A Fiery Dalliance

XXXI

"Papa, I want to come in!"

Joe's ear pricked up at the sound of her voice, her protestations, from outside of the open bedroom door. The doctor had departed, and Adam was standing on the threshold blocking Perrie from entering.

"You will not enter the bedroom of a man. This is not up for debate," Adam refused pointedly.

"It is not as though I will be unchaperoned!" Perrie practically growled. "Papa, you are acting like an ogre! Please!"

"Hateful brat!" John snapped quietly. "The nerve of that wench to speak to her father that way. Why, if she were my daughter, I would have beat that behaviour out of her in infancy. It will be your responsibility, Edmund."

Joe could hear the desperation in Perrie's voice. She was anxious to be inside, and the selfish part of himself hoped that her ambition was to be near him. But his father's violent remarks were far too threatening to ignore, and both Joe and Ed's eyes met as they seemed to be thinking the same thing.

Joe could still see the guilt wrecking his twin's face. He still knew that there was much to say. He still had a lot to comprehend after he clearly had not known his brother half as well as he had thought. But they were likeminded on this issue.

"Thank God she was not born your daughter then," Ed managed to say, his voice not nearly as strong and confident as it usually was.

John's eyes narrowed, and they formed into a glare directed at his eldest son. "Don't you dare take such a tone with me. You will do as I say, and I need not remind you why."

Father knows.

The thought suddenly flooded Joe's mind as he once again heard that vague reminder. John had said it to Ed numerous times in Joe's presence, reminding him of his instruction to court and marry Perrie. But Joe had never heard it knowing that their father knew the truth about Ed.

Ed had fearfully asked Joe if he would turn him in. Was their father holding this secret over Ed's head? Was he using this to get what he wanted? The idea did not seem beyond John Parish at all.

Joe didn't speak to it. He would not insinuate just in case he was wrong, and he did not want to put the idea into his father's head. But was still seething about his comments about Perrie. Ed might have had something to lose, but Joe did not. What did Joe have?

"You will watch how you speak about Lady Perrie." Joe voice did not quiver once. It was perhaps the sternest tone he had ever taken with his father. "You would take care never to threaten her with violence in my presence."

Joe had never seen his father's head whip around so quickly. John bore an expression of sheer disbelief at hearing Joe talk back to him. John stepped slowly towards Joe, and whispered through clenched teeth, "The duke might neglect to discipline his brats, but I would never allow any of my offspring to walk around unpunished. Were the duke not here, I would make it so you could never walk again."

Better me than her.

Joe had tried. He had tried to stand up to his father, but as soon as he had, and he had received his father's irate hisses, he could feel whatever gall he had shrivel up and retreat, and the worst feeling of cowardice flooded through him.

"The both of you need educating," John decided, just as Adam returned to Joe's bedside.

***

Later that night, Joe was roused from his sleep but something shaking his shoulder.

"Joe! Joe, wake up!" came a hushed whisper.

Joe's eyes sprung open, and he was suddenly met with the candlelit face of Perrie leaning over him. She was at his bedside wearing a dressing gown over her long nightshirt, and her hair was loose and curly at her hips, save for a handful of rags tied around her face.