Halting, Richard glared at him. “Don’t you dare.” Spencer responded by taking a sip of the brandy he’d been nursing as Richard continued, “I have enough to deal with at the moment without worrying about you as well.”
“Fair enough,” Spencer agreed. He kept silent a moment before saying, “I am a little surprised that Carthright would choose to challenge you though.”
“He feels the need to punish me for what I did to him.”
Spencer snorted. “As if you have not been punished enough already. In my opinion, he has turned the entire matter on its head.”
“I appreciate your support,” Richard said. Approaching the vacant armchair, he dropped onto the seat and leaned back with a sigh. “And I am sorry that I did not mention any of this to you earlier, but I was worried that you might try and stop me from doing what I felt was not only necessary, but well deserved.”
“You may be right.” Setting his glass aside, Spencer glanced over at Richard. “That said, I think I would have done something similar, had I been in your shoes. Carthright does not deserve to be rewarded for his betrayal. Quite the contrary.”
Silence followed for a number of seconds while Richard gazed up at the ceiling. “The trouble is that I don’t quite know where to go from here.”
“What do you mean?”
“I am thinking of Lady Mary,” Richard confessed. Indeed, he’d been sorely pressed to think of anything else. “I have effectively taken vengeance upon her brother. Even before I discovered their relationship I feared telling her about this because I worried that she would judge me harshly for it. Now...” He shook his head. A strong feeling of hopelessness was beginning to wear him down.
“You think she will be unable to forgive you?”
Tilting his head forward again, Richard looked at his brother. “Yes, Spencer. That is precisely what I think.”
“From what I gather, she is a romantic. Perhaps she would appreciate a token from you? A poem or maybe some flowers?”
“I have already sent her a peace offering,” Richard told his brother gruffly. He knew that Mary deserved an apology, but he was beginning to wonder if his attempt at one had been good enough.
“And?”
Richard glared at him. “Do you think I would be sitting here talking to you if she had forgiven me?”
“Point taken.” A brief silence followed. Spencer drummed his fingers on the armrest. The clock ticked loudly on the mantel.
“What?” Richard finally asked.
Spencer tilted his head. “I noticed that she failed to put in an appearance at dinner. Give her time, Richard. If she cares for you half as much as you care for her, then she will come to you sooner or later. I am confident of that.”
“Really?” Richard drew the palm of his hand across his face. “Carthright’s arrival took me completely by surprise. As a result, I said some terrible things to her.”
Spencer nodded. “Your concern is understandable, I suppose. But beforeyoudecide what Lady Mary will think of you, perhaps you ought to ask her yourself.”
“She fled the room when she discovered what had happened.” The stricken look upon her face... he would never be able to forget that. “And now I am to meet her brother at dawn.”
“A tricky business, to be sure. Especially if you win.”
Groaning, Richard picked up his own brandy and took a fortifying sip. “You make it sound as though losing might be an option.” Shaking his head he set down his glass. “Pistols do not allow for the sort of sportsmanship one might enjoy with swords. I cannot go easy on Carthright for the simple reason that I fear he will take advantage of it.”
“Just as long as you don’t kill him then.” The gravity of the situation was prevalent in Spencer’s tone and expression.
“And what if he killsme?”
“Is he that good a shot?”
Richard considered the question for a second before saying, “He may not be as precise as I am, but he is certainly good enough to hit his mark, even at a distance of forty paces.”
“Then you must strike him first—a shot to his leg or perhaps his shoulder.”
“Naturally, I have considered that, though I doubt Lady Mary will approve.”
A frown crept across Spencer’s brow. “You think she would prefer it if you are the one who gets wounded?”
