Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind (22 page)

“I can think of nothing that would give me greater pleasure,” Sir Anthony replied.

“I knew it!” Lucinda cried, clapping. “You are to duel. How very romantic! And to think, it is all over me!”

Lord Avery and Sir Anthony both turned to Ginny in alarm. Through a haze of shock she saw Sir Anthony’s mouth open, saw him say something to her, but the blood was drumming so in her ears that she could not hear what is was he said. Sir Anthony to duel with Lord Avery over Lucinda! The thought made her sick to her stomach. What if Sir Anthony were to be hurt or even killed? As if in a dream Ginny held her hand out to him, saw him turn his head to her and ever so slowly walk in her direction. She must say something to dissuade him. He would listen to her. He had said he loved her, once.

The room began to spin with Sir Anthony always in the middle, moving ever closer.

Off to one side was Lucinda dancing about the room, crying, “A duel, a duel!” She was ecstatic. “There’s to be a duel!”

To the other side was the squire standing on a table, his hand waving in the air. “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears!”

In between, Lord Avery was consoling a wailing Mrs. Barrington. Had they all gone mad?

All except Sir Anthony. He was taking a long time in doing so, but he was still moving toward her, frowning, his hand held out to her. Why didn’t he hurry? Her knees felt weak and she was trembling. And why was he frowning so? She had said nothing, done nothing. He was the one who had been so cruel by saying that he loved her then cursed her for it.

The man was an enigma. If she could only sit down. Surely there was a chair there nearby. With relief, Ginny bent her trembling knees and descended into darkness.

Ginny opened her eyes to find Sir Anthony on his knees by her side. He was still frowning. She lifted her hand and touched the corner of his mouth. “What has happened?”

“She’s awake!” a voice cried. It was Lord Avery. His face appeared next to Sir Anthony’s, jostling for position. Sir Anthony’s faded from view but not before Ginny saw his expression change to one of intense relief.

Ginny’s heart twisting in her breast felt as if it were made of knives.

“Ginny, my darling, shall I lift you?”

“No!” Ginny struggled to control her sense of outrage at the thought of Lord Avery holding her in his arms. “If you would only lend me assistance in standing.” She glanced up and saw that the three Barringtons had clustered about her like so many grapes on a vine. Sir Anthony was standing beyond them, his back to her, contemplating his fingernails.

Ginny stood with Lord Avery’s assistance. Sir Anthony moved over to the mantel, seemingly very intent on the porcelain shepherdess thereon.

Ginny took her courage in her hands. She had not forgotten about the duel-she must find some way to stop it! “Perhaps someone could take my elbow to assist me up the stairs?” she suggested with a hopeful look in Sir Anthony’s direction.

“Of course, of course, my dear Miss Delacourt,” the squire gushed.

“It would be my privilege to see to your comfort,” Lord Avery pronounced.

There was a loud snap as the porcelain shepherdess broke in two under the pressure of Sir Anthony’s clenched fingers.

Mrs. Barrington jumped, stole a glance over her shoulder, and bit her lip. “Why don’t you do that, Lord Avery? She doesn’t look at all well. I daresay she is sickening with the pox.”

“Thank you,” Ginny gasped, unable to find a way out of her dilemma. She laid her arm on Lord Avery’s and allowed herself to be led from the room. The drumming of Sir Anthony’s fingers grinding the pieces of the poor shepherdess into the mantelpiece followed her out the door.

“I am very sorry to have caused so much trouble,” Ginny said to Mrs. Barrington, who hovered close by. The squire and Lucinda trailed behind.

“No trouble at all, my dear. You must know by now that we are quite accustomed to nursing pox victims here at Rose Arbor.”

“I have had the chicken pox,” Ginny said in her firmest tones.

“Yes, of course you have, my dear.” Mrs. Barrington took her other arm and gave Ginny a smug smile. “We shall have you up and about in no time.”

Having arrived at the bottom of the stairs, Lord Avery reasserted his position. “Excuse me, madam, but I believe there is only room for two abreast on this staircase. If you would kindly step aside.”

