s opinion notwithstanding.
Charles poked his head around the door, his eyes widening in alarm when he saw the state of his mistress. Ash pointed to the brandy decanter he could see on a sideboard. “Two,” he mouthed, ceasing his patting to hold up two fingers then resuming again, barely breaking rhythm.
