Ecstasy (Notorious 4)

“I’ll not let him harm her.”

“I should hope not. I’m grateful she has you for protection, Mr. O’Malley.”

Giving Kell an assessing stare, the Irishman finally nodded.

Raven couldn’t relinquish her own anger so readily, but she didn’t wish to give vent to it in front of her groom. “I am grateful as well, O’Malley,” she interjected. “Thank you. Why don’t you return to bed now?”

With a tug of his forelock, he disappeared toward the back service stairs.

She gave her husband a blazing glare when they were alone. “Kell, you must do something. This cannot go on.”

Kell’s jaw tightened. “I know.” Turning on his heel, he went into his study.

Almost trembling with rage, Raven followed. She shut the door carefully behind them and set down her candle before she threw it.

“What do you intend to do about Sean?” she demanded as Kell went straight to the brandy decanter and poured himself a glassful. “He is nothing but a dangerous bully.”

Kell winced as if struck. Staring down at his liquor, he spoke in a low voice. “I had hoped Sean would have a chance to heal in Ireland, but spending time there doesn’t seem to have helped him.”

“No, it doesn’t!” When he made no reply, Raven strove for control. “You don’t mean to defend his behavior, do you? Even though he was beaten so horribly during his impressment, you cannot excuse his violence now.”

“No,” Kell said grimly, “I can’t make excuses for him any longer. But Sean was fighting his demons long before his impressment.”

“What difference does that make?”

A bitter smile touched Kell’s lips. “Because I cannot excuse myself, either.”

“What do you mean?”

“It isn’t a pretty tale.”

He tossed back a large swallow of brandy, then flung himself into a chair. Raven took a seat across from him, her hands clasped tightly together as she waited.

Kell was silent for a long moment before he spoke in a harsh murmur. “Sean wasn’t always like this. My uncle is largely to blame for his suffering now. You once asked how I got my scar, and I told you I fought with my uncle William. But I didn’t tell you why. For months while I was away at university, my uncle…sodomized my brother. Sean was only thirteen at the time.”

She heard the revulsion and hatred that edged Kell’s voice, and felt her own stomach churn with horror. Sodomy was a serious crime, but to perpetrate it on a young, defenseless boy was abominable.

Raven swallowed hard, tasting bile in her throat. She’d always suspected Sean had a tormented past, but he was burdened with more pain, more desolation than she could imagine. And so was Kell, she had begun to realize.

He was staring down blindly at his glass, his face ravaged by grief. “Living with his shame has…twisted Sean. But I’m as much at fault as my uncle for the way he turned out. I left him alone with that bastard.”

“Kell, you cannot blame yourself for what your uncle did.”

“No?” The word was caustic as he sent her a fierce glance. “You should understand about vows, Raven. You made one to your mother. Well, I made a vow as well. I vowed to protect my brother. But I failed utterly. And I escaped unscathed while he suffered.”

His voice dropped again to an anguished murmur. “Sean has never forgiven me for abandoning him…and I can never forgive myself.”

Mutely Raven bit her lower lip. She could indeed understand Kell’s dilemma more clearly. He felt a tremendous guilt because he’d escaped his uncle’s perversions but hadn’t protected his young brother. Most likely he had been doing penance all this time.

She wondered if Kell could ever let go of his guilt, but nonetheless, Raven knew her fear of his brother was justified. Sean had grown too dangerous. And she had to make Kell see it. He had to prevent Sean from becoming more destructive, even if compounding his brother’s suffering would wound like a rapier.

“Kell, what happened to Sean is truly terrible,” she said softly. “But that still doesn’t excuse his violence. He can’t be allowed to continue threatening people. And I’m afraid you are the only one who can control him.”

“I know.” His voice was a harsh whisper. He rubbed a hand roughly over his eyes. “I should have acted after he abducted you. But the choices were so grim-prison or a madhouse. I wasn’t sure I could bear locking up my own brother in an asylum.”

“You may have no choice now,” she said quietly.

When Kell met her gaze, she could see the torment in his dark eyes. But he didn’t refute her.