Page 83 of The Highwayman's Bite

“Emily Horne told me when I went there to see her.” Vivian crossed her arms over her chest, despising him for his obvious lie. He had to have thought of the farm as he’d recently taken possession of it. “And I hardly think that forcing a woman and her children out of their home is a trifle matter.”

“Damn it!” Aldric tossed back his drink. “I told you that you were not to leave the house without me.”

Vivian ignored the question. “How is the place to become my dowry when Mrs. Horne was supposed to be able to pay the mortgage with the ransom money?”

“She wasn’t able to pay.” Aldric said through clenched teeth. His fangs glistened in the light of the lantern. “I caught the rogue on his way to the farm and arrested him three nights ago.”

Her heart thudded with dread. “Where is he?”

Aldric’s voice was cold as a winter grave. “Did Rhys not tell you the fate of rogues when they are captured?”

Vivian gripped the edges of the desk as white spots danced in her vision. Rhys was dead. Her uncle had killed him. Memories of his smile, his embrace, the tender way he’d said, “I love you,” flooded her mind. And now he was gone? Her knees threatened to buckle, but she willed herself to remain standing.

“How could you?” she whispered through numb lips.

“I’m sorry, but the law is clear.” Aldric reached for her hand and frowned as Vivian pulled away. “I cannot allow a rogue to go unpunished and expect to retain loyalty from my people.”

“But did you have to kill him?” she pleaded, as if he could magically take it back. “He was only trying to care for his family as you are caring for me.”

For a moment, something in Aldric’s eyes flickered, as if there had been another option, one he didn’t wish to explore. Then his expression shuttered. “Something that set me and him at cross purposes. And continuing to care for you is all I can do.” He moved as if to try to reach for her again, then his shoulders slumped, and he pushed her untouched brandy glass towards her. “I know that losing a love is an excruciatingly painful event. I know that you probably despise me right now. But we must get on with our lives, and if there is anything I can do...”

“There is nothing you can do to atone for what you’ve done to me.” Vivian took the glass and quaffed the brandy, coughing as the fiery liquid slid down her throat. Then she remembered her purpose for talking to him before he’d shattered her world. “Although one thing might help. Give me the deed to the Berwyn Farm.”

“Why do you want the land?” Aldric cocked his head to the side. “You cannot marry anymore, not after becoming involved with our kind.”

“So I can return it to Emily, of course.” Vivian fumed. How could he be so obtuse? “That way, Rhys’s death won’t be in vain.”

“You speak of him as if he was a hero, rather than a criminal who sought to steal my money and cheat me out of land that was by rights to go to me.” Aldric leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. “And what do you suppose this poor widow will be able to do once her land is restored? You saw the farm. The land has gone fallow for lack of a plow, and the buildings are falling down over her ears. She has no hope of restoring the place. You think I am the villain for taking it from her, but I am not. I would rather see someone bring the farm back to its former prosperity, and allow her to remain with gainful employment so she may feed and shelter her children.”

He had a point, Vivian admitted ruefully. Still, it didn’t mean the situation was right. “Then let me be the one to restore the place. I will need somewhere else to live anyway.”

Aldric opened his eyes and stared at her. “And why is that?”

“Because I hate you for what you’ve done.” Vivian spoke slowly, imbuing each word with palpable animosity. “And I cannot abide one more night under your roof.”

Aldric flinched, but then his eyes went cold. “I’m afraid you have no choice in the matter. For one thing, you are privy to our secrets and thus must remain with me. For another, I’ve submitted your petition for you to be Changed. A new vampire has extreme difficulty controlling their hunger. Do you wish to risk accidentally killing Mrs. Horne or one of the children?”

“No.” Vivian shook her head with dawning horror. She wanted to save Rhys’s family, not hurt them.

“I thought not.” Aldric rose from his desk and approached the cabinet containing the locked boxes that Vivian and Madame Renarde had broken into earlier in the day. “I am afraid you will have to endure being under my roof for a while longer. As for the Berwyn Farm, there is something I can and have already done.”

He unlocked one of the boxes and withdrew a sheet from a stack of documents that Vivian and Madame Renarde had not examined. “This was not only a dowry, but also a trust. If you do not marry before the age of twenty-five, the farm will be yours rather than passed to your husband. Since you no longer can marry, you may take over the farm in two years. By then you will have learned to control your hunger and will no longer require my constant supervision.” He handed her the document. “After that, you can do as you please with the place, even sign it back to the Mrs. Horne.”

“And what is Emily to do until then?” Vivian asked.

Aldric shrugged. “With her being foreclosed, she no longer owes mortgage payments, so what little income she has from the farm can be used to feed her children. And if you wish to use your pin money to aid her cause, I cannot stop you.”

Relief that she would be able to fulfill her vow and care for Rhys’s family melted the edges of Vivian’s animosity. But she could not forgive her uncle for killing Rhys. “Thank you for displaying at least a scrap of humanity.”

“I’ll accept that grudging praise.” Aldric sighed. “We will inform Mrs. Horne of her new circumstances tomorrow night. And I will write a petition to the Elders to Change you.”

Vivian was tempted to ask about these Elders that Rhys had been so reluctant to talk about, but her grief and anger choked off the inquiry. She couldn’t bear to be in the same room with the man who’d murdered her love. At least she’d ensured the safety of Rhys’s family.

With a curt nod, she left the study and fled to her room. Tears flowed unchecked down her cheeks. She couldn’t believe that Rhys was dead. Even though he’d had to leave her, she’d clung to the small comfort that he was out there somehow, thinking of her. Now even that had been ripped away.

Vivian pressed her fist to her mouth to muffle her strangled sobs. Strange, she’d never been one to give into tears before, but now that her heart had been reduced to a ragged hole, she could do little else.

Her door opened, and Vivian lifted her head to curse her uncle, but relaxed as she saw Madame Renarde.

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