“You mean you lo –”
“Do not say the words, please.” Edward found he couldn’t hear them. He had thought them enough times when he had made love to Julia the night before, he couldn’t hear them again. “Now, all I want to think about is making it through this duel.”
Charles nodded in approval.
“Very well, then let us talk of tactics.”
* * *
The bed was empty when Julia woke up. She reached across the mattress, desperate for another touch from Edward, but his place on the bed was cold, showing he had not been there for a while.
Julia sat up with a start, her eyes suddenly wide as she looked around the room. There was not a sign that Edward had been there at all, apart from the fact that the window was not quite firmly closed. Beyond the window, the darkness of the sky was beginning to grow light. The sun was not yet up but the greyness showed it was on its way.
“God have mercy!” Julia cursed and hurried from the bed. She did not have long if she was going to stop Edward from doing this.
She pulled the bell, calling for Maria. By the time Maria arrived at her side, Julia was half dressed anyway.
“Arrange for my horse, Maria, please.”
“Now? At this time?”
“It must be done,” Julia called as she hurried to put on her shoes. “And do not let my parents catch wind of what is afoot. My father will no doubt stop me from going if he sees I am up at this time.”
“Yes, of course.” Maria hurried off, making the order for the horse to be arrange, then she returned to Julia’s side and helped with her hair. They didn’t bother with anything fancy, merely the fastest chignon that could be done.
Once Julia was in a spencer jacket, she ran out of the room, heading for the stairs. Behind her, Maria ran too, urging her to be quiet every step of the way.
“Shh! Run on your toes or we are to be discovered.”
Julia did as Maria asked, running on her toes all the way down the stairs and across the hallway, where the butler was yawning, barely awake himself. He flung open the door suddenly, startled by how fast Julia was running toward it.
Julia thanked him and rushed outside to where her horse was waiting for her, his reins in the clutches of a stable boy. Julia climbed up into the saddle as Maria arrived at her side, equally breathless from having dashed so fast.
“Julia, are you sure of this?” Maria asked.
“I have never been so sure of anything.” Julia took the reins from the stable boy before he ran off, giving them some privacy. “I will do what I can to save him from this.”
“Very well, then I wish you luck.”
“Oh, Maria?” Julia paused before she took off. “You might need to hide my bedsheets.” She confessed in a whisper, feeling the blush take up residence on her cheeks.
“We maids have our tricks. Trust your secret with me.” Maria smiled and waved goodbye. “Be gone, and good luck!”
Julia did not need telling twice. She raced away down the street, heading straight for Edward’s house.
* * *
Julia knocked restlessly on the door, so many times that she could hear the staff from within bemoaning the knocks.
“Who goes there?”
“Who comes at such an early hour?”
“Who knocks without waiting?”
Soon, the door was opened. The butler was standing there, his eyes widening when he saw Julia in her windswept state.
“Lady Julia! His Grace is not here.”