“Yes. They hadn’t left more than fifteen minutes before I woke you. We should be able to catch up to them.”
“What are they taking?”
“They rode on horseback.”
“What if Tristan gets hurt? How will he be transported back?”
“Why do you think he’ll be hurt?”
“Because guns and pointing and shooting usually results in bodily injury, does it not?”
“You’re not confident he can shoot?” Lady Amelia asked, nevertaking her eyes from the road.
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen him do it. But I know Chadwick Revere can. He hunted frequently with my father. He won the ribbon in our village fair.”
“The village with all the old people with poor vision that you’ve talked about?”
“Well . . . yes. That one.”
“Do you suppose Tristan might also have extensive hunting prowess since he lives in the Highlands?”
“I don’t know.”
“He was also in the military,” Lady Amelia added.
“Yes,” Felicity was only marginally comforted by that fact.
“Perhaps you’re not giving him enough credit.”
“I’m scared. I don’t want to be this close to happiness and have it ripped away.”
Lady Amelia spared her a glance. “I know, dear. Being in love will do that to you. That feeling never goes away. You’d think it would.” She paused to squeeze by a carriage as they left the main city, and the roads grew less crowded. “Once you get married you think the urgency will fade, but it doesn’t. When you love someone that fiercely, forever isn’t long enough.”
Felicity agreed. She didn’t want to imagine a world without Tristan in it. Even when she was furious with him, like last night, she still wanted him next to her, skin to skin, where she could feel him breathe.
Her mouth dried more the closer they got to Richmond.
“Why have we not caught up to them yet?” she asked.
“Look up there.”
Two men on horseback followed a hired hack at a much slower pace.
Lady Amelia pulled on the reins, slowing the curricle.
“Why are we slowing down?”
“I don’t want them to know we’re following,” Lady Amelia said. “They might not duel otherwise.”
“Perfect. Let’s put an end to this madness.”
Lady Amelia spared her another glance. “I know you are not enamored of the idea of dueling and defending one’s honor, but this has to happen.”
“How can you agree with something like this?”
“Because this journey began with violence, and things always come full circle. Life is cyclical.”
“You can’t mean they’ll hurt each other?”