“Naturally, naturally,” the squire said, pulling his reluctant wife from Ginny’s arm. “We must give the two of them a moment, dearest,” he murmured in his wife’s ear with a glance at Lucinda.

Mrs. Barrington’s reply was obliterated by the sound of the hall door being thrust open to reveal a whitelipped Sir Anthony filling the frame.

“I shall escort Miss Delacourt,” he announced. “As the grandson of her legal guardian, I would be remiss to do otherwise.” Bringing his second-best quizzing glass to his eye, he regarded the assemblage through it as if daring them to argue.

“But of course, of course,” the squire sputtered. Mrs. Barrington snapped her mouth shut and allowed her husband to drag her well away from the coming fray. Sir Anthony advanced, but Lord Avery and Lucinda stood their ground.

“I don’t think I should allow you to go to her room,” Lucinda said in a shrill voice.

“Nor I,” Lord Avery expostulated.

“On what grounds?” Sir Anthony’s voice was now calm and poised to perfection.

“Why, on the … on the grounds of . . ” Lord Avery gave Ginny a pleading look. She dropped her gaze and stared at a fiber slub in the rose-red carpet. She dared not let their eyes meet, else he might misinterpret it as cooperation. She had not forgotten his proposal of marriage earlier that afternoon. How could she?

Lord Avery made a noise of exasperation. “Very well,” he said, thrusting Ginny’s arm from him. It was enough to make Ginny once again unsteady, and she swayed.

“Stand back,” Sir Anthony barked, giving Lord Avery a rough push to the side. With a tenderness Ginny did not expect from a man so discomposed, Sir Anthony took her arm and led her, shaking, up the first step, then with a growl deep in his throat, swept her into his arms and carried her up the stairs with breathless speed.

Ginny forced herself not to react to her first shock of surprise and curled willingly into his arms and chest. He slowed a little and gripped her tighter to him with a convulsive jerk so that she could smell the mixture of cologne, starch, and skin where her face lay against his neck.

“Curse them all to the devil,” he said, his voice ragged with passion, lack of breath, or both.

“Does that wish extend even to your fiance?” Ginny asked, berating herself even before the words were out for having said it.

Ginny could not see his face so was unable to see his reaction. His only response was to say, “I suppose I should put you down now. We are almost to your door.”

“Yes, I suppose you should,” she replied, but he didn’t, nor did she expect him to.

He fumbled with the latch, managing to undo it despite his burden, and kicked the door open. In a moment he had lain her on the bed. “Do you need anything? Where is Nan-is she still ill?”

“No, she is quite recovered, but I don’t know where she is.”

Sir Anthony sank to his knees. “I shall find her for you, then” Instead, he stroked the hair from her face with such a tender expression in his eyes, Ginny thought she might melt.

It seemed at this moment he would do anything for her. “Anthony,” she said, “you must call off the duel! I do not think I could bear it if anything were to happen to you.” She felt her chin tremble and hot tears prick her eyes.

Sir Anthony dropped his hand from her face. “I can’t do that, Ginny. It’s a matter of honor.”

“The same honor that won’t allow you out of your obligations to Lucinda?”

“You mean the same engagement I am at such pains to break?” He smiled and took her hand in both of his. “Have I not proven that my honor does not come before you? I am guilty of more than one ungentlemanly act in your presence. In point of fact, it would seem your very presence precipitates the most alarming desire to throw all caution to the winds!”

Ginny had to laugh. “I would cry innocence only I know I am guilty, not only by chance but by design. I had to know if there was anyone behind all that pomp and circumstance that I could love”

“My little shrew!” he said, kissing her hand. He looked searchingly into her eyes. “But now that you have let Caliban out of his cage, is he all you hoped for? Or is he to be a prisoner of his broken heart forever?”

Ginny reclaimed her hand and laid it to his cheek. “You are far more than I had dreamed. But are you sure I am what you want? Wouldn’t you rather have the reformed Kate of my soliloquy?” She smiled into his eyes. “I fear I shan’t make you a very comfortable wife.”

