Have No Say

"I know that my husband is not here, but I can assure you that whatever we agree upon he will also accept," Marquise Flock said with a gentle smile. She was sitting next to Henry on the green settee facing Lady Kalwen and Marquis Galley.

"That's good to hear, Lady Flock." Lina nodded.

"House Flock is ready to take responsibility for whatever happened between our children," Sofia added.

"Which is nothing, nothing happened," Henry said with an exasperated tone.

Florence's eyes were glued to the floor, she was too embarrassed to look up.

"Are you telling me that what I saw with my own eyes, did not happen?" Richard sat up in his chair. "I saw you kissing my sister with my own eyes."

"Maybe what you saw was your sister kissing me," Henry shot back.

"What?" The earl jumped from his seat. "What are you insinuating?"

"Henry, stop this," Sofia pleaded.

"I am insinuating that I am a victim of your sister's plot."

Florence flinched.

"You bastard." Richard lunged at him, but thankfully Daniel stopped him.

"Language, Rick," Lina scolded.

"Tell them," Henry screamed at Florence. "Tell them the truth." He took a threatening step close to where she was sitting.

Florence's trembling hand was squeezing Magnolia's fingers until it hurt, but she did not say anything. The whole scene was chaotic.

"Henry, sit down," his mother ordered.

"I will not be played like this, Mother."

"Now." Her voice was more authoritative this time.

Henry stepped back and sat down while still glaring at Florence. He was boiling. He wanted to shake her until she told the truth. His brain could not fathom why she was doing this to him.

"It seems both our sons are hotblooded, Lady Kalwen."

"Richard takes after his father," Florence's mother agreed. "Thank the Gods for women like us who can solve these situations without using our fists." Both ladies smiled and nodded.

"If I may," Marquis Galley uttered, getting everyone's attention.

Florence knew what was coming, she watched the man with wide eyes.

"I am willing to take Lady Florence as my bride," he announced.

'Willing to take me as a bride? As if he was doing me the biggest favor.' Florence clenched her jaw at his words, and the use of her first name.

"There, problem solved," Henry rejoiced. "Someone willing to take her." He motioned to Florence with his hand and met her eyes for the first time. She looked at him as if he had just stabbed her in the heart.

"Yes," continued the marquis. "I fancy Lady Florence even if she is damaged, I am willing to marry her."

"Damaged?" Both Florence and Magnolia repeated at the same time, the rest frowned at the choice of words.

"Well, as I said before, everyone makes mistakes and I am willing to forgive you, Lady Florence," he continued while grinning at Florence.

The marquis was so confident, so arrogant, that even Henry wanted to punch him.

"You are truly a gentleman, Lord Galley," the dowager countess uttered.

'What is going on here?' Marquise Flock looked at Daniel with questioning eyes. He could only shrug to her because he himself was not sure about the situation.

He suspected that Lady Kalwen saw the marquis as a better husband for her daughter than Henry. But he did not understand why go through with this charade if the man was willing to marry her anyway.

Florence pushed to her feet, wincing at the pain that shot from her ankle. Everyone's eyes turned to her. She took a step to fully turn and face the annoying man and her mother.

She looked straight into Marquis Galley's eyes. "Lord Galley–"

"Florence, sit down," her mother ordered. "It seems you still don't understand the situation you have put yourself in."

"No, it seems YOU don't understand the situation," Florence shot back. "I will not marry Lord Galley," she told her. "Ever, do you understand, Mother?"

"But I was already promised your hand by your mother," he looked back at Lina.

"That is correct," she confirmed.

"Then, if I cut off my hand and give it to you, would that count as keeping my mother's promise?"

The marquis stared at her with confused eyes.

"What are you saying, Florence?" Richard finally spoke.

"If he was promised my hand, my offer should do it then." Florence shrugged.

"Have you gone mad?" her mother said.

"Lord Flock, may I borrow your dagger?"

Henry had been watching the exchange with interest. If he had not hated the woman for the situation she had put him in, he would have complimented her courage.

During the few times they had interacted with each other, he had thought that she was pleasant company.

He was a bit surprised by her words, but after all the lies she had been telling, he was sure she was bluffing.

Henry pushed to his feet and reached for the back of his belt to get his dagger. The same one he had used the night before to save her in the lake.

"Henry, don't you give it to her?" his mother warned.

But Henry was determined to show them her true colors. She was a liar and a trickster, and he needed to clear his name.

He handed her the dagger and when she took it from him, their eyes met. Henry regretted his action immediately. Florence was not going to falter. She was actually going to go through with it.

She limped to the table near her and put her left hand flat on it. "Please take this hand and leave," she uttered.

"Florence, no." Richard rushed to her, even though he knew he was not going to make it in time.

Florence lifted the dagger in the air and brought it down with force under everyone's screams.

At the last second, Henry grabbed her hand and stopped her. She blinked a few times before she looked up to him, he was towering over her with a scowl.

"Release my hand, Lord Flock," she asked.

He was so close that he could feel her whole body tremble. He slowly unclenched her cold fingers and took his dagger back. Then, he let her go.

Richard reached her just as Henry stepped back. "Are you crazy?" Her brother shook her, but he did not get any reaction from her.

The marquis looked back at Lina who was also shocked. "My lady?" he uttered.

"Lord Galley," Richard called him. "I think you should leave. This is a family matter and outsiders should not be here."

"But…Lady Kalwen–"

"Let me escort you, Lord Galley," Daniel volunteered.

Magnolia helped Richard bring Florence back to the settee. Her brother fetched her a glass of water with a little brandy mixed with it.

"Here Florence, this will calm your nerves a bit."

"I don't think sending Lord Galley away was a good idea, Rick," his mother reprimanded after she recovered from her astonishment.

"Mother," Richard called with a firm voice. "From here on, I will be discussing this matter with Marquise Flock," he announced. "You can choose to stay or you can leave, but either way, you have no say in this any longer."