“One measly man doesn’t win a war.”
“One cowardly man.”
“I told you to shut up.” His hands moved to my neck and pressed into my windpipe for a second before loosening the grip slightly. “You don’t know what it was like over there. The terror and the absolute lack of hope. I saw a chance for survival, and I took it. Anyone in my situation would’ve done the same.”
“No, some men had reasons to come home. Women who loved them who were waiting, praying on their knees every night. If you’d loved someone, you would have done whatever you could to get back to them, even if it meant fighting through one more battle. You’re a coward and a liar.”
He tightened his hands around my neck. I pressed into his wrists with my nails, but it didn’t deter him.
“Tell me who told you or I’ll kill you right here and now.”
Black dots floated before my eyes. I would not die this way. The truth might buy me some time. “Phillip.”
His eyes widened in shock. He loosened his hands from my neck. Before I could bring my own hands to massage the area he surely bruised, he smacked my cheek with the palm of his hand so hard that I fell to the floor, landing heavily on my left arm. I cried out as he yanked me up by my hair. Please, Fiona, do not come out here, I begged silently.
“Phillip? How do you know him?”
“He came here to bring me the letters I sent you,” I said. “And to tell me the truth about the man I thought I loved.”
“Phillip Baker. The snake. I should’ve known. He used to listen to me read your letters and wish they were sent to him. Not that he could ever get a girl like you for real.”
“Not true. He’s worth a thousand of you.”
“How dare you. Do you have any idea of the kind of trash he is?” He knocked me to the floor once more, this time with a blow to the other side of my face.
I cowered as he hovered over me. “Please, just leave me alone. Go find some other innocent who’ll believe your lies.”
He fell onto his knees. “Where did he go? Phillip, where is he?”
“How should I know?” Instinct told me to keep it to myself.
He opened his mouth, then shut it, as if trying to think what to say next. “His father died in prison. Did you know that?”
“That’s not true. His parents died of yellow fever.”
He went still. “I wonder why you’d believe him and not me?” He spoke between gritted teeth. “After everything we went through. He lied to you about his father. Who knows what else?”
“He didn’t lie. He would never lie to me.”
His eyes narrowed into mean, snakelike slits. “For God’s sake, you’re in love with him? Aren’t you? I can hear it in your sickly sweet tone. The one you used to use only for me.”
I tightened my lips together and jutted my chin out in a way I hoped looked more rebellious and courageous than I felt.
He snapped his finger and thumb together. “Oh, I see now. He’s here in town, isn’t he? I should’ve figured. The moment he thought I was dead, he started making plans for how to win you over, starting with telling lies about me.”
“Phillip doesn’t lie. He’s incapable. He didn’t plan to even tell me about your lies because he didn’t want to hurt me. But he couldn’t let me go on believing you were this wonderful man, so the truth spilled out of him.”
Walter rolled his eyes. “Jesus, girl, I guess he figured you out as fast as I did.”
“What does that mean?” I knew better than to engage with him, but I couldn’t stop myself.
“You’re gullible and easy to manipulate. The little princess who lived in her daddy’s tower all her life has no idea about what it’s like to have to scrape your way through. You’ve never had anything bad happen to you in your ivory tower. Which makes you the perfect target.”
“Phillip will be here any minute. You should go.”
“No. You’re coming with me.” He yanked me to my feet.
“Why? What do you want from me?”