“How can that be?”Nathanial asked, frowning.
“Just let me finish.They told me that they were approached by Gregory’s steward for some sleeping potions, a few weeks before the hunting lodge?—”
“Sleeping potions?”Christian asked sharply.
“To ensure they slept through everything,” Drake murmured, leaning back and sliding his brandy onto the table beside him as he closed his eyes.He swallowed hard, tipping his head back to rest against the back of the chair.“So that even if they were not immediately killed in the explosion…”
“They’d sleep long enough or be drowsy enough to be incapable of escape,” Zachary finished.Unlike Drake, he was now leaning forward, his weariness erased, and his dark eyes burning with anger.“Who is it?Why are you protecting them?”
His voice went higher.
“Obviously, it’s his wife,” Nathanial said, turning to look at Gregory.“Who else would he be protecting?”
“It’s not important who it was?—”
“How can you say that?”Zachary slammed his fist down on the arm of the chair, making Matthew jerk in surprise.His fingers grazed over his pocket as his heart began to beat faster under the weight of Zachary’s furious glare.“Of course it is important!Whoever it was must be punished!”
Matthew immediately shook his head, his heart sinking in his chest.He was doing a bad job of this.Somehow.He’d chosen the wrong words.Or maybe he should not have promised Johanna that he would protect her mother?
Or perhaps he should tell them that itwasJohanna’s mother?
But how could he do that when Zachary was calling for punishment?
And he kept getting interrupted before he could get to the trulyimportantpart.
“I have taken them under my protection,” he said firmly.
Zachary got to his feet, slapping his hand against his thigh.
“Give me their name.”
“Zachary,” Drake murmured, not moving, but Zachary ignored him.
Matthew shook his head.
“Then it shall be pistols at dawn.”
Matthew sucked in a breath, his heart feeling like lead in his chest as Zachary challenged him to the duel.They were illegal, but they still happened often enough that there was no mistaking what he was saying.His stomach turned over.
He did not want to duel Zachery.
One of them could easily be killed.
Surely, there had already been enough death and loss.
But looking into Zachary’s red-rimmed eyes, his emotions burning in his gaze, Matthew could see that his friend did not feel the same.
Brushing his fingers over his pocket, he found it empty.He felt frozen in place, unsure of what to do.Sebastian had said he must make decisions, then deal with the consequences, just like everyone else, but this… what was he supposed to make of this?
He did not want a duel.He had promised Johanna he would protect her mother.
And it seemed like that oath of protection was going to include protecting her against his very own friends.
“Zachary,” Nathanial chided, aghast.
“What?”Zachary turned in place, his fists clenched at his side.“He isprotectinga murderer.”
“No, he is protecting someone who sold sleeping potions to a murderer,” Gregory corrected, rubbing his fingers across his brow.His usual smile had been wiped from his lips.“It is not the same thing.”
