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It would seem that the Earl of Sidmouth and his sister had not gotten his last message clearly enough.

“I am going to end him,” he swore vehemently. “But before that, I will make sure that he suffers greatly for this!”

“I should never have left her in your care,” Colin grumbled. “I should have just chosen Hudson. Or Ethan, even.”

The thought of Evie placed in another man’s care, even his own best friends, filled Daniel with icy fury.

“I would watch my next words if I were you,” he growled at his friend. “You forget that you are in Ashton Hall, not in Blackthorn Estate.”

Colin looked at him belligerently. “If anything happened to me, Evie would never forgive you.”

“And you had better pray that she continues to think well of you,” Daniel retorted. “Because I would not countenance anyone hurting her, especially her own brother.”

His friend looked at him in shock, before shaking his head. “You have gone insane, Ashton, and I will not have you dragging Evie into your madness. Whatever happens, I am taking Evie back to Blackthorn Estate.”

Daniel glowered at him. “You would not dare.”

Colin simply tilted his chin, arrogance stamped clearly on his features. “I am a duke—I can weather any scandal that they throw at me, but I will not condemn my sister to a life of misery.”

A life of misery.

Was it truly what her life would be like with him?

If she chose to stay with him, she could never have children, because Daniel would never allow such a thing to happen. His darkness would inevitably swallow her, too, stealing the light and joy from her eyes until she was reduced to nothing more than a shell of her former vivacious self.

Just like his own mother had been.

And for all that he had put up with in his entire miserable existence, Daniel knew that he would never be able to endure having Evie suffer at his side.

He has returned!

Evie could hardly hold in her excitement as she rushed to Daniel’s study after Jane had told her that her brother had arrived just that morning and was currently in her husband’s study, discussing… well, whatever it was that gentlemen discussed amongst themselves.

She also knew her brother’s temper, and she knew that Colin would not be pleased to find out that she had married Daniel behind his back. However, she was certain that all matters could be smoothed over once explanations had been made and Colin saw that she was indeed happy with Daniel.

Exhilaratingly so.

Thus, she paid no heed to the solemn look on Barnaby’s face as he stood guard outside the study and simply pushed her way in. In any case, the faithful butler had always looked as if there was a perpetual funeral at Ashton Hall…

“Colin!” she cried out with a wide smile as she ran over to her brother to hug him. “When did you arrive? Why did you not send word that you were coming? How is my new sister-in-law?”

However, Colin remained unmoving, his gaze as cold as a frozen lake in the dead of winter.

That was when she glanced over at Daniel, who was standing behind his desk, and her gaze fell on the cut on his lip—the same lip that had kissed her so passionately and brought her so much pleasure last night.

His cheek also sported the beginnings of an awful bruise and was even slightly swollen.

And then, her gaze dropped to her brother’s knuckles.

“Barnaby?” she called out, her voice much colder than when she had rushed in.

The butler appeared immediately by her side. “Yes, Your Grace?”

From the corner of her eye, she saw Colin flinched at how the butler addressed her.

He will have to endure it, then.I am the Duchess of Ashton now, and there is nothing he can do about it.

“We require some ice wrapped in a towel,” she said in a clipped tone.