“Then we must act now.” Charles stepped forward once again. “Edward, you must go home and arrange your pistol for the morning. I will stand as your second.”
“Charles!” Edward’s voice was panicked. “I will not risk you in that way.”
“Too late, it is my decision. As you have made yours, so I have made mine.” Charles gestured to his own chest before he turned his focus on Julia. “Lady Julia, judging by what I know of Lord Gillet already, he will not shy away from making this public knowledge. He will happily tell all at my ball that he has been wronged by the two of you and will settle the matter in a duel.”
“I fear you are right,” she murmured, glancing at the door through which Lord Gillet had just left.
“You must go home.” Charles walked toward Julia. “I will escort you to your carriage, and you, Edward, you will go home to prepare for the duel. Neither of you will meet the gossip of thetontonight. It is agreed?”
“Agreed.” Edward nodded firmly with his mind made up. Julia whimpered, as if ready to say more. She stepped toward Edward with her hand outstretched. He went to take it, desperate to feel that touch, yet Charles took her other arm and led her away.
“Now, Lady Julia. You must leave here now.” Charles took her to the door and out again.
Edward was left cold in the room; his body numb as he stared after her. He could feel a tremble beginning in the tips of his fingers before it passed up his arms and into the core of his body. It was from anger at Lord Gillet, yet Edward did not regret his decision.
This is right. Now, I must explain why it is the right thing to Julia.
He had to find a way to see her again tonight.
* * *
“Please, calm yourself. You will make yourself ill.”
“Maria, how can I be calm?” Julia said with panic. The two of them were locked away in her chamber together. Her parents had long since retired, but the thought of sleep left Julia jittery. She had not yet changed out of her gown from the ball, though Maria had let her hair loose and taken off her gloves. “I fear my heart is going to thud out of my chest at any moment. I cannot let Edward do this.”
Julia paced back the other way across the room before coming to a hasty halt. Maria stepped into her path and placed her hands to Julia’s shoulders, her features visible through the candlelight, showing the tension there that caused a crease beneath her brows.
“He has made his decision, that is what you said.”
“I can beg him to change it yet.” Julia stepped out of her friend’s grasp and walked around the room again.
“How?”
“I do not know how, but it must be done. I have to do it.” Julia knew her mannerisms were quite mad, even wild as she paced the room. She pushed a chair out of the way and flung back a shawl across her bureau. “All I know, is that I cannot let him do this. Not for me.”
She turned her back on her friend. Ordinarily, Maria could bring Julia comfort no matter what her woes were, but not tonight, the fear was too great. Julia placed both palms over her heart in her chest, feeling it beat uncontrollably. It was out of fear, pure unadulterated fear for Edward.
When Julia closed her eyes, she pictured that duel. She thought of what could happen, seeing the shot land cleanly in Edward’s chest and then him falling to the ground, completely still amongst the grass blades as the river water passed beside him. Julia’s eyes shot open again and she whipped round to face Maria.
“He cannot do this,” she said miserably as tears sprung to her eyes. “Why would he do this? It’s fake, all of it. He said as much himself. It is all a deception, a ruse, so why would he put his life on the line for something like this? Why not confess at once and save his own skin? I would not have blamed him for it. Not in the slightest.”
“Julia, please, listen to yourself.” Maria crossed toward her once again, her eyes wide. “As you said, it makes no sense, yet the Duke agreed to the duel regardless. Does that not suggest there is more to this than you think?”
Julia fidgeted, lifting a hand and scratching her neck, before pulling at the neckline of her gown.
“Perhaps the Duke is not as indifferent to the attachment between you as you believe he is.”
Julia wished to believe it. Oh, how the thought consumed her! She marched away from Maria once again and sat down on the bed heavily, then she flopped backwards, resting her back on the mattress and turning her eyes up to the canopy above the bed.
“I wish I could believe it,” she whispered to the open air.
She thought of every touch they’d shared, even the way he had held her waist that evening as they danced together and whispered in her ear so close that his lips practically brushed her neck. Then she thought of the excitement that had passed between them on the desk. The memory of the thrill consumed her, reminding her how she had arched her back and called out his name as she had reached some sort of pinnacle of pleasure.
“Well?” Maria said from across the room, clearly still holding onto hope. “Is it not possible?”
“He said he couldn’t love, Maria. He declared that to me himself.” Julia opened her eyes, staring up at the golden canopy above her. “I am the only one who has lost my heart here. Now… I may have to lose him completely.”
“Oh, my goodness.” Maria sat down on the bed beside her, causing Julia to shift to a seated position. “Are you in love with him?”