Page 56 of Not Quite a Lady
She caught herself up and, although Lily could not see her companion’s face in the darkness, she could imagine her calculating expression. ‘Only he is not ineligible any more, is he?’
‘It is too late,’ Lily said bitterly. ‘He turned me down. After all, he does not love me, I insulted him by the way I handled it and now we have just had a blazing row.’
‘But he is fighting over your honour.’ Lady Billington sounded thoroughly confused.
‘I know. But I think he would do so for any lady of his acquaintance. And he has his own score to settle with Adrian Randall from a long time ago.’ Lily stared out blindly into the street. ‘I must stop it. Iwillstop it.’
‘Impossible, Miss France!’ Lord Gledhill stared at her aghast.
Whether it was over her demand that he stop the duel or whether it was her presence in his rooms that shocked him most, she was unsure.
‘This is all most improper. I cannot discuss a matter of honour with you.’
‘Even if it concernsmyhonour?’ she interjected tartly.
‘Even so. Especially so. And you should not be here. What if anyone saw you arrive and enter?’
‘In an unmarked carriage and veiled? But this is irrelevant. Lord Gledhill, you are Lord Allerton’s second, why can’t you stop this nonsense?’
‘Because to do so, without Lord Allerton receiving an apology from Lord Randall, would be to acknowledge that my principal’s accusations were untrue and would label him a coward and a liar.’
‘Oh.’ Lily sank down in the nearest chair, her knees suddenly weak. ‘What are they fighting with?’
‘Pistols, thank goodness.’ Lord Gledhill, still looking thoroughly harried, sat down too.
‘Why is that a good thing? Wouldn’t swords be safer?’
‘Lord Allerton, although a reasonable fencer, admits that he is out of practice. He is, however, a very good shot.’
He must have noticed her confused expression. ‘Why then should Lord Randall choose pistols, you are wondering? Because he does not know how well Lord Allerton shoots, and I suspect that he would prefer to use pistols at a distance against a man who presents a larger target than he does and whose physical presence he may well find intimidating at close quarters.’
Larger target.Lily felt quite ill. She swallowed the solid lump in her throat. ‘Do you at least have a good surgeon engaged?’
‘Naturally. It is up to Lord Randall to provide his own should he wish to, but I have consulted Dr Ord who has recommendedan excellent man.’
‘That at least is a relief, he will know the best. When is it to be?’
‘Miss France, I must decline to tell you. Duelling is illegal, I have no intention of placing you in a position where you have prior knowledge of such a thing.’
In case I inform on them.
Lily assumed an expression of spurious meekness. ‘I understand, Lord Gledhill. Please…please take care of Lord Allerton. I would not like to think that any gentleman should be hurt in defence of my honour.’
‘Of course, ma’am. Let me get the door for you. Your veil, ma’am!’
Lily found herself almost bundled out of the bachelor dwelling and into her carriage.
She waited until the vehicle had turned the corner, then pulled the check string. ‘Dr Ord’s house please, William.’
The doctor was at home, as Lily suspected he would be, as this was his normal time to receive patients who preferred to call, rather than to be visited.
When his housekeeper showed her in he rose. ‘My dear Miss France. You had but to send for me and I would have attended upon you immediately. Have you been taken ill while out driving?’
‘No. I am quite well, thank you.’ Lily settled her veil back tidily and sat down. ‘Dr Ord, I understand that you have been involved in a matter of some delicacy by Lord Gledhill.’ She could see the denial on his face before he spoke and added, ‘I should tell you that I have just come from his lordship.’
‘Then yes, I can confirm that he has requested the presence of a surgeon of my acquaintance at a location on Hampstead Heath tomorrow morning. Naturally I do not have certain knowledge of the reason the surgeon has been requested.’
‘Quite,’ Lily could be as dry as he. ‘But how fortunate that he will be on hand should any accident befall a gentleman. At what time will he be leaving London?’
