“Did you watch the duel?”
“Of course.” He returned to the rocker and sat, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his thighs. It brought him closer to her, put them on eye level. She was so petite compared to him.
And yet, there was a core of strength about her.
“I watched them face off. Dervil seemed relaxed. My father’s face was pale and he was tense. I wanted to shout out to him, to let him know I was there and present for him. I kept quiet.”
“You wished you’d stopped him.”
“Many times.” The regret haunted him.
She leaned forward now, her expression concerned as if she understood. “Your father wouldn’t have thanked you.”
“No.”
“What happened?” she asked quietly.
“Each man pointed his pistol toward the ground in front of him.” He had never forgotten a second of this duel. “I can still remember the sound when they cocked their weapons. Lord Randall was my father’s second and he was the one who gave the signal to fire. When it was done, Father crumpled to the ground.”
“What did you do?”
“I shouted and ran out of my hiding place. He’d been struck through the heart. He was killed almost instantly. Now here is the important thing, Clarissa. Father had deloped.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means he fired his shot to the side.”
“Why would he do that?”
“To signal to his opponent that he knew there was guilt on his side as well. He was saying that, yes, Dervil had been wrong to brazenly consort with my mother so as to bring dishonor to my family, but by shooting to the side, my father was admitting that his wife was equally culpable.”
“Then why fight the duel?”
“Honor,” Mars answered. Seeing she didn’t understand, he explained, “As a gentleman, my father had a responsibility to his family name. Dervil had insulted him by being so open about what he was doing.”
“Did Lord Dervil know he was going to delope?”
“It doesn’t matter. The rules are that Dervil was in his rights to carry forth however he chose. Father got off the first shot and then he had to wait. Dervil had the luxury of time and he took it. He shot Father point blank.”
“And that was considered honorable?”
Mars nodded.
“But he killed a man.”
“And I haveneverforgiven him,” Mars admitted. “Granted, he may not have expected my father to delope, but once he did, Dervilcould have shot into the ground. Dervil knew what he was doing.”
“But it’s murder. Why would he be so cruel?”
“You will have to ask my mother. I’ve wondered if she hadn’t plotted all of this.”
Clarissa reached to touch his knee. “She couldn’t have.”
“You don’t know her. There is always a purpose to her actions. I have not talked to her in over a decade, and yet, she arrives here with a request to keep her husband in power?”
“Is that not a sign she cares for him? Perhaps she realizes the error of her ways?”
Mars almost laughed. “No, it is a sign she is pulling the strings of power herself. If she could be named Chairman of Committees or even prime minister, she wouldn’t give two snaps of her fingers for Fenton. She is an intelligent woman hindered by society’s expectations of her sex.”
