Regency Collection 2013 Part 1. Louise Allen

mean once you discovered he was an earl?’

      ‘No, before then. Days ago. I did not care that he was poor and had no title. I proposed to him and he turned me down.’

      ‘You did what? Of all the fast, forward, imprudent things to have done! Why, he might have made any sort of capital out of that, taken any sort of advantage. And he is so ineligible.’ She caught herself up, and although Lily could not see her companion’s face in the darkness, she could imagine her calculating expression. ‘Only he is not ineligible any more, is he?’

      ‘It is too late,’ Lily said bitterly. ‘He turned me down. After all, he does not love me, I insulted him by the way I handled it and now we have just had a blazing row.’

      ‘But he is fighting over your honour.’ Lady Billington sounded thoroughly confused.

      ‘I know. But I think he would do so for any lady of his acquaintance. And he has his own score to settle with Adrian Randall from a long time ago.’ Lily stared out blindly into the street. ‘I must stop it. I will stop it.’

      ‘Impossible, Miss France!’ Lord Gledhill stared at her, aghast. Whether it was over her demand that he stop the duel or whether it was her presence in his rooms that shocked him most she was unsure. ‘This is all most improper. I cannot discuss a matter of honour with you—’

      ‘Even if it is my honour?’ she interjected tartly.

      ‘Even so. Especially so. And you should not be here. What if anyone saw you arrive and enter?’

      ‘In an unmarked carriage and veiled? But this is irrelevant. Lord Gledhill, you are Lord Allerton’s second—why cannot you stop this nonsense?’

      ‘Because to do so, without Lord Allerton receiving an apology from Lord Randall, would be to acknowledge that my principal’s accusations were untrue and would label him a coward and a liar.’

      ‘Oh.’ Lily sank down in the nearest chair, her knees suddenly weak. ‘What are they fighting with?’

      ‘Pistols, thank goodness.’ Lord Gledhill, still looking thoroughly harried, sat down too.

      ‘Why is that a good thing? Would not swords be safer?’

      ‘Lord Allerton, although a reasonable fencer, admits that he is out of practice. He is, however, a very good shot.’ He must have noticed her confused expression, for he added, ‘Why then should Lord Randall choose pistols, you are wondering? Because he does not know how well Lord Allerton shoots, and I suspect that he would prefer to use pistols at a distance against a man who presents a larger target than he does, and whose physical presence he may well find intimidating at close quarters.’

      Larger target. Lily felt quite ill. She swallowed the solid lump in her throat. ‘Do you at least have a good surgeon engaged?’

      ‘Naturally. It is up to Lord Randall to provide his own should he wish to, but I have engaged Dr Ord. A most excellent physician.’

      ‘Yes. Yes, that at least is a relief, he is very experienced. When is it to be?’

      ‘Miss France, I must decline to tell you. Duelling is illegal. I have no intention of placing you in a position where you have prior knowledge of such a thing.’

      In case I inform on them. Lily assumed an expression of spurious meekness. ‘I understand, Lord Gledhill. Please … please take care of Lord Allerton. I would not like to think that any gentleman should be hurt in defence of my honour.’

      ‘Of course, ma’am, let me get the door for you. Your veil ma’am!’

      Lily found herself almost bundled out of the bachelor dwelling and into her carriage. She waited until the vehicle had turned the corner, then pulled the check string. ‘Dr Ord’s house, please, William.’

      The doctor was at home, as Lily suspected he would be, for this was his normal time to receive patients who preferred to call rather than to be visited. When his housekeeper showed her in, he rose.

      ‘My dear Miss France! You had but to send for me and I would have attended upon you immediately. Have you been taken ill while out driving?’

      ‘No. I am quite well, thank you.’ Lily settled her veil back tidily and sat down. ‘Dr Ord, I understand that you have been engaged on a matter of some delicacy by Lord Gledhill.’ She could see the denial on his face before he spoke and added, ‘I should tell you that I have just come from his lordship.’

      ‘Then, yes, I can confirm that he has requested my presence at a location on Hampstead Heath tomorrow morning. Naturally I do not have certain knowledge of the reason my presence has been requested.’

      ‘Quite.’ Lily could be as dry as he. ‘But how fortunate that you will be on hand should any accident befall a gentleman. At what time do you intend leaving London?’

      The doctor looked startled. ‘At five, Miss France. But why do you ask?’

      ‘Because I would like you to collect me on your way, if you please.’

      ‘Certainly not! Miss France, you may not fully comprehend the nature of this business—’

      ‘I most certainly do. A duel is to take place in defence of my honour and I intend to be there. If you do not take me up, I will go alone. I have no intention of intervening, or being seen. I just wish to be there and to find out what happens.’

      ‘Miss France.’ He got to his feet and took an agitated stride across the room. ‘If you insist, I will tell you upon my return. I will call upon you as soon as I reach London again.’

      ‘No, that is not good enough.’ If she was to find herself responsible for a household of women whose son and brother had been killed on her account, she wanted to know at once. Thinking in such brutally practical terms was the only way Lily believed she could get by until this was all over.

      ‘It is most improper. You should not be driving alone in a carriage with a man, and I doubt very much that your chaperon will be with you!’

      ‘If I can be alone in my bedchamber in a state of undress with you, Doctor, I think I can cope with your company in a carriage,’ Lily retorted. ‘I mean this—if you do not take me, I will go by myself.’

      ‘Very well. You leave me no choice. I will be at your door at five.’

      Chapter Fourteen

      It was a chilly, slightly misty morning. Lily huddled her black cloak around herself and sat back in the corner of the carriage. Doctor Ord was obviously grievously put out by her having pressured him into taking her up; he regarded her with unveiled disapproval.

      ‘I hardly dare to ask how you left this morning without raising questions amongst your household Miss France.’

      ‘I simply told the footman I was going out.’ She shrugged, ‘It is not his place to question me.’

      ‘At this time in the morning? He will not think fit to mention the matter to Mrs Herrick?’

      ‘Not if he values his position,’ Lily said grimly. The doctor lapsed into frowning silence and stared out of the window. Lily let her eyes flicker over the sinister black case by his side and hastily looked out of the other side.

      The traffic out of London was light at that time in the morning and their progress was steady, despite the steep climb up Haverstock Hill. Lily’s mouth was uncomfortably dry and she wished she had thought to bring something to drink. What was Jack thinking? Had he been in this position before, or was this new?

      How could men do it—go out to kill or be killed in cold blood? She shuddered as the carriage lurched off the road on to a track. They must have reached the Heath. The doctor leaned across and pulled down the blinds. ‘You will please stay here with the blinds shut, Miss France.’

      She nodded, telling herself she was acknowledging his