Page 81 of Holding Onto Love

“There will be no duel. Only I will make sure this Hilyer creature will be permanently disgraced, and your name will not be mentioned.”

Jasper swallowed something sour. “You sound like Crispin. I can believe you two are friends.”

“No.” His eyes went black. “Lieutenant Taverston and I are not friends. He is far too…fastidious? Is that the word?” He waved his hand. “But he’s young.”

Young? Jasper supposed he was. Crispin would have recently turned twenty-three. There was a time when they did not think he would survive childhood. He wondered if Crispin felt old.

Caro flipped a page in his sketchbook and showed Jasper a picture.

“Chuckle,” he said.

Jasper did, understanding they were role-playing a more trivial conversation. The drawing was more intriguing than amusing: Hazard’s head and shoulders. A very good likeness. A very handsome one. Though the shoulders were naked and more muscular than Jasper thought they would be in life.

Caro leaned forward. “Tell me what you will do. And how I may assist.”

He was certainly more direct than Crispin. Jasper wondered if this was clumsy or efficient.

“After we cut Hilyer, I will step back out here to console him. Crudely if need be. I’ll offer a conciliatory drink of very good cognac. It will be water. Then I will tell him I’ve made the authorities aware, and he will be arrested in the morning.”

“In the morning. Good. He will think you very stupid.”

“I don’t care what he thinks.”

Caro nodded. He flipped another page to display a grotesque faintly resembling Napoleon.

“These are not my best,” he said with a shrug. “Viscount Haslet would not let me bring my better work.”

“I think you should not have that sketch of the Viscount here either.”

“No?” His eyebrows flickered. Then, with a twist of the wrist, he tore out the front page and extended it to Jasper, evidently amused. “You may keep it safe.”

Appalled, Jasper took the paper, folded it twice, and shoved it into a pocket inside his waistcoat.

“The lady is worth it, the viscount says,” Caro said, leaning back in his chair. “I find that difficult to believe, but unimportant. As far as the viscount knows, it is all about the lady. Do you understand?”

“Yes.” Jasper was relieved to know Hazard was no more involved in this than he needed to be. He hoped he hadn’t said too much. He didn’t think he did.

“Perhaps we should play cards. Are you skilled?”

“Not particularly.”

Caro smiled “Good.”

*

Caro wagered conservatively, which was a good thing since he won nearly every hand. If he cheated, Jasper could not see how. The man also pattered about Italy, waxing poetic, and occasionally cursing Bonaparte. It passed the time until Hilyer arrived.

The marquess glanced around the by-now half-empty Subscription Room. He started, visibly, upon seeing Jasper, but acknowledged him with no more than a sneer. If he noticed noise coming from the card room in the back, he ignored it. He took a seat at a table across the room, greeting two fellows who rather grudgingly returned the greeting and allowed him into their game.

Caro said under his breath, “Go. I will join the marquess so that the others can excuse themselves after another hand or two.”

Jasper nodded. He rose and strode to the card room door without looking toward Hilyer. He knocked lightly and was admitted. Hazard came to him at once.

“He’s here?”

“Yes.” Then Jasper remembered the sketch. “Here. Take this.” He pulled it from his waistcoat and gave it to Hazard. Who unfolded it, glanced at it, and laughed.

“A fair likeness.” He stuffed it into his own waistcoat.