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  Delbert Morton was a bloody moron. He didn’t know how lucky he was. He didn’t know how thankful he should be for having a daughter so devoted to him, that she would risk giving herself to a man like him. Sourness boiled in his stomach. He wanted Annabelle with a fierce craving, but he knew he could never force her into wanting him in return.

  If he could, he would give her a love potion, if he did that she would become entirely enchanted with him, and he would have her in his bed before he could blink. But he couldn’t do that to her. He couldn’t deceive her in such a foul way. If she did come to him, it would be of her own free will.

  “I would like to see my father…now, please,” Annabelle asked softly, but firmly.

  Her soft sweet voice broke through his thoughts. He sighed. “In due time.”

  “No. Now!”

  He was surprised to find that she had steel running through her. Perhaps, she was strong enough to deal with what he had to offer her. She would eventually get close enough to him to make out his visage.

  In the light of day, her vision would be improved. He didn’t know what he would do if she recoiled from him in disgust. He’d had it happen to him before—and it wasn’t something he wished to repeat anytime soon.

  “Did you know that your father was here to steal the Hawthorne Family Wish Jewel?”

  “No,” her voice faltered. “I’m sorry, switch that to a yes. I was told the entire story from my cousin Glynnis.”

  “Glynnis? The woman he was acting so besotted with? I should hope she isn’t his niece. That would be quite—revolting.”

  She forced out a short laugh. “So there is something more to my father’s relationship with my cousin than I originally believed. I’ve been snookered. They really pulled the proverbial wool over my eyes. You can rest easy in knowing that Glynnis shares no blood bond with my father. I am the only one he can call a blood relation. Lucky me.” She let out a shaky laugh.

  Malachi’s heart went out to her. How many times had she played damage control when it came to her father’s colossal muck ups? The man was a poor thief, he couldn’t see him ever getting away with a grand score. He warranted that Delbert had spent more than his fair share of time in various prisons.

  Malachi swallowed, and looked up at the night sky. “We should get to the castle. You look tired, and you’ll need time to adjust to your new surroundings.”

  “Adjust? That’s what you call getting used to being your prisoner?”

  “Not my prisoner. You are not being punished for your father’s sins, you’re only going to grace me with your company. I must say, you’re a definite improvement when compared to your father. He’s running out of excuses to get me to release him. He tells me he did it for you. He wanted to restore your sight.”

  She snorted. “Restoring my sight was probably not his true motivation. My father can’t help his real nature. It’s been a thorn in his side for most of his life. He means well at first, but then his temptations overcome him, and he does something phenomenally stupid. Just like he did tonight. I’m not surprised, but this isn’t the first time his actions have cost me pain.”

  “Then, I will remove him from ever causing you pain again.” He was affected deeply by the depth of emotions present in her voice. She cared for her father, however, he could see that she was warring with her feelings for her father on a daily basis.

  Delbert had probably shattered her dreams many times. They shared a lot in common. And, now he had to make sure she never left him. If he had to keep her as his prisoner to keep her with him, then he would have to do the unthinkable. He would take no joy in keeping her with him through force, but he would, if the alternative meant losing her. The Hawthorne men were known to be extremely possessive when it came to their women.

  She sighed. Weariness bled through the sound. “You need rest. You can see your father in the morning,” Malachi promised.

  “No! You will not give me orders! Not until our bargain comes to fruition. I’ve made a pact with you. Now you need to uphold your end of the bargain.”

  “You are spunky.”

  “My mother used to say I was feisty. She said I’d never give up without one hell of a blazing fight. And, then, I did this to myself,” she sighed, brushing her hand across her temple. He knew by that brief gesture that she was probably heating with a bad migraine.

  “I can whip you up a potion to ease your pain. Come now, if it will ease your heart I shall allow you five minutes with your father—and then, I’ll let him go. I must say, it will be quite a relief to hear the end of his constant dithering. You are dithyrambic. Whereas your father… just, well…he dithers in the face of impending peril, doesn’t he? He seems to think I was going to eat him or something equally gruesome.”

