The Angel

Chapter 9

Rian stared at the Angel. His Angel. His Angel was betrothed to that monster of a man. How in the world could her father let such a beautiful, precious, young lady marry that sick man?

He was furious.

"Red?" The Angel asked.

He could feel his heart pounding. Not only was his Angel betrothed to this monster but the monster was playing both families.

"Mr. Cassidy has worked for my father for my entire life. All this time he was betraying us." Rian finally replied.

"Not only was he betraying your family but he was betraying mine." She turned towards the river.

"I must tell my father. I cannot have a war break out because of Mr. Cassidy." Red said to Vi.

"And I must tell my father." She thought of how he would take it. "No matter the consequences."

Rian walked up behind her, "Leave that to me. I will convince my father to write to Mr. Dawley." He brushed the hair away from her neck and kissed just below her ear.

She gasped and turned around. Her hand immediately traveling to the spot of his kiss.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to offend you milady." He realized what he had done. He had already kissed her in his mind a million times, it felt natural to kiss her.

Her face was a deep red.

"Your father is Robert MacCarthy then? The head MacCarthy?" She asked, changing the topic.

"Yes." He responded, smiling still from her reaction, "How lucky are we to be the son and daughter of two men who absolutely hate one another?"

She nodded.

"I cannot believe Mr. Cassidy is a traitor. I knew he was a rat and a scowndrel." She shook her head.

"My mother cannot stand to be in the same room as him for more than a short period of time. She is disgusted by him." Rian explained.

"I am too. I like your mother already." Vi smiled.

Rian smiled back at her, "You would like her. And I do believe she would love you." For a moment he forgot his anger.

She smiled, "Even though I'm a Dawley?"

He nodded, "Oh yes. She does not care for the two family's hatred. She believes that they should have settled it long ago."

Vi nodded, "It has not caused anything but sadness, hatred, and destruction."

Rian smiled, "I don't know. In a way, it brought me to you."

She blushed and looked down.

----

Rian was standing in front of his father's door.

He brought his knuckles up to knock. He hesitated. How would he tell him about Mr. Cassidy?

Should he tell him that he met an angel in the forest and she enlightened him on the subject?

He took a deep breath. He would tell him the truth.

He knocked.

"Come in." His father's voice answered.

He turned the handle and entered the room.

"Son. Well, isn't this a surprise." He stood at his desk. "Please come, sit."

Rian sat in the chair across from the large wooden desk. No doubt it was a mahogany desk, beautiful and solid.

"What brings you in here?" His father asked, dipping his pen in ink.

"I need to discuss with you the issue of Mr. Cassidy." Rian explained.

His father stopped writing mid-sentence, causing a drop of ink to settle on the paper. He set the pen down.

"What about it?" His anger from the previous night resurfaced.

Rian stood and walked behind the chair. He placed his hands on the back of the chair.

"I have information that proves he is working with the Dawley's." Rian brushed a hand through his hair. "And that he has been working with them for a very long time."

His father watched him carefully.

"Are you suggesting my most trusted partner is a traitor?" He said keeping is anger in control.

"I know how it sounds father. But you need to believe me." He prayed he would listen, it could cost them a war.

"It sounds preposterous." He scoffed and picked up his pen again.

"I can prove it." Rian said.

His father scribbled away, "How?"

"Jeffery Dawley's daughter." His heart was pounding.

His father looked up at him, "What would his daughter have anything to do with this?"

"She is betrothed to Mr. Cassidy." He could feel the disgust seething through him. It sickened him at the thought.

"How did you manage to get word of this?" His father asked.

He had to be completely honest. Even though it might result in him never seeing his Angel again.

"She told me."

He father stood. "You spoke to a Dawley?!" He yelled so loud he was sure everyone in their home heard him.

----

Rian had spent the last couple of hours explaining and arguing with his father over the matter of Mr. Cassidy. His father did not fully believe Rian.

His father wanted to meet his Angel. Rian knew she would never agree to coming all the way to his home.

His father had insisted they would further discuss the matter over dinner.

Rian was in the stable brushing Pepper's mane. He had thought of taking his father down to meet his Angel, but he didn't want to surprise her like that.

"I knew Mr. Cassidy was a crook." He heard his mother say.

He turned to see her standing with a green apple, Pepper's favorite.

"He told you then?" Rian asked. He always adored seeing his mother out in the stables, floor length gown brushing over the hay.

"He was spewing bits of rage at the walls of his study. I only managed to hear pieces." She handed Pepper the apple. He munched away as she continued, "I did manage to hear something about an angel by the river." She raised her eyebrow.

Rian couldn't help but smile. He had told his father he didn't know her name. He only called her, Angel. His father had stared at him for a moment like Rian was completely insane.

Then Rian had explained how beautiful she was. His father had stared at him even longer.

Rian felt like his father did not even know who he was. Rian had left his father alone not long after he had began yelling.

He did not care to hear how traitorous it was to see this girl.

"Is she the girl in the painting?" She asked. He had forgotten his mother was around.

"Yes." He sat down on the hay bail behind him.

She smiled and sat down beside him.

"Dinner is ready." She took his hand. "Are you ready?"

He nodded and took a deep breath. "Yes."

----
I don't know why there is so much daddy issues going on...
Castles, who doesn't freaking love castles?
Sawyer 😊