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If he hadn’t been in love, he wouldn’t have cared. He wouldn’t have considered her first in every decision.

Love. He smiled to himself. How strange that the word had stopped terrifying him sometime between midnight and dawn. And he needed the chance to tell Juliet that. So whatever happened today, he must come out of this alive.

Knighton must, too. Juliet would highly disapprove of his killing her brother-in-law. The perplexing matter was how to avoid it. Shooting Knighton in the hand would ensure that the man couldn’t fire, but he could still switch hands, and then he’d have a clear shot to Sebastian’s heart. Then again, firing wide would give him that as well. So the first alternative was the best, the one that gave him the most control over the situation. Even if it was the riskiest for Knighton.

Perhaps he’d be lucky for once in his life, and Knighton’s temper would have cooled enough so that the man decided not to show up.

That hope—slender as it was—died when the Knighton carriage rumbled up to the common, complete with attending footmen. The man himself disembarked, followed by two companions. One was clearly a doctor, judging from the enormous black bag he carried. The other man, whom Sebastian didn’t recognize, must be Knighton’s second.

Sebastian sighed. “Good morning, Knighton.”

“Templemore.” Knighton looked unsure of himself in the faint haze of early dawn, but nonetheless carried a pistol case much like Sebastian’s own. He had scarcely made the introductions when the sound of horsemen approaching drew their attention.

No, not horsemen. Horsewomen.

“What are they doing here?” Sebastian asked, his blood pounding in his ears as Juliet and Lady Rosalind came into view. He didn’t want Juliet here. He could never shoot straight with her watching him.

Knighton scowled. “I don’t know. They were supposedly both asleep when I left.”

The two women reined up and dismounted. To Sebastian’s shock, Juliet was carrying a pistol case similar to Knighton’s.

Knighton strode toward his wife. “What do you think you’re doing, Rosalind? If you plan to interfere—”

“We don’t,” Juliet broke in. She held up the pistol case. “We’re here to fight our own duel. And since you’ve already had the good sense to choose a location and provide seconds, we figured we could hit two birds with one bullet. So to speak.”

Knighton gaped at her, then turned to his wife. “What the bloody hell is she talking about?” Without waiting for an answer, he asked Sebastian, “Did you have anything to do with this?”

Sebastian threw up his hands. “Not me, I assure you.”

“It’s very simple,” Juliet said primly. “If you and Sebastian insist upon this idiocy and either of you is killed as a result, Rosalind and I shall fight our own duel. If you kill Sebastian, I’m bound by honor to avenge his death and shoot Rosalind.”

“And if Lord Templemore kills you,” Lady Rosalind put in, “then I am bound by honor to avenge your death and shoot Juliet.”

“It’s only fair,” Juliet said.

“The right and honorable thing to do,” Lady Rosalind added.

Sebastian couldn’t stifle his laugh, although judging from Knighton’s glare, it wasn’t appreciated.

“This absurd trick will get you nowhere, Juliet,” Knighton retorted. “While it wouldn’t surprise me to hear that my wife can shoot, I know for a fact that you haven’t the faintest idea how to shoot or even load a pistol.”

Sebastian winced. “Um, Knighton? As it happens, Juliet knows how to do both.”

Knighton whirled on him. “What do you mean?”

“Sebastian taught me how to shoot,” Juliet said calmly. “While we were in Shropshire.”

“That’s impossible!” Knighton retorted. “That’s something we all would have noticed—you standing out on the lawn firing a pistol.”

Lady Rosalind stepped forward. “Don’t you remember that cottage we were discussing last night, my dear? Lord Templemore sometimes goes there for target practice. It’s well away from everything.”

“He taught me how to load, too,” Juliet said brightly. Setting down the pistol case, she opened it, then proceeded to load one of the pistols with a competence that made Sebastian proud.

Until Knighton caught him smiling and glared at him. Sebastian sobered at once, realizing that death was imminent—Knighton would strangle him before they even began the duel.

“She asked me to teach her,” Sebastian bit out. “What else was I supposed to do?”

“Tell her no?” Knighton retorted.