The Duke's Wife {Wallflower #1}

Chapter 32

Hey Guys, I just wanted to let you know that the updates are on Sundays, nt Fridays, because of the situation with Radish. Sorry for any inconvenience!

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Chapter 32

“There are 2 kinds of fighters: those who fight because they hate, and those who fight because they love.”
― Criss Jami

*Rhea*

Lord Utteridge and Lord Ashwin led Rhea and Leia through the back of the inn, where a carriage was, incidentally, waiting for them.

“Oh, how convenient, that a carriage should be so prepared for our rushed departure. In fact, where’s the bloody rain you were talking of, Lord Ashwin? True, we should’ve never taken your good, reliable word for it, no, you are not atall reliable are you, you insignificant, cowardly bastard. Wait ‘til I retrieve my weapon and lay it upon you most viciously. You shall rue the day you ever thought of crossing-”

“Shut her up, Ashwin,” Utteridge muttered. Ashwin glowered at Leia, reaching up to yank cruelly at her hair. She did not give him the pleasure of crying out.

“You will hold your wretched tongue, or we’ll have to cut it out,” Ashwin hissed.

Leia smirked, nonplussed, “I see, your true colors finally come to light then?”

Rhea quietly watched the exchange between Leia and Ashwin, desperately hoping that Leia would actually hold her tongue, but known all too well that she would not.

Utteridge opened the carriage door and stepped in, then he turned and gave Rhea a sinister smile, raising his hand, beckoning her to him. Rhea grimaced.

“My lord-” Rhea started. Utteridge shook his head.

Utteridge reprimanded, “Now, now, don’t cause a scene. Remember what I said earlier? Ashwin?”

Rhea heard a soft grunt and turned to see Ashwin shove her roughly to the ground, where she landed on her knees. Rhea gasped, starting toward her friend to help her up.

“Ah, ah,” Utteridge murmured. Rhea watched as Ashwin held the gun up to Leia’s friend. Rhea’s lip threatened to tremble, but she held it back. She was determined to find a way out of this wretched man’s grasp, but she couldn’t do it if Leia’s life was threatened.

She hesitated another second before turning and taking Utteridge’s hand into the carriage. She was forced to sit next to the lord.

“Get up,” Ashwin ordered. Leia shot him a murderous glare and stood slowly.

“I dare you to try that again, you filthy mongrel,” Leia warned. Ashwin’s hand tensed on the gun and he shoved her again toward the carriage, urging her in. As she stepped in, her foot shot out behind her and kicked at Ashwin’s shin.

Ashwin yelped and momentarily lost his grip on Leia, who tried to retrieve the gun from the young lord, but another audible click in the small space had her pausing, looking to the source of the sound.

“You are testing my patience, girl.” Utteridge gritted his teeth, up to his wits with the useless antics of the Edmond girl.

“You won’t get away with this!” Leia promised.

Utteridge gave her a mocking grin. “That, my dear, is up to debate. I will get away with this and more.”

Ashwin finally righted himself and stepped into the carriage, and just like that, they were off, without anyone knowing they had even gone.