  She made no sound. He wondered if she was thinking on his physical appearance or if she was just trying to deal silently with her pain. He wanted to help her, and if her condition was painful, he wanted to ease that as soon as possible.

  “I would like to see my father, even if he is rambling. He tends to run off at the mouth when his nerves are rattled. You must be very imposing to scare my Da witless. He’s been put in jail by several sheriffs that would scare most men witless, and yet my father wasn’t even affected. So, I can only conclude that you are an enigma.”

  “Enigma is one way to describe me. I suppose you know all about me.”

  “On the contrary. I know very little about you. I don’t listen to any of the vicious gossipmongers. How can I when I know they’re spreading hateful lies about me as well? They call you the Beast and they call me the stupid Blind Woman. We’re in the same boat so to speak, Malachi.” He shivered as she said his name. She started. “I do apologize, my lord. I lost myself for a minute there.”

  “Propriety doesn’t have any place in our relationship, Annabelle. I would gladly have you call me Malachi, whenever you wish. I am at your command.”

  “You do know how to weave a charming spell.” She leaned against him.

  He looked down at her. She didn’t look as if she had the energy to make the walk to the castle. He snapped his fingers, hoping she wouldn’t feel the move of his magical transportation.

  “Did the ground just sway beneath us? I feel awfully heady. I guess the pain is getting to me.” She sniffed the air. “Why do I smell damp?”

  “Because we’re in the castle dungeons. I took the liberty of giving our travel some magical oomph.”

  “So I did feel the ground move under me.”

  “I guess you could put it that way. I no longer feel the effect of blinking. I’ve done it so many times that I’m quite accustomed to it.”

  “Indeed,” her voice shook. She pulled his cloak closer around her shoulders. “Are you telling me that you were going to let my father waste away down here?”

  “He is much stronger than you give him credit for.”

  “He has a delicate constitution.”

  “I don’t think so,” Malachi snorted.

  “Who goes there?” Delbert cried. “I’m hungry—I tell you! My lord, I didn’t mean to raise your ire. I must insist that I have some food! I am wasting away down here. This beef stew isn’t enough to stick on my bones.”

  He heard her make an angry sounding noise. “Greedy little ungrateful…” She trailed off when Delbert spoke again.

  “I know that voice. Annabelle? No. It can’t be Annabelle, she can barely see one foot in front of the other, let alone find her way up here.”

  “That’s where you are mistaken, Father.”

  “Oh, shit. Now I’m really in for it.”

  Chapter Four

  “Didn’t you think you were torturing me enough? You just had to go and fetch my daughter, didn’t you? She’ll never let me hear the end of this. I hope you are quite happy with yourself, Lord Markham.”

  “Oh, more pleased than you’ll ever know, Morton. I’m quite happy with the arrangement Annabelle and I have worked out. I’ve made quite the profit in the bargain, let me tell y
ou.”

  Annabelle sighed. She knew Lord Markham was having a great time goading her father.

  “Eh? What are you talking about? With that ugly face of yours, I wouldn’t have a hard time believing that you’re more than a bit addled as well.”

  “Da!” She was horrified by his unspeakable cruelty. “You should learn to hold your tongue!”

  “And you, daughter, should learn to hold yours. You can’t see two fingers in front of your face, so I would thank you to keep your mouth shut when it concerns matters that you know nothing about!”

  “You are treading a fine line, Morton. How would you like to spend the rest of your life as a little Shesley Weasel? Huh?” Malachi threatened.

  “No. Don’t do it, my lord,” Annabelle begged. “You are forgetting our bargain.”

  “Nothing, not even a memory loss charm could cause me to lose sight of our agreement. It’s legally binding as far as I’m concerned. In fact, when we talk about legally binding…”

  “Don’t even think about it. I’m not going to marry you.”

