Page 48 of Daring the Forbidden Earl
Goodness, I hope he does not bring such a fellow here tonight.
“Is anyone here?” Mark spoke into the shadowy silence.
From behind the stone pillar where the iron gates were affixed, a figure in a black cloak and top hat emerged. The high collar concealed the lower half of the man’s face, while the shadow cast by the brim of his top hat concealed the rest.
Mark frowned, trying to remember the stature of Lord Dresday. He had certainly been tall, like this figure, and though he was advancing in his years, he had still retained broad shoulders and excellent posture. But, in the darkness, Mark could not tell if the tufts of hair sticking out from beneath the hat were tinged with gray.
“Lord Dresday. I have come, as you asked.” Mark held his nerve. “But this conversation will not be what you expected. You have threatened me twice now, and I will take no more, for I am not guilty of the accusation you have leveled against me. As such, I am here to give you a choice—give up on this endeavor and leave me in peace, or I will go to Miss Steele this very instant and demand that she tell you the truth.”
The shady figure said nothing. He did not even move, though Mark could hear the rasp of his shallow breaths, as though the fellow were trying to calm himself.
“What is your verdict?” Mark pressed, feeling distinctly uncomfortable. There was something amiss with this fellow, but Mark could not put his finger on the peculiarity. “Lord Dresday, what do you say to this?”
The man took a step forward and slipped a hand inside his cloak. There could be no mistaking his intention.
“You think that is why you are here?” His voice was rough and muffled by the collar that concealed his mouth, distorting the sound.
He is reaching for his pistol!
“If you brought me here to kill me, you are going to be very disappointed,” Mark replied, as he put his fingers to his mouth and unleashed a loud, sharp whistle. He needed his friends for support, sooner rather than later.
A second later, Kenneth and Liam surged out of the carriage and came sprinting to Mark’s side, with their pistols already raised. At the same time, Mark reached for his, until all three men were aiming the muzzles at Lord Dresday.
“You bastard,” the cloaked man hissed. “You were supposed to come alone.”
“And unarmed. Yes, I remember. But I am no fool,” Mark shot back, his hand trembling as it gripped the handle of his pistol. “I knew what you intended to do.”
In the blink of an eye, the man whipped a pistol from beneath his cloak and pulled the trigger of the flintlock. Mark barely had time to snatch a breath as he felt the bite of a lead shot cut through him. But the wretch did not wait for retribution. Instead, he turned on his tail and fled into Hyde Park, his dark garments blending into the shadows until he could no longer be seen.
But not before Kenneth had jogged forward and taken aim. Closing one eye, the tall, brooding man pulled the trigger of his own flintlock, and sent a lead shot out into the night. A moment later, Mark heard the cry of someone being hit, and knew that Kenneth had not failed to uphold his legacy as an expert marksman.
“Got him,” Kenneth said, with some satisfaction. Without waiting for permission, he ran forward and disappeared into the darkness, evidently going to investigate if he had downed the wretch or merely injured him.
Pain splintered up Mark’s arm, prompting his hand to fly to the site of his wound. “Andhegotme,” he hissed, checking the damage. The lead shot had skimmed his bicep, and though the wound did not appear to be deep, it had cut right through his cloak and the shirt sleeve beneath.
“Are you all right?” Liam helped him remove his cloak and peered at the scratch. “Oh, thank goodness.”
Mark clenched his jaw. “That stings something awful.”
“I imagine it would.” Liam looked at him, his expression suddenly anxious. “But… I am not supposed to say this, Dear Carlton, but this should not have happened.”
Mark frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Lord Dresday was not supposed to be here,” Liam explained, as he glanced through the gates to try and spot Kenneth. “You see, Nora and Johanna overheard our conversation in my study. Johanna decided she would go and visit Miss Steele herself and convince her to keep her father at the house tonight. Apparently, she agreed, and everything was settled. Lord Dresday should not have been here.”
Confusion hit Mark like a cascade of masonry. “Johanna did that… for me?”
“She knew you could not, so she took matters into her own hands,” Liam confirmed. “It was her thinking that Lord Dresday would be too ashamed of not showing up and would give up this pursuit rather than be labeled a coward. Nora told me everything, though she will box my ears if she finds out I told you.”
Mark ripped a length of cotton from his shirt and bound it around his injury, while the world around him seemed to spin. He could not believe that he had spoken so coldly to Johanna, after she had taken such a leap to try and protect him. If he had known that, he would never have walked out of her apartment like that. Indeed, in return for acting alone to keep him safe, he might well have told her everything she wanted to know.
“She said nothing of this,” he murmured, only to remember her last words to him, as he had run away:“…there is something I ought to tell you, which you will want to hear.”
Liam sighed. “She did not want you to worry.” He hesitated. “And, if she heard everything we said, it means she is likely the most forgiving woman you are ever likely to meet, Dear Boy. If she does not care for your past, and still wishes to be with you, then you must do everything to keep her at your side.”
“Mercy… you are right.” Mark’s eyes widened, as he recalled the content of that conversation in the study. Johanna must have heard about all of the young ladies whom he had pretended not to know, and yet she had still pulled him into her apartments when he had come to visit her.
Her faith in me must be greater than I ever imagined… She has not judged me for any of my transgressions and has forgiven my former behavior toward her.
