For a moment Selma and the Duke seemed turned to stone.
Then, as Selma gave out a cry of joy, Oliver ran towards her and flung his arms around her saying again,
“I have killed him, I have killed him. And now we are safe!”
He kissed Selma on the cheek and hugged her and, as she was so relieved and excited, she hugged him back.
The Duke, still not moving, watched them and, as he did so, he was fully aware of what he had tried to deny for a long time, that he loved Selma.
He felt the blood throbbing in his temples as he knew that he wanted to snatch her out of Oliver’s arms, knock his nephew down and then tell Selma that no one should ever touch her but himself.
Instead, as the two of them disentangled themselves, he was at once aware that tears were running down Selma’s cheeks,
“What
