Diana inhaled sharply.Kill him?Someone was trying to kill him?
Fear sliced through her, and she knew she must do something quickly, although running back to the house to get help was not the right thing to do. Somehow, she must interfere.
“Oh, Lord Tristan, you are certainly full of yourself tonight if you think that your death will hurt Diana.”
Stumbling, she couldn’t believe what she heard. This was about her?Impossible!
“Contrary to what you believe, Diana loves me as much as I love her.”
Tears stung her eyes and her heart melted from his words, but panic still made her limbs shake. One way or another, she had to help him.
“Not to worry, my lord. I will be there for her and soothe her when she hears of your death. I assure you, she will forget about you soon enough.”
That voice!Oh, good heavens. It couldn’t be…
Diana took quick steps and rushed through the back door. The woman wearing a dark, hooded cloak turned toward Diana with a knife raised in the air, ready to swipe at her.
“Claudia, no! It is I, Diana.”
Her friend gasped and quickly brought her arm in back of her to hide the knife. The movement knocked the hood from her friend’s head, and the woman’s blonde ringlets gleamed in the moonlight.
“Diana… Wh—what are you doing here?”
“I’m here to stop you from killing the man I love.” She looked at Tristan. He stood against the wall as if he were trying to hold it up. He gazed at her through hooded eyes, as if he were intoxicated, and he was carrying his right arm… Hisbloodyarm. “Tristan, you’re bleeding.” She rushed past Claudia and to Tristan. With one hand, he reached out to her, pulling her beside him.
“It’s just a scratch,” he said softly.
Although it was dark and shadows danced everywhere, the moon’s light let her see that the blood on his arm was not from a little scratch. Anger filled her, and she swung toward her friend. “Claudia? Did you stab Tristan?”
“I had to,” she replied in a pleading voice. “Don’t you see?”
“No, I do not. Please enlighten me,” Diana demanded.
“Lord Tristan was telling things to the magistrate that were false. That’s why Tabitha was arrested. And he’s getting too close to the truth. I willnotallow this man to damage all of the good I’ve been trying to do by helping girls like Tabitha and Sally escape their hellish nightmares. Men like Lord Tristan are thorns in my side, and do you know what I do with thorns? Iremovethem!”
“Oh, Claudia.” Diana’s heart wrenched. “You cannot be serious. Are you the one who killed Ludlow, and Lord Elliot?”
Claudia straightened, standing her ground as she lifted her knife again. “I did, and I would gladly do it again. England is much better without monsters that enjoy tormenting women like us.”
“Like you?” Tristan asked. “Pray tell, Lady Dashwood, how do you fit in to all of this?”
“I lived with a father who beat me, only to marry a man who was worse. After I killed my husband, I vowed to find all the lowlife men who were like my husband, and do away with them.”
A few tears leaked from Diana’s eyes. Her poor, misguided friend. What had caused Lady Dashwood to go mad like this?
Diana glanced at Tristan. His gaze met hers and he pulled her tighter against his side. Comfort washed over her, yet she knew he was losing too much blood, and he wouldn’t be strong if they couldn’t convince Claudia to stop this insanity.
She looked back at her friend. “Claudia, please put the knife down. Killing Tristan will not help cleanse the world of ruthless men, because he is nothing like your husband or Ludlow. Tristan is a kind and loving andgentleman, unlike any I’ve met before.”
Claudia stepped closer and into the moon’s light. Her scowl was deep, and frightening. “Diana step away so I can do what I came here to do.”
Diana moved in front of Tristan. He tried to pull her away, but his grip wasn’t as strong. Definitely, he was losing his strength fast.
“If you still intend on killing him then you shall have to kill me first. I refuse to move!”
“Diana,” Claudia said in a harsh voice, “I beg you, move away from Lord Tristan.”
Diana lifted her chin stubbornly. “I will not.” She studied her friend closely and although Lady Dashwood was determined, her bottom lip quivered.
