Page 111 of After the Abduction

“Wait!” Juliet cried. “Give me a moment with him, please!”

Knighton looked as if he might refuse, then nodded tersely.

She broke free to run back to Sebastian. “Oh, my love, why must you only do the right thing when it’s the wrong thing?”

“Habit, I suppose.” He smiled wryly.

She beat her fist against his chest. “Don’t you dare treat this as a joke!”

With an eye toward Griff, who stood by glowering, he lowered his voice. “You needn’t worry about your brother-in-law. I get the choice of weapons, and I’ll choose pistols. That way I can control the outcome, make sure I do little damage. With luck, I can shoot the pistol right out of his hand, and that’ll be an end to it.”

“I’m not worried about him, you fool!” Tears coursed down her cheeks. “I’m worried about you!”

He reached up to stroke away her tears. “Don’t. I’ll be fine.”

“You were right to keep the kidnapping a secret. I should never have asked you to tell them!”

“No, you were right. It was just as you said: the longer we waited, the more chance for disaster. It was bound to happen eventually—I was tempting fate.” He forced a reassuring smile to his lips. “But after tomorrow, it will all be over. Knighton will be satisfied, and we can marry.” She looked as skeptical as he felt, but he made himself push her away. “Now go on with your family, and don’t worry, do you hear? It will all work out.”

Knighton said behind her, “Come on, Juliet, let’s go home.”

Sebastian glanced up to see Montfort watching the entire interchange with glee, then said, “Knighton, a moment of your time, if you will.”

When Knighton approached nearer, Sebastian murmured under his breath, “Unless you want Montfort to treat this as an entertainment and bring all his friends, I suggest you choose another spot for our duel and keep it private.”

Reluctant admiration flashed in Knighton’s eyes. “Very well. Will Wimbledon Common do?”

Sebastian nodded grimly. Then Knighton turned, and gathering the two women, hurried them off to the carriage. A few moments later, they were gone.

All that was left was to deal with Montfort. Sebastian stared up at the scoundrel, wondering how he’d learned the truth. “So you think you’ve won, do you?”

“Me? I’m merely an observer of an interesting family tragedy.”

“Yes, I heard how you ‘observed.’ But you’d better not count on observing anything tomorrow. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll stay away from Leicester Fields in the morning.”

“You, sir, are in no position to make threats anymore,” Montfort retorted smugly. “And I cannot wait to witness this duel. I hope you both die.” After Montfort retreated into the ballroom, no doubt to find his cronies, Sebastian uttered a sigh of relief. At least he needn’t worry about Montfort showing up at Wimbledon Common.

But as cold reality sank in, he went weak in the knees. At dawn he was fighting a duel, and despite what he’d told Juliet, he wasn’t at all certain that he’d live through it. Knighton would most assuredly shoot to kill.

Climbing into his carriage, he ordered his coachman for home. Devil take Knighton and his temper! If only the man had been willing to sit down and be rational—

He sighed. How could a man be rational when he saw an innocent young relation apparently being mistreated by the same man twice? Knighton wouldn’t have been a man if he’d walked away without a fight.

Sebastian buried his face in his hands. Somehow he must manage the duel so neither of them was hurt. But could he? He had no idea if Knighton had any skill with a pistol.

He hoped not. The only way to save this was if he shot first and disarmed Knighton. Because if he missed…

He’d be dead, that was a surety. Leaving Juliet ruined and alone. And after all that he’d done to destroy her life, he refused to add that to his account.

Chapter 24

Out of some little thing, too free a tongue Can make an outrageous wrangle.

Euripides’ Andromache, worked on a towel for Rosalind by Juliet Laverick at fifteen

As the Knighton carriage rolled off, Rosalind resolved to keep quiet until she could get Griff alone. But once Juliet hurried into an explanation of how and why Lord Templemore had kidnapped her, Rosalind’s resolution was forgotten, and she asked question after question. At first she was indignant, but as Juliet defended her lover, she found herself softening. She was fascinated. Now this was a tale for the theater!

A pity that her dull husband couldn’t see it. He sat there sullen, like the hot-tempered idiot he was. And by the time Juliet had finished, Rosalind had made a new resolution.