Austin barked a harsh, unamused laugh. “Choice words coming from the man who is yet to say any of this to Lavender herself. What would happen if you did, Asher? Are you afraid that she will do exactly what we all expect her to do, which is to reject you soundly and send you on your way?”
Austin struck a nerve with that one. He saw the shutters of anger that came down over Colin’s face. “Everyone knows that I am the best match for her. I know it. Our peers know it. Indeed, even her brother knows. Lavender is smart enough to realise it herself as well.”
“I wish you all the luck with that one.” Austin stared him down for a few seconds, wanting to do more. He would have lunged across the table and pummeled his head into the wall just for the mere fact that he’d dared to insult him. Austin didn’t quite know when he had changed but all he could hear was Lavender’s disapproving voice in his head.
That was the only reason he stood, deciding to walk away from this. She would not like it if he were to attack her friend,warranted or not. He didn’t need to give her another reason to be upset.
Just as he turned away, Colin said, “That’s right, Derby. Walk away like you should have from the very beginning. Once Lavender and I are wed, perhaps you could forget about how horribly you’ve embarrassed yourself.”
Austin paused. Colin was dangling bait in front of Austin’s face—whether he knew it or not—and Austin was tempted to grab ahold of it. Instead, he said, “You’re a sad man if you think that will happen.”
“Lavender has always been in love with me, Derby. She just hasn’t realised it yet.”
The memory of Lavender and Colin standing in that hallway at the Lawrence residence staring at each other flashed through Austin’s mind. At the time, it had felt uncomfortably like he had walked in on something private. It had bothered him then and bothered him even more now.
Peace be damned, he thought as he turned and stalked back to the table. The satisfaction that had shone in Colin’s eyes turned to panic when Austin seized by the collar and drew him to his feet.
“Fight me,” he growled. “Prove your love once and for all.”
Colin paled. He glanced around him, noting the watching eyes of everyone nearby. Austin knew he wouldn’t back down. It was socially disgraceful to do so when challenged to a duel and Austin, for the first time, was happy to live up to society’s expectations.
“Very well.” Colin shoved Austin back and Austin allowed him. The gentlemen nearby began to clear the tables and chairs away, giving them the space they needed for their duel. Colin looked Austin up and down and smirked. “Although I think it would be unfair of me to fight you in such a state.”
“If you think so, Asher,” Austin said. He was tired of words now. He wanted action. He wanted this man to see that it wouldn’t be so easy to take what was his.
Austin didn’t usually like to take the first swing. He preferred to stay on the defensive until he got a good feel of his opponent. Then he attacked relentlessly until he knew they could go no further.
Fighting Colin Asher was no different. He had no experience, no skill. He knew how to throw a punch well enough but was sloppy enough that every single one of them missed. Austin danced around him, watching as he threw his entire body weight into every punch and kick he doled out, watching his frustration mount when he couldn’t land a hit.
At last, Austin struck. Colin’s head snapped back from the blow, blood trickling to his lips. He snarled and charged again but his anger only made him unsteady on his feet. With one quick sidestep, Austin swept Colin’s legs from underneath him and he fell to the floor.
Gentlemen roared around them, urging them on. It was an easy fight, an easy win. Austin dodged a few more of Colin’s desperate punches and doled out a few of his own. Colin’s jaw, his ribs, his stomach. Hard enough for him to feel it the next morning.
But when he punched him again, hearing a crack, reality came crashing down on him.
Lavender was going to hate him for this. No matter how Austin felt about him, Colin was still her friend. And she would be very unhappy if this altercation brought on a scandal.
Austin saw his winning chance but hesitated. Colin stepped in as if he sensed it and rammed his fist into Austin’s jaw with all his might. That moment of uncertainty was all it took, Austin realized.
At first, the world spun. Then splotches of darkness swam his vision. And the last thing he saw before he fell unconscious was Colin’s victorious grin.
Chapter Twenty-Two
It was the day of the horse racing and Lavender felt…off. She couldn’t put her finger on it. From the moment she woke up, there was an unsettling feeling simmering in the pit of her stomach telling her that something was wrong.
She tried to ignore it, wrote it off as anxiousness. After all, she was likely to see many influential members of the ton at this event. She might even see Lady Lively herself, since she was known to frequent the horse races now and again. After their last encounter, Lavender wanted to ensure that everything was absolutely perfect this time.
Despite that, she could not shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen.
Thankfully, she was able to ignore the feeling as best as she could until the time came for her to get ready. She chose her dress perfectly, matching it with her bonnet and gloves. Her hair was simply done in a small chignon with a few loose curls framing her face. She opted to carry her reticule even though she had no intentions of spending any money, needing to put her fan in something.
And then she waited. And waited. Austin was supposed to come for her, since it would be ideal for them to arrive in a carriage bearing his crest. And yet he seemed like he was late yet again.
As the minutes wore on, Lavender’s impatience grew into frustration. She should have known better than to have trusted him to do this. But she thought that they had crossed over into more familiar territory after she’d spent the night at his townhouse. She thought that, after she’d told him how important this all was to her, that he would have made an effort. Surely he wasn’t doing this because of the way they’d parted ways yesterday?
She stood, shaking with frustration. She would just go to him then. There was no way she would allow him to embarrass her once more.
Lavender marched out of the drawing room. As soon as she stepped into the foyer, she halted in surprise. “Colin? What are you doing here?” Lavender eyes widened as she took him in. “And what in heaven’s name happened to your face?”
