‘I would have thought that was obvious,’ she retorted. ‘I was worried about you.’
‘A duel is no place for a lady.’
‘No,’ she agreed, ‘which is why I stayed well back. No one saw me, I did nothing to distract or interfere with anyone.’
‘What were you thinking of?’ Quinn demanded of Gregor.
The Russian shrugged and said something Lina did not understand.
‘I am well aware that women are a mystery. I do not need you helping this one to be any more damned mysterious than she already is,’ Quinn snapped. ‘Would you excuse us now?’
Gregor went out, looking far from chastened, leaving Lina confronting Quinn. ‘Your arm must be hurting,’ she said. ‘Can I get you a powder for it?’
‘Are you trying to placate me?’ he demanded.
‘I am trying to help you, you infuriating man,’ she retorted. ‘Won’t you at least go to bed and rest?’
‘No, I am going round to speak to the vicar at St George’s about a licence.’ His eyes challenged her to defy him.
Lina shrugged. ‘As you wish.’
‘Indeed, as I wish. We will speak more of this after dinner.’
She wanted to shout at him, or box his ears. Instead she went and stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. ‘You bull-headed man. I am glad you did not get yourself killed.’ Then, while he stared at her, she walked out of the library and out of his life. The taste of his cold skin went with her on her lips, a fragile reminder that was already vanishing.
‘Are you all right, ma’am?’ Prudence appeared on the landing with a bag in her hand as she reached the top of the stairs. ‘You’ve gone quite pale.’
Probably as the result of having no air in my lungs, Lina thought. She had known she must do this, but it seemed so physically painful now she had, that she wanted to cry. ‘Getting up so early, I suppose,’ she said, trying to banish the fantasy of walking down the aisle of one of the most fashionable churches in London with Quinn waiting for her at the altar rail.
She heard his voice in the hall and went to the banister rail to look down. Whyte was helping him ease into his coat while a footman waited, hat, stick and gloves in hand. Goodbye, my love.
St George’s was not far away; she must move quickly now.
Within fifteen minutes she and Prudence and their bags were in the hall. ‘I am visiting my aunt for a few days, Whyte,’ she said, praying that Gregor was not about to come down. ‘Prudence is accompanying me. Can you call me a hackney, please?’
‘Yes, ma’am. What shall I tell his lordship?’
‘Oh, he knows all about it,’ she said, smiling brightly.
Prudence looked startled when Lina said, ‘Belle Sauvage’, to the driver and she realised she was going to have to take the girl some way into her confidence.
‘May I rely on your discretion, Prudence?’
‘Yes, ma’am, of course.’
‘I am leaving Lord Dreycott without his knowledge.’
‘Oh, lord, ma’am! And I thought him such a nice gentleman, too.’ The girl looked aghast.
‘He is. He wishes to marry me, I do not wish to marry him.’ Prudence’s mouth dropped open. ‘A few months in Norwich should suffice for him to realise what a bad idea it is.’
‘Yes, ma’am,’ Prudence muttered, obviously convinced that her mistress was all about in her head. ‘He’s not going to be best pleased, ma’am.’
‘I know,’ said Lina, imagining Quinn’s reaction when he found her gone. He was not easily going to accept his will being thwarted, but that would be all he would feel. He would recover soon enough from that.
‘Where is Miss Shelley?’ Quinn enquired as he and Gregor went into the dining room. ‘There are only two places laid.’
‘Miss Shelley left to visit her aunt this morning, my lord. With Prudence.’ Whyte frowned. ‘I had understood you were apprised of the fact, my lord.’