Alexander-Fyn-Sanguinarian

being surrounded by women in nightgowns and nightcaps, and the one gentleman in the house felt it his masculine duty to protect them all.
    Raven half fell, half stumbled into the downstairs hallway. An oil lamp flared suddenly, held aloft by a young housemaid, momentarily blinding him. The hallway fell silent when he cried out, turning away from the light, covering his eyes with his forearm.
    When he was able to open his eyes once more, he stood towering above them, his yellow eyes gleaming, his teeth bared in a sneer. “Get down here, Evangeline Rutledge!”

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    “You have mistaken that lady for someone else, sir.” Mr. Harding came down the stairs toward Raven while the ladies huddled together watching. “She is Miss Rudge, and I must warn you I am ready to protect her.”
    “And I am ready to murder you if you do not get out of my way,”
    Raven said.
    “Miss Rudge is not leaving these premises, sir. You have made a mistake.” The young man looked increasingly nervous but stood his ground bravely.
    Raven looked into his eyes. “No, I have not made a mistake. We are to be married. Now get out of my way.”
    “You want her money!” the landlady shouted from the top of the stairs. “You won’t get it. She is free to do as she wishes. Mr. Harding, go outside and call for the constable. He won’t be far away.”
    When the young man stepped toward the front door, Raven barred his way with one long arm. Mr. Harding swung at him and with very little effort Raven gave him a shove sending him flying backward onto the hall rug. He looked up the stairs to find Mrs. Brackett with an umbrella raised threateningly. Evangeline was halfway down with two older ladies standing protectively in front of her.
    Blazing with anger, Raven reached past the ladies, grabbed Evangeline by one arm and pulled her down the stairs toward him. At the front door he found Mr. Harding back on his feet and eager for a fight. This time the young man was ready, and a struggle ensued with Raven using only one arm, refusing to let go of Evangeline again.
    Then with a great rush down the stairs they were upon him. Mrs.
    Brackett pounded his back with her umbrella and the other ladies beat him with their fists, while Mr. Harding attempted to leap on his back and wrestle him to the ground.
    His patience gone, Raven knocked young Harding to the ground once more, threw Evangeline over his shoulder, and with one sweep of his strong arm moved all the ladies out of his way.
    Only Mrs. Brackett had strength and will enough to follow him Sanguinarian 91
    down the front steps and into the street, and there was one further tussle while he bundled Evangeline into the carriage. The terrified older woman was still banging on the carriage door with her umbrella at the end of the street and only ceased when they turned the corner and the horses picked up speed.

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Chapter Seven
    Evangeline’s last sight of Mrs. Brackett was of her standing in her nightgown waving her umbrella and crying. She found herself sitting in Raven’s lap, held tightly in his arms, as unable to move as if she were bound hand and foot.
    “I’ll make you sorry, my child. I will make you wish you had never defied me.” He spoke in a whisper yet his voice filled the carriage, filling her head until it felt fit to burst. “I will marry you and you will remain locked up until the deed is done, and since I am decidedly worn out by your antics I might even leave you locked up after that, because you belong to me and I can do anything I want with you.”
    Tears streamed down Evangeline’s pink cheeks and her chest heaved with helpless, angry sobs. “Mrs. Brackett will come for me.”
    Raven laughed, holding her still more tightly against him. “That woman will never set foot in my castle again! In fact if I ever catch her in Yorkshire again I will see to it that she is run out. Do you understand your position at last, Evangeline? Do you, child? You have no one. You were bought and paid for and if you had obeyed your lord you could have had your Mrs. Brackett and anything else you wanted. You chose to defy me so now you shall have nothing.
    You are helpless, and I am your master. Reconcile yourself.”
    “I despise you!” she screamed at him.
    “I don’t care,” he said very calmly.
    For a long time Raven held her tightly against him on his lap as he leaned back comfortably into the leather cushions. She could not move her arms at all. Once she