the table closest to the range. Hughie’s snivelling had eased but he ignored the simple meal before him.
Isabelle, her stomach in knots, couldn’t eat either. ‘Try to eat something, Hughie.’
‘Leave me alone.’
Farrell’s eyes narrowed. ‘Eat! I’ll not have food wasted.’ Abruptly, he too thrust his soup bowl away and bowed his head. ‘It’s the only way I can bring in some money.’
Isabelle looked at him. ‘Pardon?’
He raised his gaze to her. ‘Where do yer think the money comes from? This farm earns nothing. With the flock size reduced, they don’t bring in enough.’
A cold shiver tingled down her spine. ‘If you are caught what will happen then? How will we survive then?’
Farrell hunched his shoulders and looked away.
She rose from her chair and went to the fire, tormented by her situation. How could she have married this stranger, this man who could beat her brother so easily? ‘Things must change. I will not be married to a criminal. If you spent more time working this farm than you did stealing, happen we’d be doing a whole lot better!’
‘Yer so stupid.’ His laugh made her clench her fists.
White-hot fury blinded her for a second. ‘Never call me stupid, do you hear!’ She banged her hands down flat on the table and leaned towards him. ‘I’ll not have you put us in danger. There will be no more stealing. Instead, you’ll work the land. Make this farm pay its way.’
Farrell stood, glaring at her. ‘Farm this land? Are yer mad as well as stupid? There isn’t enough land to make a livin, the bastard landlord saw to that.’
‘Why? Why did he take the land away? Was it because he saw the neglect? The misuse? No doubt he thought he might as well use it then let it go idle.’
Farrell stepped forward, fist raised. ‘Yer dare to defend him. He, who ruined me father and who humiliates me at every turn?’
She grabbed the fire poker and held it high. ‘Hit me or Hughie ever again and you’ll live to regret it.’
He stared at her in amazement.
‘Don’t think for a second I’ll not use this.’ Isabelle out-glared him.
‘Don’t you threaten me! I put a roof over your head and food in your mouth.’
‘No you don’t, I do!’ She jabbed the poker in the air. ‘You do nothing but steal and get drunk.’
‘I married you didn’t I? I never even wanted a bloody wife.’
‘And why you did that I’ll never know,’ Isabelle sneered.
‘Because Peacock paid me to. The old witch wanted rid of you.’
Her eyes widened. The strength went out of her as the news surged past her anger. ‘She…she paid you?’
After a moment, he slowly lowered his fist and moved back. ‘Put that down.’
‘You sit first.’
‘Bloody woman,’ Farrell muttered, but did as she demanded.
Isabelle leant the poker against the table and thankfully resumed her seat for her legs felt like they wouldn’t hold her up a moment longer.
‘The matron wanted you out of her son’s way. She knew he was after you. I don’t know all the details, and I don’t care to know.’ Farrell studied his hands and didn’t look at her. ‘I needed the money for the rent.’
Isabelle nodded. It all made sense. It was a business deal between him and the matron just like it was a contract between Farrell and her. Yet, she couldn’t shake away the hollowness she felt. She had the ridiculous feeling of being used.
Hughie, who had a little colour back in his cheeks, took her hand in his. He was all she had in the world, the only one she could trust. Farrell meant nothing to her now, for she knew that no matter how hard she tried he didn’t want the same as she. So, she’d do it on her own.
With this in mind, she straightened her shoulders and poured them all fresh tea. Yes, Farrell ranted and raved but he no longer scared her and she owed him no loyalty. He would be a means to an end and that’s all. ‘Right, how much money do you have?’
Farrell jerked in his seat. ‘I’ll not be telling
Isabelle, her stomach in knots, couldn’t eat either. ‘Try to eat something, Hughie.’
‘Leave me alone.’
Farrell’s eyes narrowed. ‘Eat! I’ll not have food wasted.’ Abruptly, he too thrust his soup bowl away and bowed his head. ‘It’s the only way I can bring in some money.’
Isabelle looked at him. ‘Pardon?’
He raised his gaze to her. ‘Where do yer think the money comes from? This farm earns nothing. With the flock size reduced, they don’t bring in enough.’
A cold shiver tingled down her spine. ‘If you are caught what will happen then? How will we survive then?’
Farrell hunched his shoulders and looked away.
She rose from her chair and went to the fire, tormented by her situation. How could she have married this stranger, this man who could beat her brother so easily? ‘Things must change. I will not be married to a criminal. If you spent more time working this farm than you did stealing, happen we’d be doing a whole lot better!’
‘Yer so stupid.’ His laugh made her clench her fists.
White-hot fury blinded her for a second. ‘Never call me stupid, do you hear!’ She banged her hands down flat on the table and leaned towards him. ‘I’ll not have you put us in danger. There will be no more stealing. Instead, you’ll work the land. Make this farm pay its way.’
Farrell stood, glaring at her. ‘Farm this land? Are yer mad as well as stupid? There isn’t enough land to make a livin, the bastard landlord saw to that.’
‘Why? Why did he take the land away? Was it because he saw the neglect? The misuse? No doubt he thought he might as well use it then let it go idle.’
Farrell stepped forward, fist raised. ‘Yer dare to defend him. He, who ruined me father and who humiliates me at every turn?’
She grabbed the fire poker and held it high. ‘Hit me or Hughie ever again and you’ll live to regret it.’
He stared at her in amazement.
‘Don’t think for a second I’ll not use this.’ Isabelle out-glared him.
‘Don’t you threaten me! I put a roof over your head and food in your mouth.’
‘No you don’t, I do!’ She jabbed the poker in the air. ‘You do nothing but steal and get drunk.’
‘I married you didn’t I? I never even wanted a bloody wife.’
‘And why you did that I’ll never know,’ Isabelle sneered.
‘Because Peacock paid me to. The old witch wanted rid of you.’
Her eyes widened. The strength went out of her as the news surged past her anger. ‘She…she paid you?’
After a moment, he slowly lowered his fist and moved back. ‘Put that down.’
‘You sit first.’
‘Bloody woman,’ Farrell muttered, but did as she demanded.
Isabelle leant the poker against the table and thankfully resumed her seat for her legs felt like they wouldn’t hold her up a moment longer.
‘The matron wanted you out of her son’s way. She knew he was after you. I don’t know all the details, and I don’t care to know.’ Farrell studied his hands and didn’t look at her. ‘I needed the money for the rent.’
Isabelle nodded. It all made sense. It was a business deal between him and the matron just like it was a contract between Farrell and her. Yet, she couldn’t shake away the hollowness she felt. She had the ridiculous feeling of being used.
Hughie, who had a little colour back in his cheeks, took her hand in his. He was all she had in the world, the only one she could trust. Farrell meant nothing to her now, for she knew that no matter how hard she tried he didn’t want the same as she. So, she’d do it on her own.
With this in mind, she straightened her shoulders and poured them all fresh tea. Yes, Farrell ranted and raved but he no longer scared her and she owed him no loyalty. He would be a means to an end and that’s all. ‘Right, how much money do you have?’
Farrell jerked in his seat. ‘I’ll not be telling
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