Page 43 of A Lady Igniting Wicked Passions
“How dare you! How dare you!” He breathed. “How many damned women do you want!”
Aaron took a deep breath. “I apologize that Arabella and I were less than circumspect. We did not want you to find out…”
“I’ll bet you didn’t! I will wager my fortune that you didn’t want me to find out!” Eversden came forward, wagging a finger at the taller man.
He came close to Arabella who stepped towards him imploringly. He raised his hand as though to strike her and Aaron darted forward. He seized the older man’s wrist, preventing the blow from landing.
“Do not raise your hand to her, sir. I will not allow it.”
His tone was steel and his eyes even harder. Eversden tried to wrench his hand free but could not. Aaron eventually released him and he stalked away, throwing furious glances over his shoulder.
“Father. This was not planned. I did not want marry Lord Edgeworth but I did not set out to sabotage your plans. I intended to go through with them. I really did.”
“You were rolling about in the hay, in my own stables! Like a…like a…whore!” Eversden roared.
Aaron felt a flash of anger and took a step forward but Arabella thrust out her hand. He took a deep breath as he stopped, trying to swallow his rage at the insults being given to Arabella. He had known it would be so and had wished to avoid it.
But, at the same time, he did not see her so and if she did not either, then both were free. There came a knock at the door and Eversden roared in reply for whomever it was to come in. A servant nervously entered the room.
“Send for the Lady Helena and the Lady Eversden. Tell them they are needed to discuss an urgent matter. You will explain yourself to your mother and to the sister that you have betrayed. And you…” He pointed at Aaron, “…will face the woman whose heart you have broken!”
“Oh, father!” Arabella protested. “Helena does not care for Aaron. She simply wants his title to increase her prestige. She will not be heartbroken. One needs to be capable of love for that.”
“She has told me that she is in love with His Grace…no, I will not deign to give you an honorific. You will be Ashenwood and leave it at that. I believe my daughter.”
“If you only knew, father, what has happened to us. Both of us. And the part that Helena has played. She has behaved with perfidy,” Arabella said, her voice raising.
“How long? How long has this…this…been going on for?” Eversden demanded.
“Since the night of the ball at Eversden,” Aaron said calmly.
“So, this was planned all along. To take Helena’s dowry and seduce Arabella?”
“Don’t be absurd,” Aaron said coldly, keeping his temper in check lest it get the better of him.
“Absurd? You call it absurd when you are planning to commit adultery with one sister against another. I call it wicked and immoral!”
“We were neither of us happy in our respective matches,” Arabella said. “And, yes, we were attracted to each other. And found comfort in each other’s arms.”
“Is that what you call it?” Eversden scoffed.
“I am growing tired of your insolence,” Aaron growled.
Arabella shot him an appealing look, then stepped between the two men.
“Can the two of you stop posturing? We were caught acting like juveniles and for that we are both sorry. We intended to bring this to you like adults but have no desire to simply be forbidden from marrying and ordered to go on as we were. You do not have that right, father.”
“I have the right to cut you off. This very day. Without a penny and without a single horse to your name,” Eversden said from between gritted teeth.
“That would be…painful but…very well,” Arabella said, turning and walking to Aaron’s side.
She took his hand, entwining her fingers with his.
“You have the choice to accept this and make the best of it,” Aaron said. “Neither of us will accept that we have done anything wrong.”
“Because we haven’t. If we have your blessing then we will face the ton and admit that we betrayed our respective fiancés and seek their forgiveness. But if we do not have your blessing then we will still be together. I will simply be another black sheep.”
“Oh no, no you don’t. Do not mention her name in my presence,” Eversden said, shaking his head emphatically.
