Chapter 34-1

Hoss reached Sophia halfway up the staircase, grabbing her arm to stop her and at the same time steady her as he spun her about to face him. Her cheeks were already red with a mixture of hysterical tears and the much deserved slap she’d received from Sir William. Hoss had worried that Sophia’s childish temper might surface should she be confronted with her selfishness. It had happened often enough when she was still acting as loving wife to his Master. But Hoss had thought that her knowing of William’s intent to do her harm should she lay so much as a hand Nan would stay her from physically assaulting the woman. “Why did you attack her?” Hoss barked, staring at Sophia with a mixture of surprise and anger as he regarded her distressed express. “I told you what would happen if you did. Why did you not listen?” He hissed, shaking her by her arms as he spoke. “Why did you let it happen!?” She shot back, “How could you let him do that to me! How could you let that slut humiliate me!” she screamed, her voice and manner befitting that of a spoiled child more than the dignified lady she played the part of so well in Society'seyes. “I am Mistress here! Not that cheap tavern whore!” she snapped. “Why couldn’t you have killed him like you promised!” she screeched, stomping her foot as she did. Turning about she made to run back up the stairs, but was once again pulled to a stop. This time Hoss’ halting grasp was a solid jerk as he pulled her back down to his level and slammed her into the wall of the staircase, causing several nearby paintings to shiver and tilt with the abruptness of his actions. With a grip that was both light and dominating, Hoss wrapped his hand around Sophia’s throat, quailing her screeching and tears as he stared at the wide-eyed woman before him Her thoughtless words had set another anger to his being, a different rage that burned with a betrayal that would have matched his Master’s if not for the taint of guilt that came with it. With a dark, hot, fury that smoldered and hissed with its own heat, Hoss pinned her with his gaze. The look succeeding in squelching all her own indignation and rage as she fell silent and fearful staring back at him, her hands slowly rising without thought as though to protect her before he could strike as it seemed he might at any moment. “Hear my words and listen carefully, your Ladyship.” Hoss hissed the title as he glared at her. “You are not an innocent naïve child. Your escapades in France made that very clear.” He informed her, taking a tiny bit of satisfaction in the terrified look that graced her features as he spoke.  “The name of Horton is not your private toy box. And those associated with the name are no longer your unwitting puppets.” He stated, then stepped back removing his hand from about her throat as a small sardonic grin crossed his lips. “You’ve been found out my Love.” He chuckled. “And all it took was a filthy little beggar girl, to make him see that your shiny glory cared for nothing else.” “What Sir William is providing you for a tidy, quite divorce is far more than you deserve. Especially when he has more than enough grounds to you leave you in ruins as you deserve.” “There are no grounds.” Sophia spat haughtily, eying Hoss with a contempt she made no effort to hide as she stood glaring at him venomously “I’ve done nothing, but live apart from my husband.” She snapped. “You’ve starved him of your touch. That alone is enough for grounds for divorce. Though that alone is not what I can and will provide the courts with, should you choose to make this difficult. Tell me Sophia, in the last ten years you’ve managed …five lovers I believe. Six if you include myself, and I will if you don’t mind.” He added offhandedly all the while keeping his calculating gaze locked with hers as he spoke. “That’s almost one every two years. Why only two years? Is that how long it takes you to get bored of your new toy?” he asked conversationally with a small wave of his hand and a tilt of his head. “Or is that how long it takes them to see through your game?” he sneered. “I…I have…I have no idea what you’re speaking of. And should—“ “Should Sir William hear of this you’ll tell him of my betrayal?” he queried, with a small shake of his head, “How I planned to kill him so I might be with you, my Love?” Hoss questioned, stealing the very words from her lips. “My dearest Lady Horton,” Hoss shook his head once more, wearing the most agreeable smile he had as he looked at her. “Why do you think I never killed him? Why do you think he became the Black Knight?” he asked, answering for when she did nothing more than pale at his words. “He already knew. He knew everything.” Hoss breathed, his voice shallow and rasping as he recalled the look Sir William had worn the night Hoss had come to smother him in his sleep, the words he had spoken to him. He had been