Elverton swung around still holding Ariadne with one hand, and with the other he smote Helena hard across her face. She dropped the knife as her hands went instinctively to her face, and her head rang. Stumbling against the door frame she slid to the ground.

“Helena! Don’t hurt me, Foxhyth!” Ariadne shrieked at Elverton as she dropped to her knees in front of Helena.

Through stinging lips Helena snarled, “You devil. Leave her alone.”

“That’s right, my dear. Sport your canvas! You are worth two of this sniveling child here. How I look forward to schooling you! We will have such sport together. In the meantime, I suggest you both cool down. I hold all the cards.” He pushed them both to the far side of the room and slammed the door shut.

Ariadne began to cry in loud, gulping sobs.

Helena sagged against the wall, closing her eyes while she tried to gather herself together. Her whole face burned with pain. Her lip must have split again because she felt the warmth of blood on her chin.

She had known it would come to this but had not allowed for Ariadne’s presence. All those years ago she had sensed that Elverton had it in him to do this sort of thing; that was why, without any just cause, she had mistrusted him. It stunned her that Papa had been impervious to this man’s nature, but more to the point, had her father been well aware of it yet still called him ‘friend’?