Gil stood over him, prepared for more if needed, but Charles lay inert and slumped against the wall. The quiet was broken only by the sound of Gil’s laboured breathing as he looked down on his prostrate erstwhile opponent.
Alyssa hurried out from behind the chair, hardly knowing if she was
incandescent
with anger or relief. The latter won and she threw her arms around him, saying hoarsely, ‘Oh, I thought for a moment he had hurt you badly! Are you all right?’
He grinned as he folded her in his embrace. ‘Apart from a few bruises, I think so. It must be difficult for you to believe after this but I am not usually a
bloodthirsty
fellow! Brook seems to bring out the worst in my temper.’
She whispered in some alarm, ‘You have not killed him, have you?’
He smiled. ‘No, he is still very much alive. We can continue our conversation when he regains his senses.’
‘No, Gil. I think it would be best if you left now, before Charles awakes.’
He released her to look into her face quizzically. ‘What?’ he cried, grasping her shoulders, ‘Slink away like some scared mongrel? I’ll not give him the
satisfaction
!’
‘But what is to be gained if you stay?’
‘He will receive a pithy account of my opinion of him.’
‘Now is not the time. You are rightfully angry and Charles will be furious, and more likely embarrassed when he realizes you have beaten him. Give me an opportunity to explain about us; he deserves that from me at least. Speak to him when you can both be calm. He must be stopping in Dorchester overnight so there may be a chance sooner than you think.’
‘What if he tries to browbeat you when I have gone?’ he asked, unconvinced.
‘If he does, you know I’ll not stand for it. Let me deal with him in my own way now. Please, Gil?’
He sighed. ‘If you really think it best then I must agree even though I don’t like it. Damn it, Brook will consider me a coward if I am gone when he wakes up.’
‘After what I have just witnessed, I rather think Charles will be relieved you are not here.’
He smiled but said soberly, ‘I will leave only because you ask it of me – not because of Brook. My actions have caused you hurt tonight, even though they were forced on me.’ He shook his head and ran his fingers roughly though his hair. ‘I wanted us to plan our wedding and our future this evening.’
‘You could not have foreseen Charles’s arrival any more than I could. Our plans will wait a little longer – we have a whole lifetime ahead.’
‘Will you send word to me tomorrow? I’ll not rest until I know Brook accepts that he has lost you.’
She reached up to caress his cheek lovingly and whispered, ‘I promise. Now go, before I throw water over Charles and let him feel the edge of my tongue.’
‘Very well.’ He tilted up her chin and kissed her once and then again before putting on his boots and retrieving his jacket. ‘Don’t forget – I shall be waiting to hear from you, my love. And I promise to deal with Mr Brook in a more collected manner when next we meet.’ He kissed her fiercely and, feeling her respond, groaned in frustration. ‘Until tomorrow then?’ he murmured.
‘Tomorrow – now hurry.’
Gil opened the door to reveal a comical scene. Rowberry, Mrs Farnell and Letty were all waiting near the door, and almost fell over in surprise when it opened unexpectedly. Several other servants stood a little further back, their eyes wide with curiosity. Gil gave Alyssa a rueful lop-sided smile and, throwing Charles a final glance, crisply asked Rowberry to tell the groom to bring his horse.
Letty watched him leave and after ordering the other servants back to their duties, came in and queried hesitantly, ‘Lyssa?’
‘Charles arrived unannounced,’ she said, indicating the figure on the floor. ‘I’ll tell you more in a moment. Mrs Farnell, set the furniture to rights and remove any broken china – I need to speak to Mr Brook privately.’
‘Very good, miss,’ said the housekeeper, no trace of the astonishment or curiosity she felt showing on her features as she set to her task.
When she had gone, Letty said, ‘Charles must have received your letter but he has travelled here very quickly. I presume Gil is responsible for Charles’s
indisposition
?’
Alyssa explained what had happened, adding, ‘I can hardly blame Gil for
retaliating
. As you see, he came out of the contest far better than Charles.’
‘But where has he gone?’
‘Back to Eastcombe – I persuaded him to leave.’
‘Then it must be just coincidence that Charles came back at this moment. Oh, why didn’t he go and boil his head instead of coming back and upsetting your happiness?’
Charles moaned and moved his head slightly. Eyes still closed, a frown passed over his face.
‘Sleeping beauty awakes!’ said Letty with a chuckle. ‘Lord, if he dares to prose on with that bruised eye, I shall not be able to stop myself from giggling.’
