Free phantom knights 04 - deceit in delaware by amalie vantana Page A

a laugh.
    “Language, Constance,” Rose chastised calmly.
    Jack wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me against him and whispering in my ear for me to remain calm.
    I nodded, taking deep breaths, and when I stepped forward I was calmer. “You may return home with Arabella, but I will be remaining here with my husband. You may believe that William is a vile, heartless man, but I assure you that his son is not. My husband is greater than any of those prancing princes that you would have tried to force me to marry.”
    Mrs. Stanton was smiling by the end of translating that speech to her husband.
    Uncle Gustav spoke to me alone, and Mrs. Stanton did not need to translate, for my mind translated the words for me.
    “You would choose him over your family and your country?”
    Yes. I would. I nodded and moved to stand beside my husband. Uncle Gustav rose without another word and marched from the room. Mrs. Stanton followed him to the door, halting only to press her hand on Rose’s shoulder.
    Dudley and Hannah did not follow them out.
    “We are here until the end,” Dudley said when I looked my inquiry.
    Once my aunt and uncle were gone, I felt keenly the decision that I had made. I only hoped that it would not result in a mistake.
     

CHAPTER 6
    JACK
     
    M y father walked out of the book room and I followed on his heels.
    Once we were in the parlor, William walked to the cold fireplace and straightened his blue waistcoat by tugging it down, and then he flicked a piece of fluff from the sleeve of his dark blue coat. He was just as he had been three years ago, except for the scar.
    “The scar is real?” I said.
    William flicked his finger against his cheek. “The scar, unfortunately, is real.”
    “How did you come by it? Give it to yourself to make your disguise all the more real?” I asked snidely, for it was something that my father would have done.
    William smiled, not at all angry over the disrespectful tone I had adopted when speaking to him. William Martin knew that he had lost all respect from his children, and he was not the least bit contrite.
    He ran a finger down the length of the pink scar. “This was given to me by Richard Hamilton.”
    Startled, I said nothing. William went on without prompting.
    “I wanted to see for myself how far Richard and General Lewis had gone in the destruction of Levitas. I disguised myself as one of their members, but Richard saw through my disguise. He wanted to know my name, but I would not speak. That enraged him. He had his guards hold me down as he gave me this.” William touched the scar for a long moment before meeting my gaze. “Pierre was tasked by Richard to give me the poison that would have ended my life. Arnaud disguised himself as the doctor and came in to pronounce me dead. Then he and Pierre carried me out of Stark Manor.”
    “And you decided to remain dead to everyone but your inner circle,” I said, placing the pieces together.
    “William Martin died and Lucius Harvey came alive,” William said matter-of-factly.
    “Why could you not trust us with the truth? Were we not loyal to you? Were we not spending our lives doing your bidding?”
    William sighed deeply. “My son, it was for your protection. Remember what happened to your mother and sister when Richard discovered they were my family.”
    Richard had sent his people to capture my sister while Richard had my mother. He had branded my sister and brother with the mark of Levitas.
    “The brands that your sister and brother suffered at Richard’s hand would have been pleasant compared to the things he would have done to them if I had not sent Guinevere there to stop him. Bess may have received the brand, but she and your mother would have lost their lives if Guinevere had not secured a vow from Richard to leave Nell alone.”
    We had thought Richard was nothing more than a prancing peacock, until Bess saw his anger. She had been kept in his cellar dungeon and was forced to watch Levi being