Evelina balled her fists to stop herself from squirming beneath his glare. “We were having our lesson outside. Accidents are unavoidable?—”
“Unavoidable?” Gabriel scoffed, his eyes nearly red with rage. “You crossed the boundaries, forcing my daughter outside for no good reason, risking her?—”
“For much good reason, Your Grace. Eliza’s constitution has improved due to being out in nature for once. She has not left the estate, so there is no risk,” Evelina countered, struggling to keep her cool.
“Perhaps you saw no issue with using such methods with your sisters, Miss Balfour. But my daughter is delicate. She is certainly not a wayward lady.”
Evelina’s head snapped up. “Pardon?” she hissed, her brow creased in anger.
“My words are quite clear, are they not?” Gabriel took a step closer to her, holding her gaze.
“Are you implying that my sisters are improper, Your Grace?” Evelina scowled at him, her voice tinged with defiance as she faced him. “How dare you judge anyone based on your narrow views? You think you know everything? You think you know your own daughter?”
“You would do well to mind your tone when you speak to me, Miss?—”
“Eliza has greatly enjoyed her lesson today. However, you would not understand that. You live with her, yet you’re blind to the truth right in front of you,” she spat out before he could finish, her eyes blazing.
Gabriel’s eyes narrowed as he scoffed, his tone sharp with accusation. “You speak as if you understand my daughter better than I do. You think your meddling is helping her, but all you’re doing is disrupting her peace!”
Undeterred by his dismissive demeanor, Evelina stood her ground, her voice unwavering. “Peace? Is that what you call it? Ignoring her potential? Stifling her spirit?” She let out a derisive laugh. “Eliza deserves more than your outdated notions of propriety, Your Grace.”
Her sharp words cut through the tension like a knife.
Gabriel’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, his frustration boiling over. “You have no right to question my methods. Eliza ismydaughter, and I know what’s best for her,” he asserted.
Fueled by a mix of anger and determination, Evelina jutted her chin. “Your daughter deserves to be heard, to be seen for who she truly is, not just a reflection of your expectations. If you can’t see that, then you’re the one failing her,” she shot back.
Her words hung in the air, daring him, pushing him.
Gabriel’s nostrils flared. “How dare you come into my house and question my parenting? You know nothing of what Eliza needs or what she’s capable of!”
Evelina, unflinching in the face of his outburst, matched his intensity with unwavering resolve. “Your house may indeed shelter her, but it doesn’t define her worth. Eliza is more than just an extension of your authority—your authority is the reason she’s been so closed up! You did this to her, and then you required my services to fix it, did you not?”
Gabriel clenched his fists at his sides, his jaw tight with frustration. “You think you can waltz in here and lecture me on what’s best for my daughter? You have no idea the sacrifices I’ve made, the lengths I’ve gone to protect her,” he seethed, raw vulnerability underlying his anger.
Evelina stood her ground, her voice steady but tinged with emotion. “Protect her or control her? There’s a fine line between the two, Your Grace, and you’ve blurred it beyond recognition.Eliza deserves a chance to be herself, not a puppet dancing to your tune.”
“Here I am, furious at you for taking such liberties, yet you seem to show no guilt, no care!” he boomed, making her take a step back.
His eyes narrowed in a mix of disbelief and indignation, “You overstep your bounds, meddling where you have no right!” The intensity of his tone, dripping with scorn as he snarled, caused Evelina to take a step back subconsciously.
He took a step forward, cornering her. “I knew you were forward, butthis? This is beyond what I had imagined. What made think that you can take my daughter outside without my consent?”
Slightly taken aback by the fearsome look on his face, Evelina held her tongue, eyeing him cautiously.
Gabriel’s whole body vibrated with a potent mix of anger and wounded pride. “Eliza is not your responsibility, Evelina. You have no right to dictate her life or make decisions on her behalf,” he spat.
“You hired me to tutor her, Your Grace.” Evelina held her head high, righteous indignation radiating from her.
“You still believe your actions are justified?? You are unbelievable?—”
“Father?” Eliza’s voice cut through the tension, her trembling hands betraying her fear. “I would like to stay outside for a while, Father,” her voice, though firm and loud, showed vulnerability beneath its determined facade.
Gabriel’s reaction was a mix of shock and anger, his eyes locking onto Eliza with a steely gaze.
The internal struggle within him was evident, torn between his set ways, need to control and protect his daughter and the realization that she for once seemed to be asserting her independence.
Evelina watched the scene unfold, her heart pounding with fear as well pride. She knew the significance of Eliza’s words, the courage it took for her to request of her father.
