Hearts Alligned

Chapter 3

Andrew's POV

Andrew couldn't say he was surprised when Anne sent a glare his way, but he was surprised when he gave the mayor the same look. 

She was not impressed that he was Duke Ben's son, then. He admired that. After all, he hadn't done anything to meet his status. And Anne was the type of person to only respect people who deserved her respect. 

Something went through his chest. He suddenly wanted to earn her respect. 

He met her gaze. Her deep, blue eyes sparkling and he couldn't tear his eyes away from hers.

He would never try to force anyone to marry him, but if she wanted to marry him...

He closed his eyes, shutting out her beautiful face. Anne was lovely, but he was not ready to get married.

He focused on his food. Andrew got a feeling about how Arthur treated his wife and step-daughter. Arthur seemed like a jolly man, and his words, the words that seemed to angry Anne so much, were more careless than mean. But it was the looks on their faces and their reactions to Arthur that made Andrew worried. Arthur mentioned Anne marrying multiple times, and it obviously angered her. 

He had never really thought about it before, but it would be embarrassing to have someone offer you in marriage, especially to someone you'd never met before. It made him want to protect Anne.

The mayor had a friendly smile on his face. Maybe he meant no harm, but Andrew never heard his father embarrass his sisters or offer them away in a marriage. 

The past year had made Andrew realize how right his father was. His orders, telling Andrew what to do and what not to do had only been a father trying to save his son from pain. Why had it taken Andrew so long to realize that his parents were great parents? And that they only wanted his best interest all along?

But hadn't he changed? He had saved his brother's life. He had the scar above his eye to prove it.

Arthur started to talk again. "My daughter here thinks she can kill The beast herself. What do you say, Andrew? Do you think you can out-track her?"

"I don't know." He had never done that much tracking. He always hunted with his father and brothers, but his father did the most of the tracking. He had done his own tracking over the past year, but he wasn't that successful, and he wasn't going to tell them that. "Is Anne a good tracker?" Andrew looked at Anne. 

She glared at him. "I guess you'll find out." 

"My daughter goes out everyday with her bow and tells everyone that she's going to kill The Beast, but she hasn't killed it yet. Maybe she feels pity for it and doesn't really want to kill it. Women are such gentle creatures. Not fierce like men." 

"I am fierce enough to kill a beast that kills children. And you will find out that I am not too gentle to put an arrow through the skull of an animal who tries to attack me, including ones that walk on two feet." She said, glaring at Arthur. But it was the look on Arthur's face that put Andrew on his guard. Would he need to protect her?

Arthur looked away from her and started laughing.

"Have you ever heard your sisters talking like that, Lord Andrew. I bet your sisters are more obedient."

"Not as much as you think. They've fought back time to time when someone threatens them and-"

Arthur cut him off by yelling at the servants to bring more food. Then he said, "No one has been able to kill The Beast. Soon, there's going to be so many people hunting The Beast, that you'd been more likely to shoot each other."