‘Time to provide a little help for our visitor,’ said Alyssa. She took a small jug from the sideboard, removed the cut flowers and emptied the liquid contents over Charles’s head. ‘I have wanted to do that for some time,’ she muttered.
‘What—’ Charles coughed and spluttered, and his eyelids flickered open as there was a knock at the door.
Rowberry, his face a study of confusion, came in. ‘I am sorry to disturb you again miss, but there is a young lady demanding to be admitted,’ he said, raising his voice to be heard over a dog barking.
‘A lady! Who is it?’
His eloquent sniff hinted at his disapproval of yet another strange chapter in the evening’s events. ‘She has not yet given me her name; she appears – er – agitated.’
‘How strange,’ said Letty, puzzled. ‘Perhaps she is a traveller and an accident has befallen her carriage.’
More yapping and snarling emitted from the hallway, and Rowberry said in a faintly disparaging tone, ‘The lady has a small dog with her, miss.’
‘I see.’ Alyssa glanced at Charles, who was groaning and gingerly touching his chin with his fingertips. ‘Oh dear! Now is hardly the time for visitors.’
‘Perhaps I should go and see—’ began Letty.
But before she could do so, a dark-haired girl rushed in. She was very young, in her early twenties at the most and her figure, though neat, had a tendency towards plumpness. She was undoubtedly a lady of means, dressed in a green pelisse decorated in extravagant style and a green bonnet trimmed with
rustcoloured
ribbon. Huge brown eyes looked out from a pretty, heart-shaped face, accompanied by a
retroussé
nose and a prim little mouth. Expensive perfume filled the air and she held a fine lace handkerchief in one hand and carried a pug dog, still yapping loudly, under her arm.
Alyssa and Letty looked on in astonishment as this second visitor scanned the room and cried out in dismay at Charles’s reclining figure. Pug made good his escape as she loosened her grasp and ran under the sideboard, where he clearly intended to repel all boarders if the subsequent snarling and baring of teeth were any indication. The girl paid no heed and instead flung herself at Charles’s side, put her arms around his neck and began to weep, saying, ‘Oh! Oh dear! My darling Bobo! You are hurt! What has happened? Dorset is indeed a wild,
uncivilized
place!’
While she talked, she dabbed his bloody face with her handkerchief until he winced and said firmly, and with a hint of impatience, ‘There is no need to fuss over me, my dear. It is only a few cuts and bruises!’
‘But Charles, who did this?’ cried the girl. ‘I have been waiting over half an hour in that cold, uncomfortable carriage, Rex made my head ache with his whining and I thought you would never come back.’ Her large eyes were full of tears as she looked adoringly at Charles, who had struggled to his feet. She added with a trembling lip, ‘I did not know what to do.’
‘
Bobo
?’ repeated Alyssa, lifting her brows questioningly. ‘Charles, has this lady arrived with you? It appears you know her well since she refers to you by that affectionate term.’
‘Of course I do.’ He flushed crimson as he moved his lower jaw from side to side experimentally.
‘Then would you be kind enough to introduce us? Letty and I are eager to become acquainted.’
Charles shifted his position to accommodate the girl, who had cast off her bonnet and was presently sobbing into his shirt front, already wet from the water tipped over his head. He patted her shoulder consolingly before looking at Alyssa.
Plainly disconcerted, he cleared his throat twice before speaking. ‘I-I – er – meant to explain to you about Evanthe immediately, but when I encountered you and Maxton, well, all thought of it went from my mind.’ He glanced around the room and asked, ‘Where is Maxton?’
‘Gone.’
‘Damn it, I wanted to talk to him.’ He pressed along his jawline and grimaced. ‘Whatever I think of his morals, he has a fine right hook; it sticks in my throat to acknowledge it but he fair near broke my jaw! I fear the wretch has loosened one of my teeth.’
‘Then it is your own fault. Sir Giles was the victor, morally and physically, and do not think he left from a want of courage: he did so at my request and most unwillingly on his part. I thought the next time you meet should be in less heated circumstances.’
Charles grunted, but his attention was claimed again by the sobs of the diminutive figure whose curls brushed his chin. With a few words from him, her tears disappeared as quickly as they had arrived and he encouraged her to face Alyssa and Letty.
