Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

We’re Away

Maxine

I caught up with him because my skirt wasn’t tight this time, and the situation meant I was okay with running, something I had to do because his legs were so long and they swiftly ate up ground with his stalking, thus I had no choice.

He entered the drawing room with me on his heels, announcing, “As mad as it is, you were right, Father. She has a twin.”

Edgar’s gaze sliced to me.

But they…

Already suspected?

Oh my God.

This was a disaster.

“And her mother didn’t commit suicide,” Loren continued, words that made me stop in my tracks. “She’s still alive.”

“Make one more move to that door, Derryman, I won’t call Loren off this time,” Ansley warned.

I looked back at Dad-not-Dad, who was now stopped in his tracks on his way to the door.

He appeared both flipped out and fit to be tied.

But…

My mom from this world killed herself?

“I don’t know what he’s been up to or why,” Loren went on. “But the Maxine you met at the sanitorium is now being held captive, along with her mother, so this Maxine would be forced to return from Fleuridia and marry me.”

“You met my daughter?” Edgar asked Ansley, sounding horrified, so horrified, in those three words, he gave it all away.

I knew this with the glance Ansley shot at him before he spoke. “You were delaying,” the duke returned easily. “I’m not a man to be put off. I set some investigators on it. Found your daughter. Discovered the story of her horse accident and subsequent head injury. But we had a lovely few visits, as she is that. Although frozen in time at the age of six when she was hurt, she’s most lovely.”

Horse accident.

At six.

Head injury.

Okay, that explained a few things.

I wondered if Mom had figured that out yet.

“Is she Maxine?” Ansley asked Edgar, then nodded to me. “Or is this Maxine?”

Edgar pushed his nose in the air and stated, “You cannot hold me here. I’ll be away in the now. And you,” he sniped at me, “can be trapped here and live to your dying breath with your regret.”

He then made a move to leave.

This didn’t work out too well for him because, within about five seconds, his ass was in a chair and Loren was looming over it, glowering down at him.

I witnessed it, and except for seeing moves like that in movies, I’d never seen anything like it.

It…was…awesome.

“Do you wish to suffer the indignity of being tied to it?” he asked Dad-not-Dad in the kind of tone you’d ask someone if they wanted another glass of champagne.

Okay, not awesome.

Bad…freaking…ass.

“This isn’t to be borne!” Edgar shouted in return.

“You will speak when spoken to,” Ansley proclaimed and then said, “Ah, Eaton, again, so sorry, but we’re having a busy night. First, a cold compress for the countess. Second, please detain all of the count’s staff. If you must be creative in that endeavor, do so.”

Eaton, who weirdly seemed no stranger to such an order, assumed a look of contented excitement.

“Not Idina. She isn’t involved in this,” I put in. “She was only hired right before our trip.”

“Have a care with the maid,” Ansley agreed. “And last…” He turned his head to his son. “Loren?”

“Maitland,” Loren grunted.

An unusual but attractive smile spread on Ansley’s lips before he said, “And send for Maitland, urgently.”

Who was Maitland?

Eaton took off.

“Ummmm…” I hummed.

“Now, dear, are you Maxine, or are you named something else?” Ansley inquired of me.

Okay, things were happening fast here, and I had to think fast as they happened.

But it didn’t seem to sound crazy to them that I had a twin, though I was sensing they didn’t know about the parallel world, but Ansley had even met her. Also, they weren’t surprised Mom was around, though that was strange considering the mom of this world took her own life.

However, maybe…just maybe…

“Satrine,” I declared, giving them the name Mom nearly gave me. “My name is Satrine. I’m Maxine’s my twin sister.” I turned to Ansley. “And we need to find Mother and Maxine. It’s not nice, where he’s holding them, and he took Maxie out of her hospital, and she needs to go back as soon as possible.”

“Oh, my dear,” Ansley murmured sadly. “You’ve been enduring such a trial.”

I so totally had.

But there was no time to feel sorry for myself.

“I would like to go back to the city now, please.”

Ansley tetched and stated, “Of course. In a day, or two, we shall return—”

“No, really, now. Just, um, if you could, please get someone to bring a carriage around and Idina and I—”

Ansley’s brows flew together. “You don’t mean to go back to Newton on your own.”

Newton.

Newton was the name of that city.

Remember, Maxine, I mentally noted. Pay attention, listen, learn, and you might be able to pull this off.

“When I say their situation is dire, sir, I mean that gravely,” I shared. “There’s no time to waste.”

Ansley looked to Loren.

Loren was watching us, but when he had our attention, he looked down to Edgar.

“Where are they?” he asked.

“Go,” Edgar sniffed, “straight to hell.”

Okay, they had the concept of hell here.

Or maybe just the curse word?

“You can offer the information, or you can give me my most fervent wish for this evening. That being to crush each bone, one by one, in the hand you took to Satrine. Your choice, sir. Provide it, please,” Loren returned.

Totally…

Bad…

Ass.

Edgar sat there, glaring up at Loren, and then…shit…he smirked.