  “Then we shall be living in sin.”

  “Eh? What the ruddy hell is going on here? I’ve never heard such a confusing conversation in all of Thaliana! May the Graces give me the strength to endure this!” Delbert shouted.

  “You strain my patience, Morton. In my family, I was never known for my patient attitude. I’ve gotten into a lot of trouble for going off the handle…”

  “Please, my lord, pay no mind to my father,” Annabelle said quickly. “He was born with his rude tongue and no doubt he’ll die with it.” She knew she sounded overly imploring, but she also couldn’t stand idly by and watch Malachi go completely ballistic on her father. She knew her father would lose in a confrontation with the man.

  “I could make that happen sooner rather than later.”

  She sighed. Both her father and Malachi looked at her. She might not be able to see Malachi’s face, but she could see a blurry outline, and she could always tell when she was near her father. He gave off a presence she could never ignore, no matter how hard she tried.

  “My lord, you’re not going to kill my father. Others might think you’re capable of it, but I just don’t think you have a mean bone in your body! If you were truly mean spirited you would not have been such a gentleman to me.”

  “Daughter, you are lucky you’re more than a little blind. The man could make Old Mistress Gee die with horror if she saw him! He’s more than ugly — he’s bloody…”

  “Da! Do be quiet. Try to mind your manners. If you’ve suddenly become forgetful, you were the one that got yourself into this bloody mess. I will have you keep your thoughts to yourself until I can guarantee your freedom.”

  “Fine,” he said sullenly. “I will keep my words to a minimum. I must say I’ve had enough of this place. The ambiance is less than appealing. Take me home, Annie.”

  She flinched at his nickname for her. She hated being called Annie. Hated it so much that he was the only one that dared even call her that. She detested it so much that she’d made it quite clear to everyone else in her life that if they called her Annie, she was done with them.

  “Fortunately, Morton, Annabelle won’t be taking you home. You’ll have to go it alone, I am happy to say.”

  “What’s this? What in the name of Thaliana are you prattling on about now?” Delbert demanded.

  She watched as the blurry image that was Malachi stalked toward her father. She had to do something!

  “I will.”

  Malachi stopped when he heard her softly spoken proclamation. “You will what?” he asked.

  “Aye. What will you do, Annie? Make me my favourite pudding dish? I could really go for…”

  She sighed, interrupting her father with a good deal of satisfaction. “I will…if you desire it, I will bind myself to you in the legal sense. If that’s what you wish, then your wish is my command.”

  Malachi stood staring at her. Gooseflesh prickled along her skin. Her scalp tingled. She wanted to flee the dungeon, but she wouldn’t make it five steps without falling flat on her face. Her blood warmed. He just kept staring at her. Why wouldn’t he look away?

  “You would do that for your father?” This time he was the one that spoke softly. He sounded as if he couldn’t believe her.

  “I already made one bargain with you, and now you’ve upped the ante because of my Da’s bad behavior. I will do whatever I have to in order for you to let him go. If he remains here, you will end up killing him. My father has a way of pushing, and pushing until you either give in or you snap. I know this better than anyone.”

  Annabelle didn’t have anyone else that wanted to marry her, and if she had to be his prisoner, she might as well do it the way her mother had done it. She’d ended up being her father’s prisoner.

  When she’d abandoned her family to marry him—her family had disowned her, once she did marry Delbert, and she found out he wasn’t the charming man she’d believed him to be. She’d been forced to lie in the bed she’d made for herself until she’d finally died in that bed. Dryness prickled in Annabelle’s throat. She cleared her throat and coughed.

  “Whatever needs to be done in order to make it legal should be done,” she announced.

  She heard a snapping sound. “Sign your name to this. This will do until the Queen herself is able to bless our ceremony. Since I am a Lord of Her Realm, I can perform marriages.”

