To Defend A Duke

Chapter 37

Evelyn drops to the floor as the entire congregation screams at the three shots fired in rapid succession. Lawrence seems to fall in slow motion as the bullets tear through his body. He falls to the floor by Evelyn's crouched figure. She scrambles back to avoid the scarlet rivers of blood that pour from fatal wounds, but she stops when cool metal is placed on the back of her neck. She lets out a tiny whimper.

"Stand up slowly," Edward Tremontane whispers in her ear, steady holding a pistol. Evelyn shakily starts to rise but she isn't quick enough for him and he grabs her hair and pulls her up forcibly. Tears appear in the corner of her eyes, but she bites her tongue to prevent any more sound from escaping her.

"Why did you kill him?" She whispers, refusing to look at the body still twitching on the floor.

"Shut up." Edward presses the pistol deeper into her neck while keeping a punishing grip on her hair.

"Edward, this is insane," Blackmoore says, inching forward, his hands raised, "I know you are angry but..."

Edward laughs, it's a cold and harsh sound. "Angry? I am not angry; I am fucking furious." He takes a step back towards the body and blood pool, pulling Evelyn with him. She lets out a tiny moan as Lawrence's blood begins to soak into her dress and cover her shoes, it soaks Edward's dress shoes, but he doesn't notice as he continues to yell.

"And I know what you are going to say, this is not the way to solve things, well you're wrong!" He shouts, "You are all wrong!" He turns to the crowd. "I see the judgment in your eyes as you sit upon your high horses, you thought Phillipa was nothing more than an actor slut, but you were wrong!"

He spits on the ground, "It's my turn to now, you all think yourselves so clever, so bloody smart but no one could work out Phillipa's death and the worst thing is no one cared about her, but I did, I cared so much!" He screams, "So much!" He glares at Blackmoore, "I loved her! I thought she loved me too but then she was seduced by your fucking lies!"

Evelyn slips her hand from her taut hair to the back of her head, her fingers fumble trying to free one of the ivory pins.

"I thought killing you would drive her into my arms." Edward says harshly to Blackmoore, "I planned it to look like a suicide, but when I saw you in the garden," He starts to pant, fury building, "I couldn't stand it! I shot and missed." For a moment he looks regretful, but it vanishes and is replaced by pure hatred, "With her dead, there was no point of you living either but then I heard about your new friend and everything became clear! She dies and you know how I feel." He pulls Evelyn's hair closer to him and she stumbles backwards.

"Edward I am sorry that all this has happened, I didn't know you loved her." Blackmoore says, "But killing anyone else isn't going to bring her back."

Edward scoffs, "I know that, this is about revenge on you, you have single-handledly ruined my life. You, who doesn't deserve anyone! You are nobody." He drops the hand holding the pistol to his side and Evelyn takes her chance. She plunges her pin into the hand holding her hair.

Edward cries out in pain and lets go of her. She stumbles forward and into Blackmoore's arms. She clings to him, hugging him tightly.

"YOU BITCH." Edward howls, cradling his injured hand. He raises the pistol in the other hand and shoots it directly at Evelyn's face. She closes her eyes and waits for the bullet to hit her. It never happens. She hears a thump as a body lands in front of her. All eyes fall on the person lying on the floor and Blackmoore takes advantage of this distraction to tackle Edward. Evelyn tears her eyes away from him flinging the pistol out of Edward's hand to see her brother lying in front of her, blood pouring from him.