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“Don’t be ridiculous,” Juliet retorted. “Really, gentlemen, this is too silly. I’m going home by myself in my family’s carriage—”
“You’re not…er…calling me out, are you, Templemore?” Havering asked, his brow a veritable field of furrows.
Sebastian almost wished he were. But bluffing Havering would be easy enough. “Not if you go into the card room like a nice gentleman and find some other young lady to impress with your gallant nature.”
Havering looked torn. Then apparently deciding he wasn’t quite ready for pistols at dawn, he mumbled something about looking for his sister and slunk away.
Juliet stared coolly at Sebastian. “Although I thank you for ridding me of him, I’d thank you even more for ridding me of yourself. Go away, and leave me alone.”
“I want to talk to you.”
“Very well.” She tugged at her gloves with the nonchalance of a woman who thinks she holds all the cards. “Perhaps if you come round in the morning—”
“Your sister says you’re leaving in the morning. Why didn’t you tell me?”
She shrugged. “I didn’t think of it.”
“The devil you didn’t. We’re going to talk, and we’re going to do it now,” he said firmly. Beyond her he saw the footman motion to him that his carriage had arrived, and he nodded. “Come on, Juliet. I’m taking you home.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you, drat it!” she cried as he grabbed her elbow and propelled her toward the entrance door.
“If you don’t, I’ll carry you out, and this time we’ll run off for good. It’ll be straight to Gretna Green for you, sweeting.”
The footman looked somewhat disturbed by Sebastian’s statement, but opened the door nonetheless, and Sebastian dragged her through it.
“Do you really think I’d run away with you again?” she protested. “I’m not the ninny I was two years ago—”
“You weren’t a ninny then; you’re not a ninny now.” He hurried her down the stairs. “However, I’m more of a scoundrel than I was then, and I’ll do anything to secure the woman I want.”
“Not ‘anything,’ Sebastian.” She dug in her heels at the open door to his carriage. “If you’d do ‘anything,’ we wouldn’t be at odds.”
He stared into her lovely face, feeling the blood pound in his ears. “I meant what I said,” he heard himself respond, as if through a fog. “I’ll do anything. Anything you want. So get in the coach. It’s high time we discussed our wedding.”
She searched his face for a long moment, then abruptly turned and climbed up into the carriage. And for the first time all night, Sebastian felt truly hopeful.
Chapter 23
They love too much that die for love.
English proverb written on a list once mounted in the Templemore schoolroom
The Duke of Montfort emerged from the shadows where he’d been watching Templemore dispatch Havering and then carry off Juliet. Following Templemore on his perambulations about Lady Brumley’s townhouse had certainly paid off.
So there really was a connection between Juliet and Templemore. He’d begun to wonder if the baron had been lying about it.
The footman came back inside, then jumped when he spotted Montfort. “Your Grace! I did not see you there.”
“It’s all right. I see that Lord Templemore and Lady Juliet just left together.”
“Yes, and to be honest, I am rather disturbed by it. I don’t generally pry into the affairs of her ladyship’s guests, you understand, but I do fear…” He trailed off with an expression of great agitation.
Montfort stepped forward. “Yes? I’ll try to help if I can.”
“It sounded as if his lordship might have been…well…taking the young lady off in his carriage against her will.”
“Really? Why do you think so?”
The footman related the entirety of what Montfort had only heard in snatches. When the man finished, it was all Montfort could do to stifle his laughter. Instead, he nodded somberly. “You were right to speak. Never fear—I’ll notify her ladyship of your concerns right away. I’ll say I was the one who overheard Templemore and Lady Juliet. No one need know that you were behind it.” Especially since he didn’t plan to tell her ladyship a word. She tended to meddle. Besides, he had better plans for this information.