  “Marriage? What? I don’t think so! You listen to me, Annabelle! I absolutely, positively forbid this! Do you hear me, Annabelle?” Her father’s shrilly frantic voice reverberated against the stone walls. “I will not have it! You will marry that monster over my bloody dead body!”

  She gasped.

  Malachi turned and raised his hand toward her father. She let out a half-scream half-shout and lunged toward him.

  “No!” Annabelle caught his arm before he could finish casting his spell. “You didn’t…” She couldn’t hear her father’s voice. Fear stole into her heart. She broke out into a cold sweat. If she’d just witnessed her father’s murder, she didn’t know what she’d do. She would be at the mercies of a madman.

  “Of course I didn’t. I merely made it impossible for him to speak. I’ve turned him mute.”

  “Mute,” she nearly laughed. “Thank the heavens.” She collapsed against him in exhausted relief. “This day has been bloody taxing,” she sighed. She felt his tender touch on her face, and instinctively leaned into it. He had such gentle hands.

  She heard the rustling of papers, and when she moved to the side, she slammed into something hard. “What the hell?”

  “It’s a desk. For the marriage document.”

  “Oh.” Her stomach sunk. He was actually taking her up on it. She didn’t believe he’d agree so heartily. Didn’t he know what she was? She was a woman that had failed at almost everything she’d attempted in her life. To put it simply, she was almost as much of a failure as her father was.

  “I need you to sign it. Your father will do for a witness. I am afraid we have no one to officiate, so we’ll do it the way they’ve always done in times of war.” He pressed the pen into her hand.

  She took a shattering breath. “If I sign that will you restore my father’s voice and return him to our home?”

  “I will.”

  “You must promise me.”

  “I promise. You can trust me, Annabelle.”

  She narrowed her eyes, trying to make out more of his profile. He was a large man, far larger than any she’d ever seen in her village. A loud rattling noise startled her. “What’s that?”

  “Your father is smashing his tin cup against the bars. He’s quite angry. Infuriated is putting it mildly. He definitely doesn’t want you to sign that document.”

  “He doesn’t?” She smiled, easing her way toward the desk, she sat down in the chair. She held the pen without her hand shaking once. Leaning down closely to the paper, she signed her name.

  “Thank you, Annabelle.”
He took the paper from her, and then signed his own name to it. She felt something tingle on her arm. Holding her hand close up to her face, she looked at the ring that had magically appeared on her wedding finger.

  “You aren’t leaving anything out, are you?” she asked.

  “Nothing. You are one of a kind, Annabelle. Your charming innocence refreshes me. You are the only one that is blind to my faults.”

  “I am blind, period. Well—almost. Give me a few more months, and I won’t be able to see a bloody thing.”

  “I wouldn’t bet your life on that, my dear. I have ways of fixing the unfixable. There’s just no one to fix me—except, maybe you.”

  She thrilled at the promise in his voice. She had completely drowned out the sound of her father rattling his cup against the bars of his cell.

  “You should give my father back his voice now, and let him return to Glynnis. She’ll no doubt be frantic about him.”

  “Your wish…”

  “Is your command. Yes, I know.” She smiled.

  He raised his hand, and snapped his fingers.

  “My beautiful daughter, my lovely Annabelle, my baby girl! You can’t have her! I don’t care if she did sign that document, she did it without my consent. It’s null and void.”

  “I’m too old for you to give your consent, Da. You forget, our exalted Queen has made it illegal for parents to have any say in marriage bargains. Look what happened when her parents arranged her marriage to Roland when she was just a babe in arms. He turned out to be a monster.”

  “Roland might be a monster…but at least he doesn’t look like one! You, my sweet darling child, have just married a monster that nightmares are fashioned after. You married a beast!”

  The pain in her temple suddenly intensified to the point where her knees gave way beneath her. She screamed out in agony, and fell toward the floor. She felt Malachi catch her before she could hit the ground. Seconds later, she fell into the dark abyss of nothingness.