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“Ann … Ann … are you there?”
The color came and went in her cheeks as she realized he was calling for her. He repeated the name over and over, becoming more restless with each minute. Finally in desperation she slipped her hand into his and murmured, “Yes, Adam. I’m here.”
“Ann?” he demanded.
“Yes, yes. I’m stay. Try to rest.”
He did seem to settle more peacefully after that, but she could feel the heat of his fever through his hand. She wondered wildly what she would do if he was still delirious by morning and the authorities returned. She leaned against the bunk, all her thoughts in disarray. She was elated that he had called for her in his delirium. If only … she had never begun the deception of taking her brother’s place. If only Adam Savage were not involved in sinister, illegal activities … if only he were not a shameless womanizer, having affairs with half of London’s society hostesses … if only …
She slipped her hand from his and returned to her bunk. In less than two hours a knock came upon the cabin door. Tony was roused from sleep when she heard Savage call, “Come in, Mr. Baines.”
The first mate opened the door, took in the scene with calm eyes, and said, “First tide, sir. Do we sail on her?”
Savage swung his feet to the cabin floor. “Yes, Mr. Baines. Take us home.”
“I’m glad you’re recovered,” Tony said stiffly, and took her departure along with Mr. Baines.
Tony didn’t see him again until they had docked in London. Savage told her he would send word as soon as theRed Dragonreturned from its voyage to the Indies so that he could supervise the loading of the cargo he’d purchased. Though she subjected him to a close scrutiny, he looked completely recovered and back in total command of himself and everyone about him. Someday she’d like to shatter that arrogant composure to smithereens!
“I expect that business of the duel has blown over by now. In London there is nothing quite so boring as stale gossip. However, I’d appreciate it if you’d manage to keep yourself out of any more scrapes. I have neither the time nor the inclination to keep coming to your rescue.”
Adam hoped that by downplaying the danger of the duel, Tony would take heed. He knew if he lectured him too harshly, it might push him headlong into more recklessly dangerous behaviour. Adam now accepted that the cousins hated each other, but it was ridiculous for Tony to think Bernard was out to murder him.
Tony felt like tearing a strip off him, but kept her tongue between her teeth and seethed silently. If he considered attempted murder and a duel to the death as simply a scrape, she would be wasting her breath to enter into a shouting match with him. The trouble was Adam Savage didn’t take Bernard Lamb’s threat to Anthony seriously. She wished she could feel the same complacency. But she knew it was serious. Deadly serious. And it would never be finished until one of them was dead.
In the salon at Curzon Street, Antonia was able to dispense with male waistcoat, cravat, and jacket while she was with her grandmother. She rolled up her shirtsleeves as she listened to the latest news of the ton.
“Darling, you’ve been gone so long, all your clothes have gone out of style. It’s your birthday next week. Do you fancy something pretty?”
Tony didn’t want to celebrate her seventeenth birthday without Anthony.
“You forget I gave up petticoats for lent,” Tony said dryly.
Roz made no comment, but continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “Side panniers are now dead as a dodo. In fact nothing at all is to be wired. Every lady in town this winter is wearing a loose Dutch jacket with wide sleeves, edged in fur. They say the latest fashion for spring will be muslin.”
Tony shivered. The English climate, especially at the moment, was not conducive to wearing muslin. “Why can’t women be more practical?” she asked, just exactly as if she were a man. “I’d think woolen shawls and flannel petticoats would be more suitable.”
“Oh, speaking of shawls, cashmere ones from India are the very last word in elegance. Brightly patterned calico is also making a fashion statement along with Indian-red taffety.”
“Really?” Tony said thoughtfully, with an idea for importing goods on the return voyage of theRed Dragon.
“And hairstyles are enough to drive you to drink. The fashion lasts not five minutes! One day you puff your hair at the sides and find yourself in the true sanctum of the mode. The next day you puff your hair at the sides and you are forever utterly cast out!”
“I hope society’s concentration upon trivia is not really serious. I hope it’s a humorous attempt to shock or amuse.”
“Lady Holland, who absolutely dominates Whig society these days, used to have her hair braided across her forehead in the summer, but now she has a great cluster of curls about her face. Such a multitude of ringlets gives her all the charm of a French poodle with distemper.”
Though her grandmother was being quite witty, Antonia wasn’t amused. She remembered the elegant Lady Holland visiting Half-Moon Street too damned often.
Mr. Burke brought them tea and sandwiches, but within minutes Tony poured all three of them a glass of sherry.
“I have a confession to make. I’m surprised you haven’t heard all about the scandal by now.” Suddenly Antonia had their undivided attention. “Do you recall the day we visited Edenwood? Bernard Lamb was there large as life, and while I was riding in the woods that day someone was shooting at me. I was positive it was my cousin and I decided then and there to rid myself of him.”
“What the devil did you do?” asked Roz, her hand at her throat.
“I challenged him to a duel. I knew he wouldn’t play fair, so I turned and shot him on the count of nine. Unfortunately I didn’t kill him, I only winged him.”
Roz’s eyes were like saucers and Mr. Burke’s mouth gaped open. “Adam Savage came to stop the whole thing, but he was too late. However, he was in time to see that Bernard Lamb also turned and fired on the count of nine. He thought I might be arrested for what I’d done and so he hustled me out of the country, hoping things would blow over.”
