Duel of Hearts (19 page)

“Yes, you're right. There's been quite enough said in this room tonight.”

“More than enough,” she agreed, turning to watch him leave. He walked slowly to the door. There he turned back and put out a hand. “I…” But he went no further. Expelling his breath hopelessly, he dropped his arm, turned and left.

Sarah shut her eyes in anguish. She might never see him again. With a tremor that shook her from head to toe, she dropped down on her knees before the chair, cradling her head in her arms on the seat. “Oh, my
God!
” she wailed in despair. “What have I
done
?”

Chapter Fourteen

S
TANBOROUGH
H
OUSE WAS
a dismal place the next day. Corianne refused to come out of her room. Sarah moved about the house in a daze. And Lady Stanborough, who would normally have given vent to her feelings without troubling herself about the pain she would be inflicting on her daughter, this time maintained a tense silence. “I've never
seen
such a look on Sarah's face before,” she confided morosely to Madame Marie. “It makes me want to weep. Put me back to bed, Madame. My sniffles may be better, but my spirit is decidedly out of curl.” She burrowed, a tiny, pathetic creature, among the many pillows piled against her headboard and let Madame Marie tuck a comforter around her. “Do you think Middleton failed to come up to scratch? Is
that
what's upsetting her so?”

“I'm sure I couldn't say, my lady,” Madame Marie answered with asperity, “but if that's wot hurt her, I'd like to scratch 'is eyes out! Miss Sarah is too
bonne
for him, if ye asks me. Men! Don't
savez
when they're well off, they don't.”

“Yes,” her ladyship agreed. “Pack of fools, the lot of 'em. But I had no
idea
that Sarah'd so completely lost her heart.”

“I had a notion she'd taken to the Squire from the start,” Madame Marie confessed, plumping up her ladyship's pillows as if she were pommeling all the hard-hearted men in the world for their cruelty to females. “Fussed with her hair a bit more'n usual, y'know. And she stopped wearin' that silly cap. I ain't never …
jamais
… seen her so taken wi' a gent.”

“Oh, dear,” Lady Stanborough said tremulously, her eyes filling. “My poor lamb!” Two large tears spilled down her cheeks. “My poor little lamb. I suppose she'll
never
marry now.”

But Sarah herself had no time for tears. She was determined to find a way to prevent the duel from taking place, for if it did, she was certain it would end in tragedy. Early in the day, she'd sent a note to Lord Fitzsimmons to come round, and as the day wore on she watched the street from the drawing-room window in growing impatience. At last, shortly before three, he arrived, looking almost as pale and worried as she. “I know what you want to say to me,” he told her at once. “At least, I'm not
exactly
certain, but if you're going to complain about the duel, there's no use jawing at
me
. He won't listen to me.”

“Edward's told you, then? About the duel?” Sarah asked tensely.

Fitz nodded. “I'm to be his second.”

“When—?”

“Tomorrow morning.”

Sarah dropped into a chair with a groan. “My
God
, Fitz, there must be
something
—”

Fitz shrugged helplessly and sat down opposite her. “I talked myself blue! All
night
! All he said was that I'm unduly worried … that he can handle a pistol with the best of 'em.”

“
Can
he?”

“Perhaps. How can I be sure?”

“Don't you
know?
” Sarah asked impatiently. “I thought you've been friends for years.”

“I've never been
shooting
with him. I can't be expected to know everything about the fellow. I don't even know what they're
fighting
about! As near as I can make out, it's because North insists on calling him a
bumpkin
!”

“Never mind. It doesn't matter anyway,” Sarah said hopelessly. “Even if he
can
shoot, it won't save him. They'll only kill
each other
.”

“Do you think I haven't thought of that? However, Ned says he won't kill North. His plan is to aim for the right shoulder … put old Jack off his aim, y'see.”

Sarah gave Fitz a disdainful glare. “He'll never have time.”

Fitz lowered his chin on his hand glumly. “I know.”

