Chapter 14

14

Her brother was terrifying,and Jane’s blood went cold for the first time in her life. She’d seen Thorne angry at his men. Usually, his face went expressionless and rigid—more so, that is, than in his usual state—and the only sign of anger was his nostrils flaring ever so slightly.

She’d seen him cut, beaten, even shot. She’d seen him afraid, even when he didn’t show it.

But she’d never seen him quite so enraged. His wide eyes glittered with wrath, and his mouth was set in a thin line. The furious flush of his cheeks was mirrored by the clenched fists at his sides.

He looked positively murderous.

Jane supposed she could understand why. Looking at Richard, with his shirt bloodied and his chest peeking through, his hair in disarray… And her, with her dress crumpled, hair pins sticking out of her bun, and disheveled strands hanging weakly around her face.

No wonder death was written all over her brother’s face.

“Mr. Blackmore,” said Richard. “Good morning.”

A perfect aristocrat, all cool and collected and not even showing the slightest sign of distress. While Jane’s skin tingled and crawled. Please, please, God in heaven, do not let Thorne kill him.

“What did you do?” Thorne roared at him.

“He didn’t do anything—” Jane said without thinking.

She caught a puzzled glance from Richard. She guessed she could now say to Thorne that Richard had found something in his study. Not only that, but he’d also spent the night in her room. She’d kissed him and essentially compromised herself.

But if she said any of that to her brother, she knew exactly what was going to happen. She could see perfectly well in her mind’s eye how Thorne would take the pistol that he always kept tucked in the back of his trousers and shoot Richard in the head. How Richard’s body would drop to the floor, lifeless.

Cold horror crept down Jane’s spine.

No. She couldn’t let that happen.

“Mr. Blackmore,” said Richard. “I suggest we talk quietly in your study. There’s no need to raise your voice.”

Thorne stabbed his finger into Richard’s face. “There’s no need? I’ll show you there’s no need. Jane, go to your room!” he snarled without looking at her.

Jane was sure the only thing that kept Thorne from tearing Richard apart like an old rag was her presence. “Thorne, I’m not a little girl to be sent to my room.”

“Yes, you are. Or you wouldn’t have let a man in your bed.” Thorne turned to Richard and roared, “Or did you force yourself on her?”

“Nothing happened,” Jane said. “And he is my betrothed!”

“That’s right, he is!” Thorne glared at him. “And do not forget that, Lord Richard.”

“Believe me, Mr. Blackmore, I will never forget that. Your sister is quite an unforgettable lady.”

Richard’s hot gaze was on her, and when she met his eyes, a scalding wave of awareness rushed through her. She remembered the touch of his lips on hers last night, how he held her. The feel of his granite-hard chest under her fingers as she took care of his wound. The heat all over her body as they’d kissed. The aching between her legs. And then safety, so much safety in his arms as he’d held her all night long. And how good it had felt to be surrounded by him like that. To have told him about why she wanted to build the school.

Distantly, she noticed Thorne looking between them with his mouth open and his eyebrows drawn in indignation. Her brother had never looked at anyone with his mouth open in his life!

“What is going on between you two?” he demanded.

“We’re engaged,” said Richard, breaking the spell. “I believe you were present when that happened?”

“Do not mock me, you scoundrel!”

Richard stood tall and straight as he faced Thorne. “Mr. Blackmore,” said Richard, his voice unwavering despite the tension in the air. “I do understand your distress since I have a younger sister myself, and in a similar situation I’d have killed the man, I assure you. But Jane is perfectly safe. We’re already engaged. The date is set. The license has been acquired. And the announcement will appear in the newspapers tomorrow. All Jane did was stitch me up when someone attacked me. Then she watched over me to make sure I didn’t run a fever. Nothing more happened.”

He opened the side of his shirt to show the bandage on his chest. Brown blood had seeped through the bandage and the dressing. She’d like to change it now, actually.

Thorne looked him up and down and then glared at Jane. “What were you thinking, sister? The man has a physician, no doubt. Why didn’t you let him go?”

“He’d have bled out,” Jane said.

“But you’ve been compromised whether he did something or not.”

“What does it matter, Thorne?” she asked. “Who’s to know?”

A million thoughts raced through her mind as she tried to make sense of what was happening. Her gaze flitted around nervously before settling on her brother again. She had to find out what he knew and keep Richard from using anything he found against Thorne.

Thorne slowly shook his head and let out a long sigh. Then he returned his deadly glare to Richard and took a step towards him, cornering him against the wall. They were both equally tall, muscular, and well-built. Thorne’s upper teeth bared as he spoke into Richard’s face.

“You dishonored her, and you just wrote your own death sentence. If you don’t marry her, you’re dead.”