Jillian Chantal

This week the writers of Tuesday Tales are writing to the word angry. I am still dragging with this Regency story. I’ve written two short stories recently that got me side-tracked so I am still working on this tale.

Check out the other tales here.

Ashamed that this woman he cared about had been subjected to such indignities in the street, he stared into her eyes. “Do you know him or is he a stranger?”

“Are you accusing me of leading him on?

The hurt in her eyes was a knife to his soul. “Of course not. He is a brute and clearly has no respect for the ladies. I certainly did not mean to infer any fault on your part. Please forgive me if it sounded thus.”

“I am sorry as well. It is just that I am tired from working and tried of that man continuing to try to impose his will on me.”

“Has he violated you in any way?” Daniel’s rage rose higher in his chest at the very thought of such a thing happening to her.

“No.” She shook her head. “At least not yet. I fear he might have had you not come to my aid. He frequents the tavern and has been bothering me more and more in the last weeks.”

He held his arm out to her. “Let me walk you the rest of the way home. Once you have a chance to rest, I would like to meet again and have a meal as we discuss how to deal with this man.”

She smiled up at him. A tremulous smile that he feared would dissolve into tears. He could not stand it if she cried.

Although he knew her tears would be real, whenever he saw a woman cry, it made him think of his treacherous sister-in-law who specialized in fake tears to get her way.

Anger again raised its head in his breast. He shoved thoughts of Teresa to the back of his mind, determined to keep her there where she belonged. Out of sight and out of his life.

“You’re awfully quiet,” Brandy said as they neared the boarding house where she lived. She sounded nervous like she thought he was angry with her.

“Sorry. I was merely thinking about the best punishment for that man.” He smiled down at her. “If he was under my command, I would either have him flogged with twenty lashes or keel-hauled.”

“I do not know what keel-hauled is, but if it is anything like lashes with a whip, I do not think I want to know.”

“Depending on who you talk to, it is much worse.

She held her hand up as they arrived at her door. “Do not tell me. I would rather live in ignorance.”

He lifted her hand to his lips and placed a kiss on her knuckles. “I assure you that is true.”