For the rest of the afternoon, Sarah prayed for a miracle, but by evening it was clear that no miracle would occur. There was only one thing left to do, and no matter how much her instincts rebelled against it, she had to do it. She sent for Madame Marie. “I want you to come with me for a short ride, Madame. I have to pay a visit to a … a gentleman—”

“Miss Sarah, no!
Non
! It ain't proper. Besides, I'm sure that if ye was to send the Squire a little
billet
, he'd come round like a shot.”

“The Squire?” Sarah asked, frowning. “What makes you think I'm going to see the Squire?”

“Well,
ain't
ye?” the dresser asked, nonplussed.

“No. It's … something else. And it wouldn't do to have him come here. I must go to
him
. Are you going to stand there and argue with me, Madame, or will you help me?”

“I'll help you, o' course, but—”

“Very well, then. Get your cloak and meet me downstairs in ten minutes.”

The coachman was stony-faced when they drew up before the Revesne house, but Madame Marie was horrified. “You ain't going in
there
!” she whispered, grasping Sarah's arm as the girl was about to climb down from the carriage.

“Why not, Madame?” Sarah asked her curiously. “Do you know this house?”

“Everyone knows it,” Madame declared in a hissing undervoice. “All sorts o'
cher amis
goes in there. Common gossip. I won't
have
ye—!”

“Hush, Madame. You're not helping to steady my nerves with this kind of talk. I
must
go, don't you see?”

“No, I don't. I can't let ye go in there
toute seule
.”

“But you'll be with me,” Sarah assured her. “You can save me if I get into trouble.”

Madame Marie considered for a moment and then nodded. “All right. But just let 'im lay a hand on ye … and we'll see wot we'll see!”

The two women walked quickly to the door. After they'd knocked and had to stand waiting for so long that they both began to feel uncomfortable, the door was opened by North's butler, a man almost impervious to shock. But a pair of unescorted
ladies
was not a sight he often saw on his doorstep. He permitted an air of disapproval to show on his face. “Is his lordship expecting you?” he asked depressingly.

In order to counteract a wild urge to run away, Sarah steeled herself with all the courage she possessed. “Step aside, please,” she said boldly. “You've kept us standing in the wind quite long enough.” She grasped Madame's hand and, pulling her behind, stepped past the butler with head high.

“Who shall I tell his lordship is calling, ma'am?” the butler asked, aware from Sarah's manner that this was undoubtedly a lady of quality.

“I shall ask the questions.” Sarah was amazed at her own temerity. “Where is his lordship?”

The butler was nonplussed. He knew quality when he saw it, and he didn't like to offend a lady of her obvious station. “In the library, ma'am,” he said, a bit more politely. “If I might have your name, I'll be happy to tell his lordship you're here.”

“Never mind. Just show me to the library, please.”

“But his lordship is—”

“Y' heard what my Miss just asked ye, y'lump! Hop to it!” Madame Marie ordered sharply.

The butler balked. It was one thing to take orders from a lady, but
this
skinny baggage was quite another story. “Now see here, my good woman—” he began.

“Please don't brangle,” Sarah stopped him. “I'm in a great hurry. This is a matter of utmost urgency. Please take me to his lordship.” She held out a gold coin. “I assure you he won't be angry with you for it.”

On that assurance, and with the gold coin in his hand, the butler nodded. “He's got a visitor with him, you know,” he remarked as he led them down the hall. “He may not like—”

“A visitor?” Madame Marie cast an alarmed glance at Sarah. “Not a
female
!”

“It's a medical gentleman,” the butler offered in reassurance.

“Is his lordship
sick?
” Sarah asked, a spark of hope igniting in her breast.

“No, ma'am, but he might not wish to be interrupted.”

“He will not mind the interruption,” Sarah said with more confidence than she felt.

When they arrived at the library door, she pointed to a chair just beyond it. “Sit there, please, Madame. I shan't be long.”

“Very well, Miss. Just sing out if ye need me,” Madame Marie said, giving the butler a disdainful glance and sitting stiffly on the edge of the chair.

