lessons for you. I suppose, since you're both up, I shall."
The twin looks of pleasure and secretive, knowing glances faded into something between consternation and horror. Under the table the playful battle stopped completely.
Mercedes was hard pressed not to laugh as the boys put forth their objections in unison. She held up her hand, stemming the flow. "We'll see," she said. "Let's wait to hear what plans Chloe and Sylvia might have."
Britton and Brendan settled back, appeased for the time being. With the hope that school lessons might be put aside, they regained their good humor. Brendan even scooted off his chair to hold Mercedes's out for her.
"How are you feeling, Britton?" Mercedes asked. She unfolded her napkin on her lap and began lifting the lids to the dishes Mrs. Leeds had already set on the table. She had little appetite for the sausages and tomatoes, but mindful of the boys' presence, Mercedes took a soft-cooked egg and the heel from the warm bread. "Are you quite certain you should be out of bed?"
"It depends," he said frankly. "If we're going to do lessons I suspect I'll be feeling quite poorly. If not, I believe a picnic later today would be just the thing."
"Well, I can't fault you for your honesty," said Mercedes. She placed a helping of everything on Britton's place, then did the same for Brendan. It was a treat to have the twins in the breakfast room. Normally, when the earl was in residence, they were strictly forbidden to take their meals anywhere but their own chambers or the schoolroom. Today they were willing to risk his censure. Mercedes didn't think it had occurred to the boys that their father may arrive home in just as foul a mood as always. He would have the pretense to maintain, that of being slighted by Colin Thorne a second time for not showing up for the duel.
Mercedes encouraged the boys to eat. The more she thought on it, the more she didn't want them around when the earl returned.
* * *
"This is the place," Aubrey said, pulling up his mount along the side of the road. "There's the grove of trees. The pond. And we're at the edge of the meadow." He looked around to see if there was another location with similar features. There was nothing like it on the other side of the lane. Aubrey shrugged and looked to Colin. "This is Weybourne Road. It appears everything's here except the earl."
The thickest layer of fog had finally lifted. Although the sky remained overcast there was no difficulty in taking in the lay of the land. Colin could even make out the yellow underbelly of a finch that had alighted on a pine bough some thirty yards away. Further in the distance was the gray slate roof of Weybourne Manor itself. The turrets at either end of the massive stone house were still only partly visible through the lowest layer of mist. In another half-hour that shroud would be peeled back and the gray stone mansion would rise unencumbered, a formidable presence on the landscape.
Colin dismounted and began leading his horse through the meadow. Aubrey followed suit. They walked to the edge of the grove where Colin secured both horses while Aubrey collected the lacquered pistol case and consulted his pocket watch.
"We're not late," he said. It was six-thirty.
Colin checked his own watch. He had the same time. "How long should we give him before we consider it a forfeit?"
One of Aubrey's large hands came up to rub his temple as he considered the question. "The thing of it is," he said after a moment, "the damn Limeys probably have some rule about it."
A narrow smile edged Colin's mouth. "Proper form," he said dryly.
"How's that again?" asked Aubrey.
Colin dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Just something I recalled. No importance."
"Well," Aubrey drawled. "I say we wait a half-hour. If we haven't seen the earl or his second by then, we'll go to the house and drag him out. I may shoot him myself."
Colin made himself comfortable leaning back against a pine. He crossed his arms in front
The twin looks of pleasure and secretive, knowing glances faded into something between consternation and horror. Under the table the playful battle stopped completely.
Mercedes was hard pressed not to laugh as the boys put forth their objections in unison. She held up her hand, stemming the flow. "We'll see," she said. "Let's wait to hear what plans Chloe and Sylvia might have."
Britton and Brendan settled back, appeased for the time being. With the hope that school lessons might be put aside, they regained their good humor. Brendan even scooted off his chair to hold Mercedes's out for her.
"How are you feeling, Britton?" Mercedes asked. She unfolded her napkin on her lap and began lifting the lids to the dishes Mrs. Leeds had already set on the table. She had little appetite for the sausages and tomatoes, but mindful of the boys' presence, Mercedes took a soft-cooked egg and the heel from the warm bread. "Are you quite certain you should be out of bed?"
"It depends," he said frankly. "If we're going to do lessons I suspect I'll be feeling quite poorly. If not, I believe a picnic later today would be just the thing."
"Well, I can't fault you for your honesty," said Mercedes. She placed a helping of everything on Britton's place, then did the same for Brendan. It was a treat to have the twins in the breakfast room. Normally, when the earl was in residence, they were strictly forbidden to take their meals anywhere but their own chambers or the schoolroom. Today they were willing to risk his censure. Mercedes didn't think it had occurred to the boys that their father may arrive home in just as foul a mood as always. He would have the pretense to maintain, that of being slighted by Colin Thorne a second time for not showing up for the duel.
Mercedes encouraged the boys to eat. The more she thought on it, the more she didn't want them around when the earl returned.
* * *
"This is the place," Aubrey said, pulling up his mount along the side of the road. "There's the grove of trees. The pond. And we're at the edge of the meadow." He looked around to see if there was another location with similar features. There was nothing like it on the other side of the lane. Aubrey shrugged and looked to Colin. "This is Weybourne Road. It appears everything's here except the earl."
The thickest layer of fog had finally lifted. Although the sky remained overcast there was no difficulty in taking in the lay of the land. Colin could even make out the yellow underbelly of a finch that had alighted on a pine bough some thirty yards away. Further in the distance was the gray slate roof of Weybourne Manor itself. The turrets at either end of the massive stone house were still only partly visible through the lowest layer of mist. In another half-hour that shroud would be peeled back and the gray stone mansion would rise unencumbered, a formidable presence on the landscape.
Colin dismounted and began leading his horse through the meadow. Aubrey followed suit. They walked to the edge of the grove where Colin secured both horses while Aubrey collected the lacquered pistol case and consulted his pocket watch.
"We're not late," he said. It was six-thirty.
Colin checked his own watch. He had the same time. "How long should we give him before we consider it a forfeit?"
One of Aubrey's large hands came up to rub his temple as he considered the question. "The thing of it is," he said after a moment, "the damn Limeys probably have some rule about it."
A narrow smile edged Colin's mouth. "Proper form," he said dryly.
"How's that again?" asked Aubrey.
Colin dismissed it with a wave of his hand. "Just something I recalled. No importance."
"Well," Aubrey drawled. "I say we wait a half-hour. If we haven't seen the earl or his second by then, we'll go to the house and drag him out. I may shoot him myself."
Colin made himself comfortable leaning back against a pine. He crossed his arms in front
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