“Gammon,” said Gurnard, and tugged her on.
“But I’m not!” Sophie placed her free hand over her heart. “I swear on my mother’s grave that Mr. Lester has not asked for my hand.”
“It’s not my fault if he’s backward.” They had almost reached the top of the steps.
Sophie lost her temper. “You imbecile! I’m trying to make it plain to you that I am not going to marry Jack Lester!”
Gurnard stopped and turned to her, fury in every line of his large frame. “You,” he began, pointing a finger at her.
“Should learn to accept Fate graciously.”
There was a split second of silence, then Gurnard turned.
Only to meet a left jab that had a great deal more power behind it than the one he’d met earlier.
The result was the same. The captain’s head hit the marble with a resounding thump.
Sophie glared down at him, prostrate at her feet. “Of all the unmitigated scoundrels,” she began.
Jack shook his head and sighed. “Are you and your cousin so lost to all sensibility that you can’t even swoon at the sight of violence?”
Sophie blinked at him, then humphed. “If you must know, I’m feeling quite violent myself. Did you know he intended to—”
“I heard.” Jack reached for her and drew her to him. “But you don’t need to worry about him any more.”
Sophie readily went into his arms. “But shouldn’t we—”
“It’s already taken care of.” Jack looked down at Gurnard, then prodded him with the toe of his boot. His victim groaned. “I sincerely hope you’re listening, Gurnard, for I’m only going to say this once. I’ve had a word with an acquaintance of mine, the Earl of Melcham. He was most upset to hear of the method you’d selected to raise the wind. He doesn’t approve—not at all. And I’m sure you know what happens to those of whom Melcham disapproves.”
There was a stunned silence, then Gurnard groaned again.
Grimly satisfied, Jack turned Sophie towards the steps. “And now, my dear, I think it’s time we left.?
? Tucking her hand in his arm, he led her down onto the gravelled walk.
Sophie went readily, her mind seething with questions. “What happened to Clarissa? Did she go to the temple?”
Jack glanced down at her. “She did.”
Sophie glared at him. “What happened?”
Jack smiled and told her, adding that Horatio had approved their scheme. “If Clarissa had simply not shown up, Gurnard would have assumed she’d been prevented from doing so, not that she wouldn’t go to meet him. He’d have tried again to get her alone, and perhaps we wouldn’t have learned of his intentions in time to foil him. It was best to make the situation as clear as possible.”
“But what if he turns to some other young lady?”
“He won’t have time. As of tomorrow, courtesy of Melcham, to whom Gurnard is deeply in debt, the captain will have entirely too much on his mind to think of persuading any other young lady to his rescue.”
Sophie pondered his revelations, her feet following his lead. “So Ned floored the captain?”
“He seems to have floored Clarissa as well.” Jack’s lips curved in fond reminiscence. He slanted a glance at Sophie. “We all thought the opportunity too good to miss to advance Ned’s standing with your cousin.”
For an instant, Sophie stared into his smugly satisfied face. Then she burst out laughing. “Oh, dear. Was that supposed to be Ned’s great scene—so that Clarissa would think him her hero and respond suitably?”
Frowning, Jack nodded.
“Oh, poor Ned.” Sophie could not stop smiling. She glanced confidently up at Jack. “Just for your information, Clarissa settled on Ned some weeks ago, not all that long after we’d come up to town. She’s been trying to nudge him along for the past two weeks at least. I’m not at all surprised to hear she flung herself into his arms. After all, what better opportunity she could hope for?”
Jack looked down at her through narrowed eyes. “Remind me,” he said, “to tell Ned just what he’s getting into, marrying a Webb female.”