Page 86 of The Lyon's Pretty Pugilist

She grasped his hand. “Don’t leave me alone.”

“I’m not a physician.” Frustrated, he rubbed his brow as he ran through possible solutions. He had no desire to seek out Lydia’s parents. Her father would vehemently declare her injury was Nicolas’s fault, and her mother would faint.

“Surely there is a guest with medical training. I shall find Lady Siddons,” he said.

“Nicolas, you must marry me.” Tears misted Lydia’s eyes. “My father has threatened to disown me if you do not. He even called me a wh…whore.”

No woman should ever be called such a foul, ugly word. Not even the women who made their living taking care of men’s needs.Sympathy surged through Nicolas. The baron was the type of arrogant and self-righteous man to call Lydia hideous things for losing her maidenhood prior to marriage. He’d probably cast dozens of insults at Lydia for much less serious faux pas and failures. Even though she was no longer Nicolas’s concern, he hated the sadness in her eyes.

He sat on the edge of the settee and fought his aggravation. “Lydia, I’m sorry. I can’t. I love Josephine,” he said, his voice gentle. “I’m not the man for you.”

“But she is not who she says she is.” Lydia swiped her wrist over her tear-soaked eyes. “I just know it.”

“I know exactly who she is, and I love her,” Nicolas said.

“Ah, ha!” someone yelled.

Nicolas startled and leaped from his seat. Lydia tried to follow, but the second she put weight on her foot, she whimpered and collapsed onto the settee.

A group of men led by Small barged into the center of the room. Davenport brought up the rear.

“Bloody hell,” Davenport grumbled. “Not again. Nicolas, you bloody fool.”

As if the entourage gawking at Nicolas wasn’t bad enough, Josie rushed into the room. She brought her hand to her mouth in horror.

“Every time I turn my back, he behaves ungentlemanly,” Baron Small said. “Now, you are all witnesses. He must marry her.”

“You could see him at dawn,” one of the other lords said. “If ’twas my daughter, I’d shoot the sod.”

The baron’s eyes widened. “Dueling is barbaric and illegal.” He windmilled his arms like a crazy person. “Thankfully, you are all witnesses to his ungentlemanly intentions. He shall make his proposal in front of you all. Then they will be married immediately.”

Chapter Thirty-Three

After Josie hadreturned to the ballroom with Griffendale, she’d been unable to find Nicolas, so she’d tiptoed up the first few steps of the dais so that she could peer out over the crowd. She’d immediately spotted him and then helplessly watched as Nicolas exited the ballroom, Lydia on his heels. It seemed her suspicions were correct, and that Lydia had somehow prevented Nicolas from making their rendezvous.

Chasing after Nicolas in the throng of revelers had been slow going. Josie finally broke through, only to be stuck behind a group of men who seemed to be more concerned with arguing than navigating the hallway. She realized that one of these men was Jonathon when she re-entered the study at the same time he’d said, “Bloody hell. Not again. Nicolas, you bloody fool.”

She’d stood there gawking as Baron Small made accusations against Nicolas. Some other arrogant duke or earl or viscount had told Small to shoot Nicolas. Meanwhile, Lydia reclined on the settee, her eyes wide and unblinking.

And then came the baron’s horrifying demand. “Thankfully, you are witnesses to his ungentlemanly intentions. He shall make hisproposal in front of you all, and they will marry immediately.”

Nicolas squared his shoulders and boldly stepped into the baron’s space. “Lydia slipped and hurt her ankle. I carried her here instead of leaving her on the ground. Before you entered, I was on my way to ask Lady Siddons if there was a physician in attendance. Tell him, Lydia.”

The woman stared at Nicolas as if she were a brainless cow.

“My lord, I demand you make this right,” the baron said.

Nicolas pursed his lips and slowly shook his head. “I do not care to discuss this in front of an audience.”

“Propose to her right now,” the baron again demanded.

His gaze fixed on Nicolas, Jonathon approached the baron. “Don’t do it, Wentworth.”

“Step to the side, Viscount. You know you are not permitted to interfere,” the baron said.

The half dozen men in the room all called out directives.

“Propose to Lydia, now.”