Over the rushing heartbeat, he assured him, “I can shoot an apple, Your Grace.”
“Prove it,” Duke Kendall hissed. “Shoot an apple… off your wife’shead.”
Chapter Thirty-Six
Matthew’s blood ran cold. He looked at Jasmine. Stiff-backed, teeth bared, with her hands clenched in her lap. Poised to act, but silent. Cassandra and Caroline both had their hands over their mouths. Seth growled next to him.
“I can’t do it.” He shook his head and stepped back. “I won’t.”
“You will, Lord Lincolnshire,” Duke Kendall argued. “You agreed to do as I ask, so do it. Shoot an apple off her head.” He lowered his voice. “Or I will. Even a blind man could do it.”
Vivian stood, eyes aflame. “We were invited to a ball to watch a man shoot his wife?” She shot her glare at Duke Kendall. “Stop this at once, Your Grace. It’s macabre.”
Murmurs of agreement rose through the crowd. A few more sensible guests stood with her, shuffling out of the aisles to leave.
“This ismybirthday, and you will allsit down.” Duke Kendall roared. “I will not tolerate disrespect!”
Nobles shared nervous looks, but all returned to their seats. The fear on their faces mirrored one another, but none stood to oppose Duke Kendall.
“This is too far. I will not watch this.” Vivian shook with a fury Matthew wished she would unleash—but instead, she stormed into the mansion.
His face reddening, Duke Kendall turned to Matthew and snapped, “I gave you an order. Now do it!”
Matthew glanced between Duke Kendall and Jasmine. He would rather die than harm her. He stared down at the pistol in his hands. Ifhe was going to hell, he would drag the other man down with him.
Duke Kendall might have all of the control at the tip of his tongue…
But Matthew had the gun.
He spoke gently. “The truth of the matter is, yes, Iamconfident I could shoot an apple off my wife’s head.” He walked to Jasmine and lifted her chin with his fingertip, begging her with his eyes to trust him. “I’m so confident, I’m willing to stake my own life.”
“Your life?” Duke Kendall repeated with a laugh. “Am I to assume you’ll shoot yourself?”
“I’ll happily shoot an apple…” Matthew opened his arms in a showman’s style and narrowed his eyes at Duke Kendall. “Offyourhead, Your Grace.”
Duke Kendall sneered, but Matthew circled him.
“You’re so eager to see such a display, why not first hand? It is within my best interest to succeed. With this many witnesses, if I accidentally kill you, I’ll go straight to the gallows.” Matthew kept his eyes on him. “What do you say, Your Grace? Care to take the ultimate gamble with me?”
In Duke Kendall’s eyes was a flash of unease, but his face hardened. “This is absurd.”
“Are you so craven that you would stake a woman’s life and not your own?” Matthew challenged. “I had not taken you for a coward.”
Once spoken aloud, the word spread like a disease. Under rustling fabric and fans, whispers spread. Duke Kendall glanced around at the disapproving guests as they spoke their words under their breaths, quietly enough the insults bled together.
Coward. Craven.
Cur.
Duke Kendall raised his arms. “A jest, nothing more. I would never risk a woman’s life over my own.” He leaned in close to Matthew’s ear, tone dripping with venom. “Don’tmiss.”
Duke Kendall walked to the target, pressed his back to it, and placed the apple on his head. Seth moved to place the blindfold over his eyes, and a deep Castilian accent broke through the silence.
“How can we be certain you’re not cheating?” Don Lorenzo stepped forward. “I’ve been watching you all evening. You don’t move, you don’t flinch. I cannot help but imagine you are fooling us all.”
Matthew faced him. “I don’tcheat.”
“Only one way to know for certain.” Don Lorenzo slid his finger under the knot of his black cravat and carefully unwound it from his neck. Holding the silk tight between his hands, he presented it to the guests. “I insist you use mine.”
