Page 71 of Not Quite a Lady
‘No, I thank you, ma’am. I...I must not take any more of your time. I came only to say something to Lord Allerton, then I must go.’
‘Really? But will you not stay with us a while? We would be delighted to have you, and you are so far from home.’
Lily smiled distractedly at her hostess. ‘Thank you, Lady Allerton…but I must say this, and then–’
‘You wish to be alone.’ Lady Allerton got to her feet and gestured to her daughters. ‘Come along, girls, and let Miss France discuss her business.’
‘No, please do not go. I should say this in front of all of you.’ Now she had begun the words came more easily.
Lily made herself meet Jack’s eyes, even darker now, his eyebrows raised in what seemed to be disdainful query.
‘I came only to apologise – to Lord Allerton for failing to thank him as I should for what he has done for me, and to his family for putting him in such peril.’
‘Peril?’ Lady Allerton half-rose from her chair, but Miss Lovell’s hand on her shoulder pressed her gently back down. Caroline’s gaze was fixed on her brother but she remained standing quietly.
‘On three – no, four – occasions Lord Allerton has come to my aid. He rescued me when I was escaping the unwanted attentions of a gentleman. He was injured – you can see the scar on his temple – when a mob surrounded my house. He was struck down by that same man when he was already injured, and finally, when he called him to account for his behaviour, Lord Allerton was wounded in the arm.’
‘Duelling?’ From the expressions on the faces of at least three of the women in front of her Lily realised they had not known about the duel.
‘Duelling?’ Lady Allerton repeated. ‘What wound?’
‘A flesh wound in the left upper arm,’ Lily explained, the words tumbling out now.
Jack’s brows had drawn together thunderously. So, he had managed to conceal it from them.
‘But that is not all. I was tactless, insensitive, thoughtless.’
There was no denial on his face.
She forgot the watching women and began to speak only to Jack. ‘I made things in London much more difficult for you than they might have been. I did not help your search for investors as I might have done. We parted in anger because I was too self-centred to see your point of view. And too spoilt to stand being thwarted.’ She might as well say it all now, humiliate herself thoroughly while she was about it.
‘I was brought up to take responsibility for my mistakes. I do not make many.’
There was a sudden glimmer of humour in his eyes and her heart twisted.
‘Not many, but when I do, I apologise. I went to the Bull and Mouth but I was too late, you had gone.’
‘You could have written, saved yourself a tedious journey.’ Jack sounded as neutral as if she had been discussing a minor matter of business.
‘That would have been inadequate. You could have been killed.’ Lily turned to Lady Allerton. ‘I did try and stop it–’
‘You didwhat?’ It seemed she had penetrated Jack’s chilly calm at last.
‘I spoke to Lord Gledhill, and to Doctor Ord, but they both explained that there was nothing I could do. I did think of informing the magistrates, but Lord Gledhill said you would only find another place to fight.’
‘Where did you speak to Lord Gledhill?’ The very quietness of Jack’s tone should have warned her.
‘I went to his lodgings.’
‘You, an unmarried lady, went to a bachelor’s lodgings, without your chaperone, I make no doubt. I wonder why I should trouble to defend your honour when you are so careless of it.’
‘Jack.’
Out of the corner of her eye Lily was aware of Miss Lovell bending to murmur in her mother’s ear. Lady Allerton subsided and her daughter slipped from the room.
‘Well, it was my fault you were fighting, I had to do what I could to stop it.’
‘No you didnot.’
