Free phantom knights 04 - deceit in delaware by amalie vantana

remain here until Luther was no longer a threat,” William said in a causal manner. He was not explaining himself so much as stating a fact.
    “It was agreed because you forced your will upon them, in the guise of truth.”
    William smiled as he leaned back in his chair.
    “From the first that I met you, I said that your pride would be your downfall. I never expected you to ruin my nieces’ futures in your spiral.”
    William released a soft laugh, and everyone looked at him. “I have kept them safe, so I would say that I have accomplished what was asked of me.”
    “You call Constance having to fight men safe? You call Arabella being nearly burned to death safe? I will not go into the hell that Mary Edith has endured due to your carelessness.”
    The man was still speaking, and Mrs. Stanton was trying to interpret every word that he said, though some she looked hesitant to utter, as she should be. I understood Swedish, so I knew what he said. I also knew that if she uttered such words to William there would be a brawl in the book room.
    “You have forced your will upon them at every turn, but it ends now. They are to go home with me, and you will remain here. A decree has been signed by the council that states that you will neither now nor in the future hold any formal position in Lutania. If you should return, you will do so at your own cost. Your father’s land is waiting for you, but that is all.”
    “You cannot do that,” Rose said, and Mrs. Stanton told her husband what was said. “I have made a vow, one which I mean to keep. William Martin is a good man, despite poor choices that he has made in the past. He has kept us safe, and that is what matters.”
    Uncle Gustav frowned his disappointment at her. “Would you rather have a man at your side that you claim to be good and only rarely shows signs of evil, or a man claimed to be evil who enacts good turns? For that is what stands before you with Willem and Luther.”
    “I say, that is unfair,” Jack said, but William touched his arm. William was no longer smiling. We could see that he wanted to fight his own battle.
    “He has harmed every person who he claims are important to him. His wife whom he deserted. The children who he forced to perform terrible tasks more suited to grown men. To his daughter who was branded and attacked. To his son who does not fully understand his father’s duplicity. Finally, to my nieces who he restrained in America when they should have been in their own country, with their own people.”
    There was nothing that I could say in William’s defense. Why was I considering defending him? Dudley’s father spoke more of the truth in twenty minutes than William had in three years.
    “All of his faults I could have overlooked, for he did, as he says, keep you safe, if it were not for his most atrocious strike against our family.” Gustav’s gaze shifted to me. “The marriage of his son to my niece.”
    “He had nothing to do with our marriage,” I said hotly, taking a dangerous step toward my uncle.
    Uncle shook his head, speaking to his wife.
    “He has ensured that his lineage is tied with yours, and in so doing acquired himself a place on the council for the rest of his days.”
    Glancing at William, there was a wicked glee in his brown eyes. It almost looked as if he were viewing Dudley’s father as a worthy foe. A man above others who finally comprehended some of what William considered his own genius.
    Which meant that he had lied. Again. He had a hand in orchestrating my marriage.
    It took gripping my hands together to keep me from lashing out.
    Gustav leaned forward, staring at William with great hostility. “Your manipulations have failed. Constance and Arabella will return home with me, where we will see to it that Constance’s marriage is found void. You will have no hold over them ever again.”
    “The devil you will!” I shouted, advancing toward my uncle.
    Mrs. Stanton clicked her tongue, and Hannah stifled