Page 10 of Black Widow

“Cannonburry?” Amelia couldn’t have been more shocked if he’d declared an interest in taking religious orders. “But Elmer Cannonburry is one step away from being bedridden. The man is practicallydecrepit!”

Without signaling his intention, Sir Clarence calmly reached over and slapped her in theface.

Compared to some of the times he’d struck her as a child, the blow was not that powerful. No, there had been slaps that had made her ears ring, leaving red impressions on her face for days. By comparison, this was mild, but it had been years since anyone had raised a hand toher…

Amelia could feel her resolve to deal with him as an equal waver. Her spirit was shrinking down, leaving a frightened, child-sized soul rattling around in her adultbody.

I am not that child anymore, she reminded herself desperately. Fisting her hands, she blinked rapidly until she had fought back the tears andwon.

“We’ll wait until the wedding before bringing you back to town,” Sir Clarence continued as if nothing had happened. “In the meantime, you will accompany me back to Northumberland until the banns areread.”

“No.”

“You don’t get to sayno.”

“Yes, I do.” Her heart was threatening to stop, but there was no way she’d allow this farce to continue anothersecond.

“You have no say in my life anymore. I came of age over three years ago. I control my lifeandmy fortune.” Amelia cocked her head to one side. “Did you make some sort of arrangement with Cannonburry? Is he under the impression that as my husband, he would control my fortune? You know it’s not true. The man I marry receives my dowry and nothing more. And since Martin already gave it all to you, there is nothing left for Cannonburry if I make a second marriage—or foryou.”

Sir Clarence leaned back on the bench and watched her through slitted eyes. “Martin toldyou?”

“Of course he told me,” she said from between gritted teeth. “It was my idea. You see I hoped—in vain—that my dowry would be enough to satisfy yourgreed.”

He reached out to slap her again, but Amelia shot to her feet and dodged the blow. He followed suit, his finger pointed at heraccusingly.

“How dare you accuse me of greed? I gave you a home, fed and clothed you when you had noone.”

Amelia shook her head. This was an old argument, but she’d never had a chance or the will to rebut it. She would do so now. “Even an orphan has options when they possess a fortune as large as mine. I know full well this was the reason you took me in. I also remember how angry you were when you learned my guardian did not have the right to touch my funds beyond the stipend provided to educate and clotheme.”

She folded her hands in front of her. “My father thought of everything when he realized your claim to be my guardian would be strongest. He didn’t trust you aninch.”

Sir Clarence’s glare was hot enough to blister her skin, but he saidnothing.

“I told Martin to give you the entire sum of my dowry in the hopes you would leave us alone,” she said. “Did you already spend all ten thousandpounds?”

Her eyes swept over him, taking in the fine cut of his coat. Even if he’d purchased a hundred like it, he couldn’t have spent the entire sum. “Was the money lost in some wild scheme? Poor investments? Or is ten thousand simply not enough for you? Did Cannonburry agree to turn some portion of my funds to you? Or do your solicitors believe they’ve figured out some sort of legal trickery to break the terms of my father’s trust? Is this why you are pushing for this farce of amarriage?”

Sir Clarence’s hands shot out, taking her arms above the elbow in a tight painful grip. “You owe me more than money. You owe me your verylife.”

“No, not you,” she said. Her throat was so tight she could barely get the words out. “My debt was to Martin. And I paid him back by being a loving and devoted wife—a wife who kept hissecrets.”

She pulled away so abruptly his nails marked the delicate muslin cloth of her sleeve. “As his widow, I will continue to keep those secrets, but this is the last time I will meet you in private. In public, I will acknowledge you as my father-in-law with all the respect and courtesy that tie demands. But you no longer have any rights over my person or my fortune. Accept this nowor…”

“Or what?” Sir Clarence spat. “Do you expect me to believe you would really desecrate hismemory?”

Amelia suppressed a shudder. “He’s gone. Through some twist of fate, my reputation went with him. I have nothing left tolose.”

She turned, forcing herself to walk away at a normalpace.

“You’re wrong Amelia,” Sir Clarence spat after her. “You still have quite a bit tolose.”

She ignored him, refusing to turn around to look at him. It took every ounce of willpower she had but managed to keep walking until she was past the first corner, beyond hissight.

Then sheran.

Chapter 5

“You should have toldme about this confrontation sooner!” Crispin grimaced as he examined the bruises on herarm.

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