Page 25 of The Masked Baron
Mr. Brennan didn’t let her think for long. He marched toward her and grabbed her arm. “You don’t have to play pretend with me, miss. He’s either made vile threats about what he’d do to you if you left, or you’re his light-skirts here for blunt. Doesn’t matter which—you’re still coming with me.”
Andalin shrieked, but Mr. Brennan’s grip only tightened. She struggled against him. “Stop! You don’t even know him!”
Mr. Brennan wrestled her toward the front door. “Know him? He cut off my brother’s right hand. He’s been terrorizing the people of Thornton Way for the last decade. I’m not going to stand by while another innocent is victimized.”
“I demand you release me!” Andalin kicked at his legs, but her efforts were useless. “The only harm I’m under is because of you! Let me go!”
Ignoring her pleas, Mr. Brennan led her out the door to a horse he had hidden in the nearby trees. Andalin silently cursed the lack of servants they had at Braitwood Hall. It was terrible to think such a person could ride up without being seen and waltz right through the front door.
Mr. Brennan pinned her arms to her side in order to lift her onto his horse. The moment he released her, she gave him a swift kick to his chest. With one hand on her, he pulled a rope from his saddlebags.
“Lay another finger on that woman and I will skewer you with my sword and feed you to the wolves!” Ellis’s raised voice penetrated the cool morning air. Mr. Brennan froze, fear evident on his face. He put his hands up and slowly turned toward Ellis, who was running toward them with his sword extended.
Andalin didn’t wait for an invitation to put some distance between her and Mr. Brennan. She slid off the horse and dashed from Mr. Brennan’s reach. She stopped only when she was safely behind Ellis.
Mr. Brennan growled. “Fool woman. It’s your own shame for staying if anything happens to you.”
Ellis motioned toward the house with his head. “Go inside, Annie. Stay there until I come for you.”
Andalin wanted to know what Ellis would do to Mr. Brennan. She had a feeling it would tell her a great deal about Ellis. But his words were full of angry undertones, and she didn’t dare question his order. After fleeing to the house, she left the front door partially open so she could still hear and see what was happening. She held her breath as Ellis brought the tip of his sword to Mr. Brennan’s throat.
“Miss Durante,” a sharp voice behind her called.
Andalin lurched in surprise and turned to see Mrs. Lewis motioning her to come away. Andalin reluctantly shut the door and followed Mrs. Lewis to the kitchen, where Matilda insisted she drink a whole glass of warm milk to settle her nerves.
“Honestly, I am well,” Andalin said. “I’m only eager to know what happened and why it happened.”
Mrs. Lewis shushed her. “It’s not a woman’s business. There is nothing his lordship cannot handle. He is a fine protector, is he not?”
Andalin nearly rolled her eyes. Mr. Brennan could have left with all the silver in the house and no one would have been the wiser.
“I hope he cuts his spleen out,” Matilda said.
Mrs. Lewis let out a small gasp. “Matilda! Not in front of the girl.”
“I’m getting old,” Matilda said. “I need a little action to keep me going.”
Andalin covered her mouth to keep from laughing.
Mrs. Lewis, on the other hand, shook her head and muttered something under her breath.
The three of them sat in silence, waiting for Ellis to return. Mrs. Lewis and Matilda both seemed to be under the assumption he would come to look for them in the kitchen, as if it was their usual meeting place. In Andalin’s opinion, a distinguished nobleman did not rendezvous in the kitchen with his servants. Braitwood was a different cup of tea, where the sitting rooms were rarely frequented but the kitchen was full of life.
Just as predicted, after a quarter of an hour, Ellis returned. He went directly to Andalin. “Are you injured in any way?” He gently placed his hands on either of her forearms, giving her comfort she’d not realized she needed.
“No.” She blinked at the intense stare permeating from Ellis’s eyes behind his mask.
“Are you sure? Because if that blackguard so much as bruised you, I’ll—”
“I promise I am well,” Andalin said, cutting off his threat. Now she understood why Matilda had worried over Ellis’s response to the scratch on Andalin’s cheek, which, thankfully, had healed without consequence. “Did he hurt you?”
He shook his head and released her. Turning back to the door, he dropped his cloak on a hook and pushed both his hands through his hair. “Mrs. Lewis, see that your husband brings home a brood of dogs the next time he is in town.”
“Dogs? We haven’t had dogs since...” Matilda’s voice trailed off.
“I know, but I will not have people sneaking up on us while Miss Durante is here.”
Mrs. Lewis stood to obey. “I shall tell him right away. He needs to stop at the smithy this afternoon anyway.” Mrs. Lewis excused herself to find her husband.
