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“That is not dowry’s work, Father,” she retorted. “It is you that would normally pay him.”

Felton closed the space between them but as he withdrew a hand from his pocket and reached for her, Mr. Morbate and one of the guards moved between them. He threw a disgusted glance at them, but stopped.

“I’ll get what I’m owed,” he ground out. “I hear your reputation has been causing him some trouble in London. If he doesn’t want anymore, he will pay me for my silence. I’m sure neither of you would want the truth of why you got married getting out, would you?”

Anger snarled and lashed through Amelia’s veins.

“If you try to damn us with what you did, you will only damn yourself,” she hissed. “Do not forget, Father, it wasyouthat placed me on that auction block.”

A crude smile formed on Felton’s lips, and he huffed as he took a step back.

“And who would blame me,daughter?A single father, at his wits end with a ruined daughter? Our society is ruled by men and what they think, and no gentleman of London would judge me for how I chose to deal with a daughter likeyou.”

Amelia stared at her father with pure hatred.

“You would help spread such a rumor about me? For money?”

She shook her head in disgust.

“Did you ever love me at all,Father?”

Felton sneered at her.

“I needed boys,” he spit it. “But your mother gave me three useless girls instead. Then had the audacity to die giving birth to the third one. She was purposeless. You all are.”

“You are a vile,vileman,” Amelia seethed out, feeling the utter urge to lunge at him and dig her nails into his face. Instead, she straightened her spine and raised an accusing finger toward him.

“You won’t see one cent from my husband. You will destroy everything you grasp, Father. Everything you want will turn to ash. You will getnothingbut what you are due.”

A look of pure rage came over Felton’s face, but as he tried to move toward her, the guards and Mr. Morbate upon him again; making it impossible for him to touch her.

“You curse me, witch?” He hissed. “Tell your husband he needs to meet with me. Or it will not be the auction block you stand on, but the hangman’s. It is men like me that sway theton.Not you. Not him.Me.”

“Like hell it is.”

Dominic’s enraged tone jarred Amelia as he came stalking toward them, and even her father seemed to pale a little as the Duke in question made his presence known. Then suddenly she felt a flood of relief so intense that it wobbled her knees; the frustration she’d felt for her husband temporarily gone.

“Dominic,” she sighed.

But he barely threw a glance at her before heading toward Felton.

“Your Grace,” Felton stammered, stumbling as the guards and Mr. Morbate let him go.

“Men likeyouin control?” Dominic bit out as he looked down at Amelia’s father. “You arenothingcompare to my wife, even in status alone. She is a Duchess and has risen far above any station you will ever reach.”

Amelia watched as embarrassment colored Felton’s face and felt a certain glee in seeing her father wither before Dominic.

“This is not about her,” Felton argued weakly. “This is about you. You owe me for marrying my daughter.”

“We owe you nothing!” Amelia shouted, curling her hands into fists as she took a step toward him.

Before she could take another, Dominic’s hand was at her abdomen with the lightest touch as he kept his eyes on Felton. It not only stopped her in her tracks, but sent a wave of peace ebbing through her body. She looked back at him in shock.

“Normally, I would take pleasure in hearing how you would think so,” Dominic said to Felton. “But I will agree to paying you.”

“Dominic,no!”Amelia breathed, hurt crashing through the brief sense of peace.

“If-” Dominic went on before she could say anything more.