“Precisely.”
“Well, lesson learned,” Roland said, leaping up. “I really must go…someone expects me…somewhere. The hour grows late, I’m afraid.”
He bowed and hurried from the room without waiting for a footman to be called. At least, he attempted to hurry from the room and would have done so had an ottoman not been placed in his way. He went over it and hit the floor with a thump.
Two footmen raced into the room upon hearing the crash. While Roland could not see their faces perfectly clearly, he was certain they were perplexed.
As the two young men helped him to his feet, the ladies assured Roland that people were always tripping over that piece of furniture.
That seemed highly unlikely, though he appreciated their attempts at painting the situation as commonplace.
Once back on his feet, he asked for his horse, and then went outside to wait for it.
As he waited, he had the uncomfortable feeling of eyes upon him. He slowly turned and found four blurry faces at the window. They speedily disappeared.
Lady Viola must wonder at his abrupt and rather clumsy departure, but what else could he do? Why had she thought to bring up dueling and her opinions against it, just when he had three set up for the following morning?
A groom brought his horse round, at least he presumed it was Tempest as it had the right size and shape. He mounted and did his best to appear confident in the saddle as he set off in what he hoped was the right direction.
He would see what the morrow would bring. At least, he hoped he could see it. Whatever it was, he must just live through it and then all would be well.
*
Viola had watchedLord Baderston depart the house. His eyes really were in rather terrible shape, but that was the least of her concerns just at the moment.
“Well,” Juliet said, “you did as Lady Hightower asked you to—you made Lord Baderston promise he would not get himself into a duel.”
“Have I, though?” Viola asked with a sinking feeling.
“I thought so,” Cordelia said.
“As did I,” Miss Mayton said.
“But what he said,” Viola said quietly, “about avoiding those situations that inevitably lead to a duel. He said, ‘lesson learned.’”
“You do not think…”
“Idothink,” Viola said. She was all but certain that Lord Baderston had been overly vague and made a comment on lesson learned because he had already engaged himself. That was why he’d leapt up and tried to get out of the house so fast. He did not wish to outright lie, which meant she was too late in asking for the promise not to engage himself.
“Goodness,” Miss Mayton said, “and you being so very much against it in case he ends up dead.”
“I could not bear it,” Viola said.
“I wonder if it is Lord Chelderberry, or that fellow from the theater?” Juliet said.
“Chelderberry is being sent home,” Viola said, “and so certainly that might anger him enough to demand a meeting. And then, the theater fellow was chased so publicly…”
“What shall you do?” Cordelia asked.
“I fear I must get Lord Baderston out of London forthwith,” Viola said.
“But then we circle back round to the same old problem—he has not declared himself yet.” Juliet sighed and said, “I had hoped he would do it just now, right in front of us. Instead, he just got very strange and tripped over the ottoman.”
“He only became strange when I mentioned my opinion of duels,” Viola said, “which is more confirmation than not.”
“Let us hope he gets around to proposing before he sets off to some lonely field or other to get shot at,” Miss Mayton said.
“No, I cannot take the chance of that happening,” Viola said.
