Tempest Heart - Paula Quinn Page 0,88
“I could convince you.”
“By forcing me to live with you? Locked away once again?” She looked at him with anger. She knew he hated it and now she knew why. He was the earl’s bastard son. Not worthy of a title, or of the respect Rose received. He’d lived with being a servant his whole life, the son of his master. She wanted to feel sorry for him, but he’d killed her mother.
“There will be no shame. ’Twill not be an intimate marriage,” he told her to ward off some of the same.
“Or a loving one,” she promised. “Now put down your sword and let this end. Look around you. You still have to fight Uncle Richard’s men, Mr. Jones, the captain, and Tristan.”
Neill began to lower his weapon—when the earl moved forward and slapped his face. “Wake up! She has you under her spell!”
Rose clenched her jaw until it hurt—until everything hurt. She cried out. Neill’s eyes on her were big and blue. “Neill, I thought you were the monster but ’twas Father for making you feel like you were not enough. That you had to please him by doing his evil deeds.”
She dared not look away at Tristan and her uncle and especially not her father. She had to make Neill believe her. She had to make him believe that she was on his side otherwise he would end up dead here today.
She’d seen Tristan fight before. She knew he was quick. But when he saved Mary a little while ago, she had barely seen him move, he was so fast. She knew he could kill Neill and her father if he chose to. Why had everything changed? Just a few hours ago, she’d almost killed Neill herself. But he wasn’t her brother before. She didn’t want her husband to kill her father or her brother—no matter how mad in the head they both were, or what they had done. She would not live with that blot on her marriage.
“Father,” she said, turning to him brokenhearted, “you have lied to me my entire life—”
“Neill, quiet her,” her father commanded.
The very fact that Neill went to her to quiet her and wore a pained look on his face as he came convinced Rose that he would obey any command her father gave over hers. She glanced at Captain Harper, her only friend, who had lied to her for the last twelve years of her life—for her father’s sake. Her gaze swept to her husband—her one truth in all of this.
He stepped in front of her—blocking her from her brother.
“D’ye think ye can beat me?” Tristan’s challenge was issued with restrained passion as he lifted his blade, gripping it in both hands.
“I know I can,” Neill answered, just as confidently.
“Come on then.” Tristan took one hand off his hilt and motioned for Rose to stand away. Immediately, the captain was there to lead her away, but Rose wanted to resist and stop this from happening.
She knew it was already too late for Tristan to go back. No longer behind him, she could see his leashed fury shooting forth from the vivid emerald of his eyes.
He was ready to kill.
Rose could have called out both, but neither would listen. They came together in a clash of metal and a grunt as they smashed their bodies into each other.
“Ye are hurtin’ her,” she heard Tristan tell him. “I will give ye an instant to look at her and see what ye are doin’.” He stepped back half an inch as Neill’s gaze cut to her almost against his own will.
The instant was over. Tristan raised his sword and brought it crashing down on Neill’s.
Her brother fought back well. He’d always been skilled, and he’d always practiced being better. And he was.
But Tristan had been raised by people who fought and killed in various battles—whether for self or for country. Fighting was bred into him and the fear of death was bred out.
Wasn’t it his mother who had taught him to climb trees when she went to battle with his father over her castle?
A chill went up Rose’s spine. Tristan could kill everyone here. Was he nothing but another monster, trained to kill and die if necessary?
No. She grinded her teeth. He was so much more. He’d stopped for her. In a place and time where everyone was afraid of getting sick from someone else, he’d stopped for her. He assigned himself her guardian and protected her from beasts and monsters. He’d done