The butler opened the door. “Your pardon, m'lord, but there's a lady here—”

“Damn you, Neames, I told you I didn't want to be inter—”

“It's most urgent, my lord,” Sarah said, presenting herself on the threshold.

“Good Lord!
Sarah!
” Lord North jumped up from the table at which he'd been sitting. A man in a black coat, who'd been sitting opposite him, also got to his feet. Sarah looked carefully about the room. It was dimly lit by a fire in the fireplace and a branch of candles on the table. In the candles' light, a frightening object on the table drew Sarah's eyes at once—a wooden case containing a pair of evil-looking, ivory-handled duelling pistols.

As North came round the table to Sarah, the stranger—a short, ruddy, large-bellied man with a head of dark, unruly hair—observed her with unmistakable interest. She returned his stare coolly. North came up and seized her hand. “What a delightful surprise! I regret that you've caught me in my shirt-sleeves.”

Sarah brushed aside his concern with a dismissive wave of her hand. “That's quite all right, my lord.” With a nod toward the stranger, she added, “I'm sorry to have intruded.”

“May I present Dr. Crowell? He's to preside over tomorrow's affair. We've completed our business, haven't we, Doctor?”

The doctor bowed. “We have indeed. I beg you to excuse me, ma'am.”

“Not yet,” Sarah said, hope again springing up in its eternal way. “Do
you
approve of this business, Doctor? Surely a man in your profession cannot condone—even support—such activities. Can't you persuade his lordship to forget this dreadful affair?”

“I never interfere in these matters of honor, ma'am,” the doctor said in an oily, unctuous tone that was at the same time offensively patronizing. “I only see that the rules are followed and that the wounded are cared for. It is not my place to make judgments other than those in my province.”

Her last hope dashed, Sarah turned away from him and said scornfully, “Perhaps the magistrates may make judgments about
you
one day.”

“The magistrates are paid well to overlook duelling, I'm afraid,” the doctor said with irritating complacency.

“Well, go along, Crowell,” North said, urging him to the door. “Neames will show you out.”

Neames held the door as the doctor bowed himself out. “'Til tomorrow morning, then,” the doctor said pleasantly as the door closed on him.

As soon as they were alone, Lord North came up behind her. “Let me take your cloak,” he said, putting his hands on her shoulders, “although you've come for naught. I know your errand, but you can tell Middleton that even
your
good offices will not save him.”

Sarah pulled out of his hold and whirled around to face him. “Edward did
not
send me, if that's what you're implying. He appears to be as stupidly eager for this … this
encounter
as you are!”

“Then I'm mistaken,” his lordship acknowledged. “But not mistaken about the reason for your visit, I think.”

She lowered her eyes. “No. You are not mistaken.”

“Then let me have your cloak, my dear. We may as well be comfortable while you speak your piece.”

She let him take her cloak, which he placed over the back of a chair. “I can't believe you will continue to be so unreasonable, Jack,” she said softly. “You have no cause to fight this duel, you know.”

His mouth tightened. “No
cause
, ma'am? I found you in each other's
arms!
”

“I tried to explain it to you last night. It was nothing but a trick … a trick for Corianne's benefit!” She came up to him and looked into his face earnestly. “There's nothing between Edward and me except friendship. It's Corianne he loves. Has done for
years
! I only tried to
help
him.”

North looked down at her with brows upraised disdainfully. “How, my dear, would
your
embracing him assist him with Miss Lindsay?”

“Don't you see it? Corianne is a spoiled child, so completely sure of his affection that she takes it for granted. I thought she might be shaken out of her indifference if she believed he loved another.”

“How generous of you!” North said scornfully.

“Generous? What do you mean?”

“To have permitted Middleton to use you for so selfless a reason as that.”

Sarah reddened and turned away. “I suppose … it was … generous,” she said awkwardly.

North came up close behind her and said contemptuously, “I hope you will forgive me, my dear, if I tell you that I don't believe a word of this. Although I will admit that you've invented an ingenious explanation. It shows a remarkably fanciful imagination. What talent! You should write novels, my love.”