“That is what I am counting on! I find that I relish your brand of discomfort,” he said with a most alarmingly wicked smile. “Oh, I can do without the flying objectsin fact, I will have to insist upon that, but I wouldn’t change any other moment I have spent with you”

Ginny felt her cheeks grow warm. It was a most improper conversation, part of a most improper evening. Sir Anthony was right; he had behaved ungentlemanly in the name of love, over and over and over again.

“Anthony, if you are so willing to smudge your honor for me, then why continue on with this false engagement? And the duel! Why that?”

“Ah!” he said, standing up and brushing the dust from his pantaloons. “Because one is my solution to the other. If we duel and he wins .. “

Ginny sat bolt upright. “He wins?!”

“Never fear, I haven’t quite decided which will work best in our favor. As I said, if he wins, he will look the hero to Lucinda and she, I pray, will tell her parents the truth about last night. That should do nicely for letting me out of the predicament in which I find myself. If I win, Lucinda won’t be able to hide her distress for Avery and will be forced to drop this play-acting of hers. Once again, she tells her parents the truth”

Ginny was aghast. “You can’t be serious ! Either way, doesn’t someone have to get shot? The best I can hope for is that you are killed or must flee the country as a murderer?”

“Tut, tut!” he said with a smile. “Have you so little faith? I am known to be somewhat of a crack shot and plan to aim for injury, not death. Nothing drastic, just enough to make him the object of interest and fascination throughout the county. That should give Lucinda all the romance and drama she has been craving. Why, she will be the most fortunate girl she ever knew. Having a duel fought over you is a sight better than a coming-out, any day.”

“Yes, I can see the truth in that. However, what of his skills? Does he have any?”

`By that do you mean skills with anything other than poetry, drama, and tears? I can’t say. He has no reputation with pistols whatsoever. However, he is sure to see it the same as I. He no doubt has no more desire to flee the continent than do I”

Ginny had to agree, but wasn’t it just this afternoon Lord Avery had spoken to Ginny about fleeing somewhere? She wasn’t sure she could count on Lord Avery’s motivations, but she knew she could trust Sir Anthony now that she could see the man behind the mask.

Come morning, Sir Anthony sat alone in the breakfast parlor, contemplating his fate. Matters most certainly had changed since the day he had first laid eyes on his intended, a lady he had grown to know and to dislike intensely. What great irony existed in the world, for the woman to whom he had lost his heart was the same he could not abide little more than a week ago.

He stabbed a sausage off his plate with his fork and scrutinized it. No, the answer wasn’t there either. Hours pacing the floor in his room hadn’t revealed a way out of his predicament nor had cudgeling his brain or riding Champion hell-bent-for-leather all through the night.

The sweetest part of it all and the most painful as well was that Ginny loved him. He knew that now. There had been no shrinking away from him when he carried her in his arms, no flying objects coming at his head. Then again, he had not tried to kiss her. He hoped she would be more amenable to his kisses on their wedding night-if he could manage such. He smiled. It would probably be wisest to have all easily-thrown objects removed from the room just in case.

But first there was Lucinda to deal with. And Lord Avery. For some reason he was casting out lures for Ginny. Perhaps he should just put a bullet in Avery at the duel and be done with it. He would have to leave the country, but that would not be so dull if Ginny fled with him. That would take care of his difficulty with Lucinda as well. He felt sure her parents would not insist the marriage go forth after he had killed a peer of the realm.

He was smiling grimly to himself, thinking his plan not half bad, when Ginny appeared in the doorway looking more beautiful than he had ever seen her. Breathless at the sight of her, he took a moment to confine the image to his memory.

Her glossy chestnut curls were bound with a ribbon of pale apricot to match the soft folds of her gown, and a sash of emerald green, accentuating her trim waist, lit an emerald fire in her gray-green eyes. He thought she looked older and a bit wiser than she had a week ago. There was a radiance about her, a warm glow that he had never noted in her face before.