To Deceive A Duke

Chapter 43

The ride back to Lygon Place is as silent as the moors, and twice as gloomy. Clarissa keeps her arms wrapped around his waist as they canter home, her face tucked against his shoulder and her eyes firmly closed. She only opens them when she feels the horse stop and the familiar gate of home appears in front of her. 

Daniel swings himself off the horse and helps her down. Subduedly, she follows him to the front door, her head hanging low and her heart aching. He pushes open the front door and they barely have stepped into the hall when George appears from the left and lunges at his brother, punching him in the face. Daniel instinctively pushes Clarissa out of harm's way, accepting all the blows that rain down upon him. Although she is no stranger to violence, the sheer fury that George displays as he punches and kicks at his elder brother is enough that she grows cold inside.

"This is your fault!" George yells as he tosses another punch towards Daniel's nose. Daniel sidesteps his next attack, ducking backwards and putting space between them. He wipes the blood from his face and winces at the bruise already forming above his right eye. George snarls and takes a menacing step forward, his fists raised. 

"George, you need to calm down," Daniel orders, cracks already forming in his voice, "Please,"

"I hate you!" George swings again, his face ablaze with anger and pain, "You killed her!" 

 "I..." Daniel looks around helplessly, agony written in his eyes. George yells and storms forward making Daniel jump up the first few steps to escape. 

"Stop this," He half orders, half pleads.

Georges laughs maniacally, placing a foot on the first step, "Stop this?! YOU STARTED THIS!"

His yells echo around the silent house but then he pauses, even in his rage he knows that on the stairs, Daniel has the height advantage. George growls and spins around wildly until his gaze falls on a stand of old walking sticks by the door. He stalks over to them and picks one up. 

"George...." Clarissa begins, but her plea falls on deaf ears as her brother-in-law advances forward, brandishing the stick like a sword. Daniel's silver eyes turn calculating as they follow the swoop of the weapon. 

I don't want to hurt you," He warns, his hands twitching under his coat.

"Hurt me?" George repeats, "HURT ME?! YOU HURT EVERYONE CLOSE TO YOU!" He jerks his head to where Clarissa stands to the side, watching cautiously. He glares at her but she knows his wrath isn't at her, "You've brought her into this and you are going to hurt her too,"

Daniel glances towards her but her poker expression doesn't change and she doesn't fight to correct his brother. He turns back to George, "I don't want to fight you. I know you are upset but this isn't going to help," 

His words have the opposite effect than hoped, they seem to fan the flames of George's fury as he raises the stick.  

"You killed our mother!  So I will dam well fight you if I please," He yells, jumping onto the first step and slicing the stick through the air. He lunges forwards and aims for the head. Daniel twists out of the way and when he turns around his pistol is in his hand, pointing directly at George's forehead. His brother freezes, feeling the cold metal against his skin as Clarissa takes an audible breath.

"What are you doing?" She whispers, her voice carrying through the empty hall, "Daniel what the fuck are you doing?"

She takes a step forward but he doesn't look at her, his arm holding steady. George hears her on his left so he turns his head towards her, the pistol still pressed into his head. His grin is menacing and it sends a chill through her spine.