Setterdown stepped forward. “Your Grace, can you explain the meaning of this? Both Chelderberry and Berger claim they were engaged for this day and time. I have assured them that my arrangements were made directly with you and that circumstance is an impossibility.”
“I am not mistaken on the day,” Chelderberry said.
“Nor I,” Berger said.
“None of you are mistaken!” Roland said. “I had three duels lined up and thought to dispatch them all on the same morning. You do not imagine that I would trouble the duke with three different early mornings, do you?”
Setterdown, Chelderberry, and Berger all looked at one another as if they did not know what the protocol would be if a duke acted as a second and there was more than one duel engaged.
Conbatten said, “Nobody knows what ought to be done in such a case because there has never been such a case. There has never been such a case because the situation is absurd. Do you not see the ludicrous nature of this meeting? How are you to arrange yourselves? Who is to be numbers one, two, and three? Is Baderston really to be shot at three times in one morning? The fellow is practically blind, and his valet has overdosed him with laudanum.”
“Your Grace, I engaged all three,” Roland said, “and so must be shot at by all three.”
Conbatten folded his arms. “Please do no further advocating for yourself. I am trying to keep you alive. At the moment, you are a shell of a man. No decent gentleman would agree to go forward.”
“Now, I say, Your Grace,” Setterdown said. “If you imply that I would act less than a gentleman—”
Conbatten ignored him. “If there are any of you determined to carry on with this foolishness, then know this—you willnothave acted as a gentleman. To fire upon a man who can barely see and who has been drugged with laudanum could not be defended and I would be sure to make all of society know it. The most you can do this morning is arrange for a later date.
“If you refuse these terms, I will make it my life’s work to make you miserable. I will denounce you, very publicly cut you, I will speak to the queen about you, I will shut every club door against you, and I will ground your marital prospects so far into the dust that you will be forced to take a bride from Philadelphia.”
“Philadelphia?” Chelderberry muttered. He shook his head at his second. “I’m very set on a lady from my own neighborhood.”
“My father will never accept an American!” Setterdown said.
“The clubs, though…what would I do all day if not for my clubs?” Mr. Berger fretted.
Roland stepped forward. “His Grace, as my second, is doing his duty in trying to delay my duels. However, I am prepared to fight all three of you this instant!”
Behind him, he heard the rumble of a carriage and briefly searched his mind. Was there a fourth fellow he’d forgotten about?
“Lord Baderston!”
It was Lady Viola. What was she doing here? As it was entirely likely he should be shot very shortly, she really should not be here.
Roland turned. He squinted his already squinty eyes. Good Lord, the dowager was with her.
“Baderston,” the dowager said, striding toward him, “what on earth are you doing here?”
“I’m going to shoot at these three fellows,” he said.
“Preferably not,” the duke said.
“I have to do it,” Roland said stubbornly. “They have all three insulted Lady Viola’s honor. I will not stand for it.”
Lady Viola herself pushed past the dowager and said, “Lord Baderston, I was very afraid this would happen. I’ve come to take you off to Gretna Green and I do not care what those three beastly fellows think about it.”
“Have you?” Roland said.
“Oh yes, she has,” Miss Mayton said.
“No, she has not!” the dowager cried.
“I most certainly have, Countess,” Lady Viola said to the dowager. “And I am surprised at you, I must say. Do you really wish for your only son and heir to be killed on this fine morning?”
“No, but—”
“There is no but to it,” Lady Viola said. She marched over to where Chelderberry, Setterdown, and Berger stood, all looking entirely perplexed.
