watch the excitement. She clutched her hand to her aching stomach and fought the urge to be ill.
“Do you see Lord Montfort?” She frantically scanned the area.
“Over by that copse of trees, my lady.” Benson pointed to his right. “But you shouldn’t be here. Lord Hartley will be furious if he finds out. And you all alone. We should have at least brought Emma with us.”
Allison ignored his protests and looked to where he’d pointed.
They stood like little toy soldiers, the marquess’s towering frame unmistakable even from this distance. He faced Lord Archbite, perhaps forty paces separating them. Before she could feel a sense of relief, her gaze focused on a third man standing between them. The man raised his arm and at the same time, Lord Archbite and Lord Montfort raised theirs. A white flag hung almost perfectly still from the man’s fingertips, then slowly, as if in slow motion, it fluttered to the ground.
“No!” she screamed as she ran across the grass and into their line of fire.
Joshua stood in the early morning haze and waited for the sun to rise high enough in the sky so they could get this over. What a turn his life had taken since he’d met her.
He looked to where Archbite stood with Baron Fitzwater, his second, and wondered how this would all end. If the lady they were dueling over cared. Or if she secretly hoped for a certain outcome. Joshua released an angry breath.
They were both of them excellent shots, Archbite known for his daring and his accuracy. Today could go either way.
“Watch your back,” Chardwell warned. He picked up the pistol Joshua was to use to examine it. “Archbite doesn’t have a reputation for letting the flag hit the ground before he fires his first shot.”
“So I’ve heard.” Joshua unbuttoned his jacket and shrugged it off his shoulders.
“I still can’t believe he’s gone to this extreme,” Chardwell said. “Who would believe the Earl of Archbite would be willing to risk his life for someone wearing a skirt. Everyone knows his preference runs to young lads in breeches. Do you really think he’s serious about offering for her?”
He tossed his jacket into Chardwell’s waiting arms. “He’s serious.”
“Why?”
“Pressure from his dear mother, the countess. Archbite’s older than me by a few years. I suspect he’s been ordered to find a suitable wife and produce an heir. I think my betrothed showed him just the right amount of encouragement to seal her fate. And now he wants her.”
Chardwell looped Joshua’s jacket over his arm. “And we both know that what dear Percy wants, dear Percy gets.”
“Yes,” Joshua mumbled beneath his breath. “But he’ll not get her. Even if I’m not around to stop him, her brother will see to that. Hartley knows what Archbite’s about.”
Joshua methodically rolled the sleeves of his white lawn shirt to his elbows, then breathed in a deep breath. One he knew could be his last. He didn’t know why, but things didn’t feel right today. There was an air of uncertainty that wouldn’t go away.
“If things go for the worst today—“
“They won’t, Montfort.”
“If they do,” he continued, taking the pistol from Chardwell’s hand. “Keep a watch on her, would you?”
“You know I will. But there won’t be—“
“Just don’t let him have her.” He cast a glance over to where the Earl of Archbite stood, stretching like a cougar about to pounce. “I don’t want him to touch her.”
“He won’t.”
Joshua scanned the gathering crowd, then focused on where Archbite stood. “It looks like they’re ready. Fitzwater is coming to issue the last instructions.”
Fitzwater strode across the meadow, his cocky walk filled with overconfidence. He bowed elegantly when he arrived. “Lord Archbite has most graciously agreed to forget this entire misunderstanding, Montfort, if you will agree to drop your intentions to marry Lady Allison.”
Joshua let a lethal smile lift the corners of
“Do you see Lord Montfort?” She frantically scanned the area.
“Over by that copse of trees, my lady.” Benson pointed to his right. “But you shouldn’t be here. Lord Hartley will be furious if he finds out. And you all alone. We should have at least brought Emma with us.”
Allison ignored his protests and looked to where he’d pointed.
They stood like little toy soldiers, the marquess’s towering frame unmistakable even from this distance. He faced Lord Archbite, perhaps forty paces separating them. Before she could feel a sense of relief, her gaze focused on a third man standing between them. The man raised his arm and at the same time, Lord Archbite and Lord Montfort raised theirs. A white flag hung almost perfectly still from the man’s fingertips, then slowly, as if in slow motion, it fluttered to the ground.
“No!” she screamed as she ran across the grass and into their line of fire.
Joshua stood in the early morning haze and waited for the sun to rise high enough in the sky so they could get this over. What a turn his life had taken since he’d met her.
He looked to where Archbite stood with Baron Fitzwater, his second, and wondered how this would all end. If the lady they were dueling over cared. Or if she secretly hoped for a certain outcome. Joshua released an angry breath.
They were both of them excellent shots, Archbite known for his daring and his accuracy. Today could go either way.
“Watch your back,” Chardwell warned. He picked up the pistol Joshua was to use to examine it. “Archbite doesn’t have a reputation for letting the flag hit the ground before he fires his first shot.”
“So I’ve heard.” Joshua unbuttoned his jacket and shrugged it off his shoulders.
“I still can’t believe he’s gone to this extreme,” Chardwell said. “Who would believe the Earl of Archbite would be willing to risk his life for someone wearing a skirt. Everyone knows his preference runs to young lads in breeches. Do you really think he’s serious about offering for her?”
He tossed his jacket into Chardwell’s waiting arms. “He’s serious.”
“Why?”
“Pressure from his dear mother, the countess. Archbite’s older than me by a few years. I suspect he’s been ordered to find a suitable wife and produce an heir. I think my betrothed showed him just the right amount of encouragement to seal her fate. And now he wants her.”
Chardwell looped Joshua’s jacket over his arm. “And we both know that what dear Percy wants, dear Percy gets.”
“Yes,” Joshua mumbled beneath his breath. “But he’ll not get her. Even if I’m not around to stop him, her brother will see to that. Hartley knows what Archbite’s about.”
Joshua methodically rolled the sleeves of his white lawn shirt to his elbows, then breathed in a deep breath. One he knew could be his last. He didn’t know why, but things didn’t feel right today. There was an air of uncertainty that wouldn’t go away.
“If things go for the worst today—“
“They won’t, Montfort.”
“If they do,” he continued, taking the pistol from Chardwell’s hand. “Keep a watch on her, would you?”
“You know I will. But there won’t be—“
“Just don’t let him have her.” He cast a glance over to where the Earl of Archbite stood, stretching like a cougar about to pounce. “I don’t want him to touch her.”
“He won’t.”
Joshua scanned the gathering crowd, then focused on where Archbite stood. “It looks like they’re ready. Fitzwater is coming to issue the last instructions.”
Fitzwater strode across the meadow, his cocky walk filled with overconfidence. He bowed elegantly when he arrived. “Lord Archbite has most graciously agreed to forget this entire misunderstanding, Montfort, if you will agree to drop your intentions to marry Lady Allison.”
Joshua let a lethal smile lift the corners of
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