‘These are Miss Paradise and Miss Ravenhill, my dear.’ He then addressed Alyssa and hesitated briefly, before continuing, ‘May I introduce the former Miss Evanthe Crawford-Clarke, who recently became my wife.’
‘Your
wife
!’ Alyssa repeated, thunderstruck.
Evanthe bobbed a dainty curtsy and, her tears already forgotten, said with a smile, ‘Yes indeed! We have been married for exactly one week. Excessively romantic, is it not? Our wedding was in St. George’s in Hanover Square, just as soon as could be arranged, for I could not be parted again from dear Charles when he left town. I am pleased to meet you both – my husband has told me about you.’
‘Has he? Then I’d like to know what—’ began Alyssa, before she suddenly collected herself. ‘Forgive my manners, Mrs Brook, I am astonished, but I offer my sincerest congratulations.’
‘And please accept mine also,’ said Letty.
Charles attempted a smile, winced at the pain this invoked, and bowed. ‘Thank you. Evanthe knows about our previous friendship, Alyssa. I came to Dorset to tell you our marriage had taken place – I did not think it a proper subject matter for a letter, and besides, I had no time to contrive a suitably worded missive. I thought visiting would be a better way of mitigating your disappointment.’
‘How thoughtful, Charles,’ she said, with sarcasm. ‘I can well understand why such a letter would have been difficult to write. I’m surprised but not in the least disappointed to hear you are married.’
‘You’re not?’
‘No – on the contrary, I am delighted for your happiness. However, I wonder how you had the audacity to judge Sir Giles and me when your own behaviour’ – her gaze rested for an instant on Evanthe – ‘has been less than honest.’
Charles shuffled uncomfortably. ‘He was treating you abominably yet you did not seem to be struggling to get away. You might have done so when he was
forcing
his unwelcome attentions on you—’
‘But they were not unwelcome,’ she interjected.
‘—in that way. I beg your pardon?’
‘They were not unwelcome,’ she repeated. ‘It is not yet common knowledge, but Sir Giles and I are betrothed.’
‘
What
?’
Alyssa smiled wryly. ‘Now I have shocked you. At least
I
thought it proper to write!’
‘Good God!’ said Charles. ‘This changes matters completely.’
‘Ah, another wedding,’ cooed Evanthe, as she retrieved the growling Rex from under the sideboard and swept him under her arm. ‘That is wonderful, isn’t it, Bobo? I wish everyone to be as happy as we are.’
‘Yes, yes, of course. If you say so, my dear, but Alyssa—’
‘Oh, but I have just remembered,’ interrupted his wife, unheeding, ‘you have not yet explained how you came by your injuries.’
‘I will tell you in a moment, Evanthe.’
She pouted and, demonstrating a tenacity of purpose belied by her demure exterior, said firmly, ‘No, now if you please, or I will ask Miss Paradise. It seems she was present.’
He sighed resignedly. ‘It was at the hands of Sir Giles Maxton who was here until a short while ago – we had a disagreement.’
‘Sir Giles?’ she mused. ‘Is that the same gentleman Miss Paradise is betrothed to?’
‘Yes.’
‘Then why were you sparring with him?’ asked Evanthe.
‘Yes, why were you, Charles?’ murmured Alyssa innocently.
‘Because I did not know then they were betrothed!’ he roared, goaded beyond endurance. ‘I saw, that is I
thought
I saw, Alyssa being mauled by a man she
previously
held in distaste. I took issue with his ungentlemanly behaviour and intended to teach him a lesson.’
‘Oh, I see! Well, I suppose that was heroic, my darling,’ cried Evanthe,
slipping
her arm through Charles’s and smiling. ‘He is so punctilious about matters of propriety, Miss Paradise – but you must know that already. It is one of the things my mama particularly liked about him, you know.’
‘I know your husband is punctilious Mrs Brook but—’
‘Oh, please call me Evanthe.’
‘Very well, but Charles should have checked before jumping to conclusions and insulting both of us, leaving Sir Giles little option but to respond.’
Evanthe giggled and nodded her agreement. ‘Bobo, it was rather silly to fight with Sir Giles and leave me all alone. I declare even now I am chilled to the bone. If Miss Paradise is betrothed to Sir Giles, she was no doubt happy to be kissing him and he would not be pleased at being interrupted either. Really, you should have enquired first.’
‘How the devil was I to know?’ he declared.
‘I tried to tell you but you would not listen,’ said Alyssa.