toward them and clasped her arm. She bit back a whimper as his hold increased with every word. “I will ruin him and you should you not do as you’re told. We’ll be finished should you refuse to marry this man. Do you know what that means?”
Arabella wrenched her arm free, seeing her father clearly for the first time. A swindler, a pirate far worse than Stephen ever could be. “Of course I do, but I also know it’s time you held yourself accountable for the way you live your life. Lord Montague should not be your bank just because you assume to know something of his life.”
Her father’s face mottled in anger, his skin turning as red as a lobster. “I forbid you to leave this church unmarried. I’m your father, the head of our household. You will do as you’re told.” His words thundered through the church and out the corner of her eye Arabella noted the priest jumped.
“I will not.” Arabella stood nose to nose with him and refused to give in to her churning stomach. She’d never stood up for herself in such a way in her life. And although liberating, it was also terrifying. She supposed all her weeks with Stephen had given her the strength of mind to call out a wrong when she saw one. Not to sit idly by and allow bad things to happen, but to change them, make situations better if possible. “You cannot make me do something I disagree with. Not to mention threatening Lord Montague as well. How could you act so low? You’re behaving in a way I’m unfamiliar with. Where is the loving, caring father that I know?”
“Finished, that’s where,” he shouted before his eyes widened in shock.
Arabella clasped her father’s arm as he swayed. His knees buckled under his weight and she screamed for Lord Montague’s help as her father crumbled to the cold, tiled floor.
Commotion erupted behind her, the priest yelling for the altar boys to run for help. Arabella patted his cheek, trying to rouse him in any way she could. “Father? Wake up. Are you all right? Please talk to me.”
He moaned but reached out to take her hand. “My chest. Pain,” he mumbled, closing his eyes again.
Lord Montague placed his coat beneath her father’s head. Arabella didn’t know what to do or how to help him. She called out for water, but her parent just pushed it away when she went to help him drink.
“Please, Father. What can I do? What’s happening?” She sniffed, the thought that he was dying before her eyes more than she could bear. He couldn’t leave her after such a fight. For all his trouble making, his wayward lifestyle, he was her papa. She loved him. “What can we do?”
He shook his head, clasping his chest. “I’m sorry Arabella.”
She kissed his cheek and hugged him. “I’m sorry too. I love you. Please don’t leave me.” Arabella sobbed as the last beat of her father’s heart thumped beneath her ear, before silence reigned. She lay there, the thought that she’d lost the last member of her family and in such a way, under such terrible circumstances beyond comprehension.
Lord Montague pulled her away and gave comfort as best he could. “It’ll be all right, Arabella. I’ll ensure you will be fully taken care of.”
She sobbed against his chest. Even after all her father had put this man through he’d still ensure her well-being. Perhaps her opinion of his lordship was wrong. “No. You don’t have to. This is not your responsibility. You’ve been too kind after everything I’ve put you through. How will I ever thank you?”
He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her tears. “No thanks are needed.” A group of men, one carrying a bag and Arabella assumed to be a doctor, ran into the church. She sat on a pew knowing there wasn’t anything they could do for her father.
Guilt over their fight, one of the last moments she had with the man who raised her tore at her soul. How could she be so heartless?
“I will not let you think this is your fault.” Lord Montague sat beside her.
Arabella wrenched her arm free, seeing her father clearly for the first time. A swindler, a pirate far worse than Stephen ever could be. “Of course I do, but I also know it’s time you held yourself accountable for the way you live your life. Lord Montague should not be your bank just because you assume to know something of his life.”
Her father’s face mottled in anger, his skin turning as red as a lobster. “I forbid you to leave this church unmarried. I’m your father, the head of our household. You will do as you’re told.” His words thundered through the church and out the corner of her eye Arabella noted the priest jumped.
“I will not.” Arabella stood nose to nose with him and refused to give in to her churning stomach. She’d never stood up for herself in such a way in her life. And although liberating, it was also terrifying. She supposed all her weeks with Stephen had given her the strength of mind to call out a wrong when she saw one. Not to sit idly by and allow bad things to happen, but to change them, make situations better if possible. “You cannot make me do something I disagree with. Not to mention threatening Lord Montague as well. How could you act so low? You’re behaving in a way I’m unfamiliar with. Where is the loving, caring father that I know?”
“Finished, that’s where,” he shouted before his eyes widened in shock.
Arabella clasped her father’s arm as he swayed. His knees buckled under his weight and she screamed for Lord Montague’s help as her father crumbled to the cold, tiled floor.
Commotion erupted behind her, the priest yelling for the altar boys to run for help. Arabella patted his cheek, trying to rouse him in any way she could. “Father? Wake up. Are you all right? Please talk to me.”
He moaned but reached out to take her hand. “My chest. Pain,” he mumbled, closing his eyes again.
Lord Montague placed his coat beneath her father’s head. Arabella didn’t know what to do or how to help him. She called out for water, but her parent just pushed it away when she went to help him drink.
“Please, Father. What can I do? What’s happening?” She sniffed, the thought that he was dying before her eyes more than she could bear. He couldn’t leave her after such a fight. For all his trouble making, his wayward lifestyle, he was her papa. She loved him. “What can we do?”
He shook his head, clasping his chest. “I’m sorry Arabella.”
She kissed his cheek and hugged him. “I’m sorry too. I love you. Please don’t leave me.” Arabella sobbed as the last beat of her father’s heart thumped beneath her ear, before silence reigned. She lay there, the thought that she’d lost the last member of her family and in such a way, under such terrible circumstances beyond comprehension.
Lord Montague pulled her away and gave comfort as best he could. “It’ll be all right, Arabella. I’ll ensure you will be fully taken care of.”
She sobbed against his chest. Even after all her father had put this man through he’d still ensure her well-being. Perhaps her opinion of his lordship was wrong. “No. You don’t have to. This is not your responsibility. You’ve been too kind after everything I’ve put you through. How will I ever thank you?”
He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped her tears. “No thanks are needed.” A group of men, one carrying a bag and Arabella assumed to be a doctor, ran into the church. She sat on a pew knowing there wasn’t anything they could do for her father.
Guilt over their fight, one of the last moments she had with the man who raised her tore at her soul. How could she be so heartless?
“I will not let you think this is your fault.” Lord Montague sat beside her.
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