And now, here he was, awaiting his fate. He wondered if today was the day when everything might finally become clear, all the secrets from the past emerging into the light. Or perhaps today was the day when everything would end for him.
Before he could proceed any further, though, a figure emerged from behind a tree. His mother, dressed in a dark cloak, came towards him, lowering her hood as she did so.
“Sebastian,” she said softly, reaching for him and wrapping her arms around him.
He relaxed into her embrace for a moment, then pulled away. He could not allow himself to be diverted, not now he was so close to this climactic moment of truth.
“Mother, I must go,” he said, his voice thick with emotion.
“I am begging you,” she said hoarsely. “Please reconsider this insane thing you are about to do.”
He looked at her and saw that her face was lined with concern and distress. He thought he was certainly not the only one who had not slept the previous night.
“Mother, I must do this,” he insisted. “It is a matter of honour. I did not try to seduce Miss Harrow, and I will not consent to marry her.” The image of Isabella’s face flew into his mind at that moment, and he knew he was doing the right thing.
“But you could die, Sebastian!” his mother cried. “I cannot bear to lose you, as well as your father. Do not forget the tragedies that our family has already suffered.”
He shook his head. “I do not forget them, Mother, I swear to you. I think of it every day.” He paused, unsure whether to share his suspicions with his mother. But he realized, in an instant, that if he did die today, it would be better if someone else knew what he had discovered.
“I do not think that George Langley holds any guilt. I think that it is Lord Victor Harrow who is hiding something concerning the death of my father. In fact, I am sure of it. I believe that he was the one who betrayed his business partners and allowed the ship to be lost, then allowed my father to take the blame. If I allow things to come to a conclusion today, I believe that the truth will emerge.”
“But it is too risky,” Lucinda insisted. “The past is the past. All that is gone. Why cannot you see that you are too precious to me to die in a field?”
He smiled at her a little wryly. “Perhaps I will win, Mother.”
She sighed. “You will break my heart, Sebastian, if you die today.”
He looked her firmly in the eye. “I vow to you, Mother, I will not die today. Please, go back to the house. I promise I will see you soon.”
She protested but eventually agreed to go back to the house. He wished, as he walked alone towards the duelling site, that he fully believed the words he had just said to her. But he had to proceed with his plan. He was sure, somehow, that the truth would come out today, and then perhaps everything would work out for the best.
***
“So you are to be the second for Lord Ashcroft?” George asked, looking at Adrian.
They stood together on the edge of the misty field with Thomas, waiting for the arrival of the duelists.
Adrian nodded. “I cannot believe he is going to go through with it, but he is my best friend, as well as my stepbrother, so I will support him to the end. But I must say that I hope that something will happen to change their mind so that the duel does not proceed. It seems beyond madness to proceed with it.”
Thomas let out a deep sigh. “His mother will not survive if he dies. I do not know what to do to make them stop this crazy plan.”
“I suppose that Sebastian thinks it is a matter of honour,” Adrian replied. “He swears he did not try to seduce Miss Harrow, and I believe him. The reality is that his heart belongs to another, and we all know it. He would not pursue another woman when he is in love with someone else.
George looked at Adrian askance. He knew what the young man was referring to, of course. The time for skirting around the truth had long gone. But this business with Isabella and Sebastian really was most troubling. He had been so torn when it came to the decision about her proposed marriage to the duke.
Clearly, she had not wanted to marry Henry, but he had thought he was doing the right thing by pressing the matter. It was a magnificent match, there could be no doubt of that, and he was sure that she would have got used to the idea in the end and learned to be happy as a duchess.
But all that was gone now, due to the rumours about her and the viscount. And now he was about to fight against Lord Harrow. Anything could happen, and George felt slightly nauseous at the thought of what was to come. How would his daughter cope if the man she was enamoured with fell down dead in the mud, with Lord Harrow’s bullet lodged inside him?
He saw Victor trudging across the field in the distance, with his manservant following behind. Presumably, he was to act as Victor’s second. George felt a moment of relief that Victor had not asked him to perform that particular task. He was not sure he could have agreed to it, even if Victor had begged him. The whole situation left a bad taste in his mouth, and he was beginning to think that Victor had something to hide.
The men stood in silence as Victor approached. The atmosphere was heavy with tension.
George could stand it no longer. He stepped forward.
“Victor, you must abandon this duel!” he said firmly. “Surely you can see that no good will come of it?”
“My daughter’s honour has been tainted,” Victor said stiffly. “Do you wish me to do nothing about it?” He paused and eyed George slyly. “It is a wonder that you do not challenge the young man yourself, considering what he has got up to with your own daughter! Such a terrible scandal and you stand here and tell me that I should do nothing.”
