Lord Montrose stopped dead, turned on his heel and narrowed his eyes. Despite her courage, Eliza could not help but feel a frisson of fear run through her, a gnawing unease that Lord Montrose might not accept her refusal to wed him as easily as she had hoped.
Behind Lord Montrose, Titania rose from her seat silently, evidently seeing his change in demeanor and feeling the same tension as Eliza.
“I cannot help but think, Eliza, that you are beginning to show a deeply ungrateful spirit,” Lord Montrose said, softly. “You also seem to think that, in some way, you have some sort of say over my behavior. That is not so. When we wed, you shall be mine in the same way that a horse or a servant is mine.” He folded his arms, his dark presence seeming to fill the room. “But that shall not be so for you.”
Eliza lifted her chin and refused to be quelled. She opened her mouth to state that she would not be marrying him, that their engagement was, as far as she was concerned, entirely at an end – only for the drawing room door to swing open and crash, noisily, against the wall.
Her mouth fell open in astonishment, shock rifling through her as Lord Avondale walked purposefully into the room, his blue eyes tearing towards Lord Montrose as a grim line settled about his mouth.
“Lord Avondale,” she whispered, her voice hoarse as she clasped her hands tightly in front of her to stop them from trembling. “Whatever are you doing here?”
Lord Avondale did not so much as glance at her, his eyes remaining fixed on Lord Montrose. “I am here to prevent you from marrying Lord Montrose, Eliza,” he said, his voice filled with ire. “He does not deserve one so kind nor so good as you. Not after what he has done.”
His voice dropped low and a shiver ran through Eliza at the darkness held in those words. She allowed her gaze to move towards Lord Montrose, who was looking at Lord Avondale with scorn in his gaze. His arms were folded tightly across his chest and he was standing stiffly, his eyes narrowed and lips tugged into a thin, angry line.
Whatever had he done?
“I have no intention of allowing you to become between myself and my betrothed,” Lord Montrose said, angrily. “I have always suspected that you sought Eliza’s hand, given just how longingly you have looked at her, but she is not to be yours, Avondale. She is already pledged to me.”
Eliza opened her mouth to say that she was not going to marry Lord Montrose regardless, but Titania, who was now sitting back down in the corner of the room, gave her a sharp shake of the head and Eliza lapsed back into silence.
It was time to let Lord Avondale speak.
“Eliza is a wise young lady,” Lord Avondale replied, softly, throwing her a quick glance. “I am quite certain that, once I have laid bare the truth, she will see you for the scoundrel you really are.”
Lord Montrose sniffed haughtily. “I hardly think you can say anything that would – ”
“Rebecca Childers, daughter of Lord Northgate.”
Eliza’s eyes widened as she saw Lord Montrose’s eyes widen, the scornful look disappearing from his expression. His arms began to unfold themselves from across his chest and he took a small step backwards as though he was finding it difficult to support himself
.
“I have seen the letters, Montrose.”
Lord Avondale was beginning to advance upon Lord Montrose, pulling out a piece of parchment from his pocket and holding it up towards him. “I have read what you wrote to her and, indeed, what she wrote to you.” He shook his head, his eyes fixed on Lord Montrose, and Eliza felt herself grow weak with shock. “She begged you for your help, given that you were responsible for her condition and you turned away from her. You left her with no one.”
Eliza pressed one hand to her heart, not fully understanding what was being said but yet able to see that Lord Montrose was guilty of something so terrible that it changed her perception of him entirely.
“Do you deny it?” Lord Avondale continued, his voice still soft and yet filled with anger. “Do you stand here today and deny that you are not the gentleman who treated my cousin so?”
Eliza closed her eyes. Cousin?
“I have nothing to say to you, Avondale!” Lord Montrose’s voice was thin and reedy, as though he were attempting to sound indignant but was failing entirely. “Remove yourself from my presence.”
Eliza jerked her head towards Lord Montrose, a sudden ire burning in her core. “You have no right to tell anyone to remove themselves from this house, Lord Montrose,” she stated, glad that her own voice was not weak despite the shock of what she had heard. “We are not wed yet, nor do you own this house.”
Lord Montrose’s expression grew ugly as he turned towards her, his eyes narrowing to thin, dark slits that sent a shiver through Eliza as she looked back at him steadily.
“Do not dare think that I shall allow such an insult to stand, Eliza,” he retorted, his breath hissing out from him. “Lord Avondale holds up one letter as though it is proof that I was the one responsible for his cousin’s misdemeanors, but that is no evidence at all.”
Lord Avondale shook his head although his expression remained dark. “Do you truly think I have only brought one letter with me, Montrose?” he asked, turning around and beginning to walk back towards the door. “I have brought the one that bears your name, yes, but the rest of them – each and every letter you once wrote to Rebecca – I also have with me.” He walked to the drawing room door, opening it wide. “I have no qualms in bringing those letters to this room so that Eliza might peruse them all. I have no doubt that, in reading them, she will soon identify you as the culprit, Lord Montrose.” Blue eyes turned back towards hers and Eliza held his gaze for a long moment, her hands clasped in front of her. She knew that Lord Avondale did not know yet that she had already made up her mind not to marry Lord Montrose. She could not do so, not when she was so much in love with Lord Avondale. This proof, this evidence that Lord Montrose was nothing but a scoundrel was not required in order to help her set Lord Montrose aside. She had already made up her mind.
“If you will wait a moment.”
Before she could say anything, Lord Avondale had quit the room, his footsteps echoing down the hallway. She did not know where he was going but one look towards Lord Montrose told her that the gentleman was deeply concerned and angry that Lord Avondale might, as he had said, return with the proof of his treatment towards this young lady, Rebecca.
“This has gone far enough,” Lord Montrose said, angrily, suddenly breaking out of his firm stance to stride towards the door, going after Lord Avondale. “I shall not allow that fellow to return to this room, Eliza. It is quite ridiculous.”