Page 71 of The Duchess and the Beast
“You could not bear to see us happy!” he barked. “Admit it!”
“I admit it!” he cried pathetically.
“And the poison! You sent it!”
“What?” His eyes went wide. “No! That wasn’t me! I could never!”
“You lie, still?!”
“I am not lying!” Prescott strained against the pressure of the blade, trying to maintain eye contact with Sebastian, desperate to convey his sincerity. "I did not send that poison. That was why I visited her today! To explain—so she would know!"
“Wait...” Sebastian's grip on the sword loosened slightly, the blade lowering just an inch. “You... you saw Virtue today?”
“What? Yes. I thought she must have told you.”
“When?” Sebastian growled, his grip on the sword tightening again. “What time did you visit her?”
“A… a few hours ago now,” he whimpered. “You had just departed! I waited until you had left, and for that, I apologize. But I did not want you to be there. You would have slaughtered me there and then, I fear. I needed to speak with her alone.”
“You awaited my departure...?” His body shook.
“I had no choice!”
“You knew the castle to be unguarded... you saw the renovations that were being done…” His arm tensed.
“It was not nefarious! I was not trying to sneak around you! I simply knew that if you were home, I might not have the chance to speak what was in my heart.”
“And what did you speak?” Sebastian snarled.
“An apology! Nothing more! I tendered my apologies and took my leave of her!”
“Liar!” With his left hand, he took Lord Prescott by the collar. And with his right, he drew his saber over the man.
“I swear it is the truth!” Lord Prescott pleaded desperately. “I sold my home to relocate to York, and this was my final opportunity to speak with her. Why else would the farmhouse appear so deserted? I am alone, and Virtue is not with me. I assure you!”
Sebastian's gaze shifted sharply to the house and then back to the battered visage of the man before him. “That proves nothing!” his voice thundered as he raised his saber, the blade gleaming with deadly intention, ready to thrust into the man and—
“Wait!” A sudden shout interrupted the moment. “I would not do that if I were you!”
Sebastian paused, sword halfway to Lord Prescott’s neck. He looked over his shoulder and his infuriation somehow amplified.“You!” He shoved Lord Prescott back into the dirt and spun about, sword pointed and raised. “You let him take her!”
“Woah!” Justine Mendoza hurried across the estate, hands raised. “You might want to put that down, Your Grace.”
“Where were you?!” Sebastian strode to meet Justine head-on. “I had explicitly told you to shadow the man! Why did you not stop him?”
“Stop him from doing wh—” He never got the words out.
Sebastian’s fist connected with Justine’s face, sending the short man into the dirt. He cried out with pain as he collapsed, and then turned onto his back and scurried away, eyes wide and wild as he came to realize that maybe he shouldn’t have left his hiding place.
“What was that for,cuadre?!”
“Virtue is gone! And you let him take her!”
“Wh—what?” Justine gasped. “What do you mean she is gone?”
“Or perhaps the two of you conspired together?!” He spun back to be sure that Lord Prescott was not about to tackle him, and then was back on Justine. “Is that what this is? After I employ you, you sell yourself to the highest bidder? You hatch this little scheme together?!”
“Your Grace...” Justine cautiously rose to his feet, one hand extended in a pacifying gesture, maintaining eye contact with Sebastian, not daring to break it. “I assure you, whatever you think has happened, Lord Prescott had no part in it.”