It didn’t appear that Mr. Sinclair had expended any effort at all in the boxing match. His arms were crossed, and he stared down at Lord Lisford as if he were as insignificant as dust. In contrast, the viscount’s face showed signs of perspiration and fatigue.
“He needs help,” Amelia murmured to the earl.
“He’ll be all right.” Lord Castledon showed no sympathy at all. “We should leave.”
“Will you…help him?” she murmured. The earl turned back to her, and in his blue eyes, she saw the reluctance. “Please.”
He didn’t want to; she could see that. But in the end, he gave a nod. “Stay here with your sister.”
Lord Castledon walked through the crowd until he reached Lisford’s side. He started to guide the man out, but before they went any farther, the viscount lunged for the Highlander.
The earl seized Lisford by the shoulders before he could throw a punch. Amelia was shocked, for Lord Castledon had hardly moved at all. He merely kept a strong grip upon the viscount, immovable as a granite wall.
Now where had that come from? She’d never suspected that the earl had that sort of strength. His face held determination, and when Lord Lisford tried to wrench himself free, Castledon dragged him back. “I think you’ve had enough.”
“He’s a bastardly gullion, and I’m going to pull his arse through his rib cage!”
Amelia wanted to clap her hands over her ears. The viscount was half-wild with anger, and she strongly suspected he was foxed. She’d never seen the man like this, and instead of appearing deliciously dangerous…he resembled a fool.
Margaret’s and the earl’s warnings came crashing down on her, and she sobered. This wasn’t the sort of husband she wanted. Not if he was going to behave like this.
Slowly, she walked toward Lord Castledon, past the onlookers. The moment the viscount saw her, he reddened with embarrassment.
“Miss Amelia. I—I’m sorry you saw this.”
“So am I,” she answered quietly. “But you chose a very public place. I can’t imagine why.”
“It was part of a wager. I was promised a large sum, just for agreeing to the boxing match.”
“But why here? Why not host it within a private club?”
The viscount shrugged. “It was arranged to allow a wider audience. More people could come if it was held here.”
And more people would witness his humiliation, Amelia realized. Had he really believed he could defeat a man like Cain Sinclair? Or had Cain arranged the match, wanting vengeance for what had happened to Margaret? It had been years ago, and it made no sense why he would do this now.
Amelia offered the viscount her handkerchief, leading him away. “Did you already collect the money for the match?”
He shook his head. “I wagered it again, because I had planned on beating Sinclair.”
The dismay in her stomach sank lower. “I thought you had agreed to stop making wagers until you were out of debt.”
The Earl of Castledon remained a short distance away, but his gaze was fixed upon the viscount and herself. It was as if he was watching over her, ensuring that Lord Lisford did nothing to harm her.
She swallowed hard, recognizing that there was much more to the earl than she’d ever imagined. Lord Castledon possessed great strength to hold back the viscount in the midst of a fight. He was a man of honor, while Lord Lisford was a man who could not stop gambling.
“I apologize for my conduct, Miss Andrews. I hope it does not mean you have given up on me,” the viscount said quietly. “It seems I need more help than I’d thought.”
More financial help, Amelia was sure he meant. She sighed. “I wanted to believe that you would try again. That there was more to you than a man who enjoys taking risks.”
“There is,” he insisted, as he wiped the blood from his mouth. “And we are more alike than you know.” He stepped nearer to her, and she couldn’t help but notice that he was shorter than the earl. “Both of us want to seize life and enjoy every moment of it. We seek pleasure, you and I.”
His voice had grown deeper, as if he were trying to seduce her. And Amelia couldn’t help but wonder how many women had succumbed to this man’s charms. He seemed to know precisely what to say.
“I cannot wed a man who squanders his money,” she said. “If you continue down this path of pleasure seeking, as you call it, it will lead to ruin. If you’re not there already.”
From the slight discomfort on his face, she guessed that he was.
“I need to return to my sister,” Amelia said. In the near distance, she saw Margaret standing by Mr. Sinclair. Though she couldn’t hear what they were saying, she didn’t miss the tension between them. The Highlander was staring at her sister as if he wanted to steal her away. As for Margaret…there was both frustration and interest on her face.
