Chapter 34

CHAPTER 34

T he sting of Marina's words tore him down and held him in his place as she disappeared inside the house, surely, he thought, to call a carriage. A rage built in him like a bonfire—his marriage had been in a precarious enough position without this interference. The Duke turned and made his way back to his uncle, who was singing, as if he had not just destroyed a union in a single afternoon.

"What reason could you possibly have had to do something like this, Uncle?" Phillip demanded, looming over Emmanuel Hayward's seated form. He gripped the back of the chair Marina had just occupied with tense fingers. "Tell me," he insisted, his powerful voice growing in volume and earnest.

"You were not willing to protect yourself, Phillip, so I took it upon myself to interfere. You are young, yet, and do not know what to do about the politics of marriage. You will thank me when you are older for watching so carefully."

"The politics of marriage?" Phillip snapped, disgusted. "The details of my birth were my problem to resolve. What could telling her have achieved besides running her out of her own home? How did you even come upon this information? My father made it clear that even you were not privy to the inner workings of his own family. He did not seem to trust you, and I am beginning to see why." As much as Phillip hated the idea of agreeing with his father of all people, it was clear that the late duke's distrust of his brother was due to more than his meddling with Phillip's upbringing.

"I didn't know, but I had a hunch, Phillip. This event has nothing to do with her or your blood. It has everything to do with protecting you from her greedy, traitorous family. The moment you got into bed with them you put yourself and your estate at risk."

Phillip glared at his uncle, bending closer to him and speaking slowly. "You know not of what you speak. You have done unspeakable damage to my marriage, yet this is your defense? It was a misunderstanding."

"No, it?—"

"Yes," Phillip hissed, standing straight once more. He looked at his uncle now with a disdain normally reserved for the most vile of human beings. "I spoke to Marina's father about this before I ever asked for an engagement. You must think that I am still a child incapable of handling my own affairs, but I am twice the man you are. Their feud was over misprint on a deed about their shared property and was resolved ages ago by the Earl's uncle who worked in law. My father and the Linfields have been friendly this past decade. It is you who has been mistaken."

"Nephew, is this true?"

Phillip scoffed. "There is but one liar amongst us."

"I did not mean?—"

"What should I care about intention?" Phillip's face was red with rage. "You are no different from my father. You have come to my home, sought out my wife, and put an end to the life I was so carefully building for myself, and all for what? You are hateful, bitter, and lonely. I do not know why it is that you think this entitles you to bring me down to your level, but I will not hear of it. Do not make the mistake of thinking that we are on such good terms that you can invite yourself into my home again."

Phillip disappeared without giving his uncle a chance to consider or follow him out. There was work to be done, and he needed to do it right away.