The Princess and the Pauper (Arabella) novel Chapter 2040

"Dammit!" Addison slapped his daughter on the shoulder. He restrained himself from striking her face, mindful of the many guests present.

"What kind of nonsense are you spouting? The two McMillian families are flesh and blood, kin through and through. Who are you to stir up strife? And what's this about buying affection? Are you trying to meddle in their relationship?"

Addison's furious voice drew the attention of a few guests, and Harriet wished she could just disappear. To think, her father, who had never so much as raised his voice to her, was now making a public spectacle for the sake of Arabella and at the expense of the Earwood family's reputation.

"Dad, can you please keep it down," Harriet pleaded, acutely aware of the judgmental gazes piercing her.

"Now you care about dignity? What were you thinking before? I sent you overseas to study, to learn something worthwhile, not to come back and wreck other people's relationships! The McMillian family and the Collins family have an engagement, and you want to stick your nose in? Have you lost your mind?"

"Dad!" Harriet was frantic, her father's voice was too loud, everyone could hear them, and she wanted nothing more than to crawl into a hole and hide.

Addison, fuming, made a phone call, "Come here and take Ms. Monroe home."

After hanging up, he turned back to Harriet, furious, "We’ll deal with it until we get home!"

"Dad, she hit me too!!" Harriet tried to explain that the bruises on her face and neck from last night were Arabella's doing.

Addison cut her off, "And deservedly so! You're trying to break up a couple, causing discord within the McMillian family. You're lucky you didn't end up with broken bones!"

He then looked apologetically at Arabella, "I'm truly sorry. I've failed to raise her properly, and you had to step in."

He had thought the marks on his daughter's face and neck were from a man, never imagining they were from Arabella.

Having seen Arabella handle troublemakers before, he knew her strength, her ferocity. And yet, she had been gentle with his daughter.