“I have contingencies in place, of course. Maxine, she’s no use to me, the woman…” he made a spitting noise without spitting, which wasn’t nice, and pissed me off, because “the woman” was my mom.

But he wasn’t finished.

“It is only I, in person, who can release them. And if I, in person, do not do that or send regular communications with a certain code so they’ll know they’re from me, communications sharing how they are to be treated, it has been instructed they are to be eliminated.”

Eliminated?

I released a loud, terrified gasp.

Edgar’s head bobbled because Loren had a hold of him by his neckcloth, saying, “Well then, arsehole, we’re taking a trip.”

“Unhand me!” Edgar shouted.

And that was all Loren could take.

Crunch!

Fist to the face.

And Edgar was on his hands and knees on the floor.

Loren pulled him up to just his knees with his hand in Edgar’s hair and…

Crunch!

Another fist to the face and Edgar was sprawling on his stomach on the floor.

“It seems…” Loren said through his teeth, staring down at Dad-not-Dad with repugnance, “your situation is escaping you. I advise, sir, take stock.”

“Son,” Ansley said mildly.

Loren didn’t move or take his attention from the form he’d, no other way to put it, laid…right the fuck…out.

Bustling and snorting with fury, Edgar pushed up to his feet, scrambled out of reach of Loren, and turned fired eyes to me.

“They’re dead!” he sniped. “And you’ve killed them.”

“No!” I cried, starting to dash to him.

Loren caught me and pulled me to his body.

“I will be released this instant,” Edgar demanded. He jabbed a finger at Loren. “You will marry my daughter.” He turned and jabbed a finger at Ansley. “You will offer your respect and referral to the Count of Derryman. If you do not, within four days, they’re both dead.”

“Is he bluffing?” Ansley asked, still speaking calmly.

“I cannot tell,” Loren answered, just as calm.

I pulled from Loren’s hold, whirled on him, and channeling Violet Crawley, I snapped, “I don’t give a fig if he is or not. Do what he says. We can figure it out after.” And that was when I lost it, and shrieked, “I want my mother back!”

“Figure it out after?” Loren asked carefully.

“I don’t know, get a divorce, an annulment, whatever,” I replied.

His jaw tilted sharply to the side.

“You will have his child. My blood will be Dalton!” Edgar proclaimed. He finished on a bellow. “It is my final legacy!”

Oh my God!

This dude was totally crazy!

I twisted to him. “Can it, Dad.”

“You insolent—”

“If you insult me again, I’ll…”

“What?” he bit.

What indeed.

I had no power.

I had nothing.

I could do nothing.

To, or more importantly, for anybody.

I closed my eyes, dropped my head, and whispered, “God, I just want my mom and I wanna take her home.”

I felt it before it happened.

Fire in the room.

Nope.

An inferno.

My head jerked up.

Ansley thundered, “Loren!”

I wrapped both my hands around my throat as I watched Loren drive Edgar to his knees, and then he picked up a heavy crystal objet d’art, forced Edgar’s hand flat on a side table, and savagely brought the bottom of the crystal onto Edgar’s hand.

I heard bones break and cringed.

Dad-not-Dad roared with pain.

“Are we riding to release your wife and daughter?” Loren asked.

“I’ll personally have you brought in front of Noctorno,” Edgar threatened, pomposity still firmly in place, but it was now edged in pain. “He will not stand for this treatment of a member of his aristocracy, no matter who you are.”

“Please do. I’ll enjoy watching you explain why you faked your wife’s suicide, imprisoned her with your injured daughter, hid that I should have been released from our contract twenty years ago, hid your other daughter’s existence for reasons that could only be considered nefarious, then forced her to carry out your social climbing, and took your hand to her. In Tor’s short reign, he’s been quite lenient with the abuses of power of his aristocracy. I’m sure he’ll be heavily disappointed inme.”

Edgar was breathing through his teeth, which gave me the sense that Loren was using sarcasm to make his point.

Seemed King Noctorno was a pretty standup guy.

“Shall we head to Bellebryn now?” Loren asked.

Edgar slowly turned his head and looked up at Loren.

He then whispered, “You will pay.”

A chill slithered down my spine.

“Choose. Bellebryn? Or Newton.” He lifted the crystal thing an inch. “Or do you need more incentive to make your choice?”

“Newton,” Dad-not-Dad spat.

A gasp was heard at the door.

A woman in a black dress with a white apron and a little white cap with a black ribbon threaded through it was at the door holding a wet cloth on a silver tray and staring in dismay at Loren and Edgar.

“Your compress, Satrine,” Ansley said quietly, moving to the maid. He took the cloth, murmured, “Thank you, dear,” and she rushed away.

He brought it to me.

“Your eye, my lady,” he instructed. “And then, as charming as that dress is, I believe you’ll need to return to your rooms and change into a traveling costume. It seems in short order, we’re away.”

I took the cloth and put it to my eye.

Wow, that felt good.

Okay, maybe one down?

Mom and Maxine safe.

And one to go.

Getting home.

I let out a huge breath.

And for the first time in three weeks…

I hoped.