Page 40 of Courting Miss Lancaster
“He is also not one to be made to look a fool,” Mr. Rigby replied, his eyes skewering her. “He will not allow his sister-in-law to go about society tainted. He will see that the wedding is held forthwith and all hint of scandal hushed up.”
Athena tried to keep her breathing steady. Mr. Rigby had a point. Adam was unlikely to allow her to embarrass him or leave a black mark on the family name.
“But it is obvious that nothing untoward—”
“Hush,” Mr. Rigby cut her off, eyes narrowed, though his focus was not on her.
In the sudden silence, Athena heard what must have caught his attention: the sound of voices and footsteps. She stood frozen, uncertain. She did not wish to remain closeted with Mr. Rigby, but being found by the wrong person would be unthinkably ruinous. Her moment of distraction proved disastrous.
Quite suddenly, Athena was held in a vise-tight grip she couldn’t escape despite using all her strength. And she was being kissed quite forcefully, painfully even. Her heart raced, anxiety gripping every inch of her. She had to escape! She simply had to free herself.
There was no possibility of slipping from his grasp. He held her too tightly to allow the slightest twist or turn. She kicked at his shins, though her dancing slippers hardly afforded her theimpact she required.
In the midst of her bubbling panic, Athena heard the door open. Disaster had struck! There would be no avoiding the outcome Mr. Rigby had predicted.
“I fear we have been found out, my—” Mr. Rigby began in a feigned tone of affection.
In a blur of movement Athena felt Mr. Rigby release her and another pair of smaller, gentler arms wrap around her, the smell of lavender that she would forever associate with Persephone suddenly filling the air.
“There is a reason, Rigby, I am always armed,” Adam’s voice growled into the tense silence.
Athena’s eyes swung toward the sound. Adam had Mr. Rigby pinned to a wall, the blade of his dress sword pressed against Mr. Riby’s throat.
“Not the sword again,” Harry drawled.
Harry! Athena’s eyes immediately turned to him. She leaned against Persephone, feeling her pulse slow and the tension begin to drain from her body. For the moment, she was safe.
“You dispatched the last scoundrel that way and it was, you will recall, a dreadfully slow process, and we do have a ball to be getting back to.”
Mr. Rigby paled at Harry’s words. But there was something too theatrical in his tone, almost as if he was simply playing a part.
“Persephone?” Athena whispered, as much out of confusion as a need for the continued reassurance that Mr. Rigby was not about to attack her again.
“All is well, Athena,” Persephone whispered in reply, her embrace tightening slightly.
“Very well,” Adam replied to Harry, his tone annoyed, “you know where my guns are kept.”
“Would you prefer a dueler or a hunting rifle?” Harry asked.
Adam seemed to be pondering the question. He was certainly taking his time responding.
“Pers—”
Persephone cut Athena off. “Shh.”
“Hunting rifle,” Adam replied. His tone was so inherently threatening that Athena shivered to hear it.
“You wouldn’t... wouldn’t shoot your future brother-in-law,” Mr. Rigby insisted, his eyes wide with alarm.
“And who might that be?” Adam asked with chilling calm.
“Um.” Rigby cleared his throat, eyes darting between all of them in the room. “Miss Lancaster and I were in here alone.”
“No. Her Grace has been with Miss Lancaster all evening.” Adam kept his sword at Mr. Rigby’s throat, almost as if being in just such a position was commonplace for him.
“She was kissed beyond—” Mr. Rigby’s shaky voice was immediately silenced, Adam’s hand gripping his jaw.
“I despise liars,” Adam growled.
