Chapter twenty

I freeze as the crowd stops what they're doing and turn to face me. A range of gasps fill the room and I"m sure I hear a woman scream. My eyes lock with Arthur who looks at me with a pained expression in his deep green eyes as he takes in the scene.

The cold steel pressed against my neck in a reminder of how bad the situation is. I feel a huge hand grab hold of my shoulder and hold me firmly in place.

And I can tell the blade held to my neck is very likely a sword judging from the fact that I can see the tip of it in my peripheral. Arthur makes a step towards me, and the man jerks me closer to him roughly.

I feel a trickle of warmth flow down my neck, and I realize I"ve been cut with the movement. That blade must be sharp, because I still can"t feel the wound, only the trickle of hot warmth my blood leaves in its wake.

My eyes search the group for Amelie, but I cannot see her. I take a steadying breath knowing that if I cannot see her, she has a plan. Out of the crowd steps a woman with greying hair, a light grey dress and a sinister smile that makes me want to squirm.

"Hello, Elizabeth," she says with a calm that doesn't meet her eyes.

I look at her, trying to comprehend what is going on here. I can see her distaste for me is obvious now. Before it had come through as a smattering of uncomfortable feelings I had in her presence earlier today.

"M—Mary? I stutter, looking at her, confused.

She smiles at me and says, "Oh, you remember my name?"

I furrow my brows, and try to look her in the eyes, twisting my head in a precarious position to see the woman without causing any further damage from the huge man's sword.

"I do not understand what you mean," I say slowly trying to catch up to what she is insinuating.

But it's hard to concentrate with a weapon pressed against your neck and your life in the balance of an obviously unstable woman.

She sighs and walks around the group. Two huge men flanking her and making it clear that she will have time to give the order on my life before anyone makes it to her.

"I am Mary Rald," she says, holding her arms out wide and giving me a mock bow. "And you have destroyed my family"s legacy."

I furrow my brows in surprise, trying to understand how I had slighted this woman. "Your family"s legacy?" I say slowly. "How?"

She rubs the bridge of her nose, obviously agitated by my insolence. "My son. My only son. You took him from me," she snarls.

Arthur locks eyes with me. I can see sudden realisation in his eyes. But I, still, cannot figure out how I am connected to this woman"s son, or how I have ruined her life. She holds her arms wide. The two men beside her flex menacingly as William takes a step towards them.

"Harold," she says simply.

Suddenly, it clicks. Harold Rald. One of my suitors that had been fended off by Arthur. "I never even met him," I say aghast. "How could I possibly be responsible for ruining your family legacy, simply because I am to be wed to another?"

She smiles and says simply. "My son got drunk in a bar after he was refused your hand in marriage," she spits. "He was killed brutally in an unfair fight. It was heavily skewed against him as inebriated as he was."

I simply stare at her, at her hateful words flowing over me as I realise how she had come to this convoluted conclusion.

"I did not choose my suitor," I say carefully. "It was the choice of my father. I had no input whatsoever."

Mary looks at me and shrugs. "And yet, here we are. I have spent what remains of my family fortune trying to receive justice for my son"s death. And now, the very last pennies of what is left is to take your life as justice for his."

Arthur calls out, "You cannot possibly feel you"ll get away with this. There are many witnesses here to see what you have done."

She laughs bitterly. "I am old. I am bound to die soon anyway," she says. "And now I have nothing left to live for. No sons, and I am past childbearing age. My family name, fortune, and land. It all would have ended here in any case." She looks up at the man holding the sword against my neck. "Kill her."

I jerk my hands up as I feel him tense and grab the sword, pushing back on it with all my might. It cuts painfully into my hands and chaos erupts around me as I struggle with the man, but it is a losing battle, and my hands scream in agony.

Suddenly the man jerks and falls to his knees behind me. I spring forward, scrambling away desperately to put distance between me and the huge man. Once I have sufficient space I turn, to see Amelie holding the bloodied sword and a knife dripping with blood.

The man's throat has a clean slice through it, and I turn away unable to take in the sight of blood pouring from the wound with any kind of dignity.

Arthur and a huge man stumble past me as they struggle against one another, a single knife clutched between the two of them. Behind me another man falls to the ground his neck twisted at an odd angle. William stands breathing heavily behind him. He doesn't rest though, one look at Arthur fighting over a knife with his opponent sends William running in his direction.

Everywhere guests do their best to escape the violence and there is far more noise and screaming occurring around me than my panicking brain can handle. My wrist is grabbed, and I am jerked around so I am face to face with the aged woman that had caused all this mess.

She grins and thrusts a knife at me. I block it and punch her in the face. She jerks back with a cry and holds her nose, trying to stem the bleeding. She looks at me in shock and I cannot help but feel a sick sense of satisfaction at having gotten her back, just a little for all the hell she has put me through.

She lumbers forward and stops suddenly, a knife embedded in her chest. She looks down at it for a long moment, before she crumples to the ground and lays still. I turn behind me to see Amelie standing on a table and holding another knife in her hand, obviously prepared to throw another if the first had failed.

Arthur appears beside me, covering me from the remaining crowd with his huge form.

"Everyone is to leave now," he bellows in a clear voice that leaves no room for arguments. He looks to the footmen and servants. "Escort them out and ensure everyone leaves."

The remaining stragglers filter from the room, ushered on by the footmen and butlers. The last footman out, pulls the doors closed behind him with a bang and the room is silent but for the crackling in the hearths. I am left with only Amelie, William, and Arthur in my company. I look down at the still frame of Mary. She seems so small and now that all of the fight has left me, I feel pity for her.

What grief she must have endured at the loss of her son to drive her to this point. I hiss in pain as blood drips from the wounds on my hands. Amelie silently cuts strips of her fancy dress to tie around my wounds to stem the bleeding.

"William," Arthur says distressed, as he moves to inspect a nasty cut that his sliced through his shirt and left a long wound in his chest.

"It is but a scratch," William says gently as Arthur fusses.

Arthur doesn't seem willing to take his word for it as he checks the wound thoroughly before pulling William into a tight hug and kissing him deeply.

"Do not risk your life so recklessly again," he says as they break apart.

"The man had a knife to your chest, Arthur," William says, gently cupping Arthur's face. "I will always behave recklessly in a situation like that."

Amelie slides a hand up my arm and I turn away from the men to face her.

"Thanks for saving me again," I say with a smile.

She runs a thumb across my cheek and wipes away a tear I didn't even know I had shed.

"Always," she says simply, and I fold into her arms.

Relieved for the first time that my life is no longer under constant threat.

I glance over the two men still wrapped up in each other's arms, as I snuggle more deeply into Amelie's. So many strange events have brought me to here, but I cannot help but feel this last month of my life has gifted me with a family I will have forever. I smile and believe for the first time in many years that my life will be one I can truly enjoy.

"Elizabeth?" Amelie says quietly as she strokes my hair.

"Mmm?" I hum back from where I am tucked under her chin.

"Nice punch."

I smile and squeeze her tighter. "I had a good teacher."