getting better for months, he was eating on his own, walking, he was even regaining some motion in his hand, but when Hoss had come. William had been up, he’d been waiting for him. He asked Hoss how he intended to kill him and that after the job was done, that he would take care of Sophia as she deserved. “And still you couldn’t do it.” Sophia spat, her sour accusation pulling Hoss back to the present as the image of his Master bandaged and bedridden was replaced with her glaring features. “You who claimed to love me.” she hissed. “You’re right.” Hoss smiled happily, crossing his arms of his chest. “I did love you. So much that I kept everything you ever gave me. Every ribbon, flower, letter. I wonder how the courts will favor you when they read of your request for me, your lover, to murder your husband. I don’t mind doing a bit of time. Do you Lady Horton?” Hoss asked. A toothy grin spreading across his face, reaching from ear to ear. --- Nan was still staring out the door Sophia had disappeared through when William turned back to her, taking a step forward to help her to her feet. And like so many times before her reaction was not what he had thought it would be, despite knowing beforehand that it never would be what he expected. “As much as I appreciate your rescue of me.” Nan began, pushing at the floor to help herself up then taking William’s pre-offered hand for the rest of her ascent. “If you’d given me but a few moments more I’m sure I could have taken her.” Nan stated with an assured nod of her head, brushing her hands against her hair, ineffectively trying to right what was already wrong. “And you’ll not kill her over such a small altercation, William.” She declared swiftly, leveling him with a stern and final glare as she spoke. For a silent moment William managed his own discontented glared before rolling his eyes with an irritated sigh, turning to her fully as he stepped closer still, raising his hands to pull her hair loose of its few pins and ribbon, setting the items on the small table still miraculously standing, though its contents were tipped and scattered across its surface and the floor. Smoothing her dark waves straight to a less disarrayed state he placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face the wall, gathering up her hair at the nap of her neck and tying it back with her ribbon, then turning her back to face him. Studying her appearance a moment longer as he surveyed his work before his eyes returned to hers and the last reminder of his wife’s assault was no longer visible. “As you like, my Love.” William seceded, gripping her hands tightly within his a moment before releasing them and turning to leave her. “William,” Nan called with a warning tone, once again glaring as she thought he still meant to go after his wife. And while, perhaps not kill her, there were a great many other things he could that did not result in death. “I’m not going after her.” William stated, turning back to her with a steady scowl of annoyance. “However, Hoss has yet to receive such an order. One would think if you did not take kindly to the idea of my killing her, you would not to Hoss doing so either.” He added with a quirked frown, staring at her with an expression that dared her to say otherwise. “Though he may have just as much reason to see her dead.” William commented under his breath. “You think Hoss would kill for you?” Nan questioned, then recalled his threat of rape and immediately knew the question to be of the utmost stupidity. If the man had no issue threatening to rape her in order to cease his Master’s pain, then killing to give his Master leave to marry whom he wished should not have been such a farfetched idea. “You think he has not already?” William queried with a light smile quirking his lips. Obviously aware of Nan’s line of thought as he hid nothing of his darker dealings from her. Almost appearing to enjoy the idea of her knowing them, if for no other reason than to gauge how much she would accept of his less than reputable life. She had no difficulty with his appearance, no trouble with his temper, but as to the manner of some of his less than legal affairs. How far would she go? How willingly would she accept such knowledge? And what would she do with it once obtained? Nan was a sensible woman, William knew. She did not see the world as strictly black and white as most wore taught to. She saw the shades of gray. She lived in them, just as he did. Why it seemed so startling and at the same time so fitting that she would not blanch at such knowledge he hardly knew, yet that was what he felt. That and sort of pride that she was strong enough to handle such things. “Yes, I realize the foolishness of my question. You need not continue to point it out.” Nan admonished with an un-amused nod of her head, her remark pulling William from his thoughts. “I merely mean to say—“