"Kidnap you? Dear Lady Hastings, what would push you to have this idea about me? You must speak to me first and not listen to others who are against me. I am now glad you invited me here so I can clear my name," Alistair said, looking at Victoria as the culprit.
"Was it my niece who came to you with this thought that I wanted to take you from Lord Hastings? It would not be the first time she has concocted a lie against me. All she does is create friction between the Hastings family and me. It must stop," said Alistair.
"You cannot keep using your niece as your scapegoat, Alistair. I know that you are close to the king. That is the side you have chosen," Ophelia said.
Alistair chuckled. "My growing friendship with the king means nothing. A man like myself is free to build friendships with others outside the Hastings land. It doesn't mean that I want to kidnap you. I have no reason to wish something so bad on you. My niece, on the other hand-"
