The Compromised Duchess

Chapter 17

“Hush Amelia, I 'm quite aware of the precariousness of the present situation, thank you” Laurel shushed her friend, as once again Amelia voiced her doubts as to their plan.

Laurel reached a corner of the stables and peered round to make sure it was deserted. In the dim light of the moon, she could just make out the outline of several of the horses still in their stalls and no signs of human life and she heaved a sigh of relief and pushed open the wooden door. The straw on the ground muffled the sound of her footsteps as she made her way to Beauty’s stall.

“I still think this is foolishness” Amelia whispered insistently, tugging at the sleeves of Laurel's loose shirt to garner attention.

“Fine then” Laurel whispered back, “by all means return to your bed, and pray for the Fates to come to your aid”

She reached her horse 's stall. Beauty snickered and butted her snowy white head against her mistress’s arm in anticipation of a treat. She was not disappointed when Laurel held out an apple and she gobbled it happily.

“Hello dear girl,” Laurel ran a hand through the silky mane as she unlatched the stall and led the horse out. “Are you ready for an adventure?” She smiled when Beauty neighed in response, then began to hunt around for a saddle.

“Well, don’t just stand there” she snapped at Amelia who stood staring around in confusion. “get Whirlwind, saddle her up and let us be on our way.” Amelia nodded and fetched a gentle looking brown mare, who followed her obediently.

“Where’s the damn saddle?” Laurel muttered, wishing she’d thought to bring a light. The stables was still enshrouded in darkness, making it difficult to make out anything.

“How unladylike” Amelia said with a chuckle, “A night of intended adventure and already you sound like your brothers in their worst moments of pique . If your mother could hear you now, she would swoon in terror.”

Laurel snorted and waved a hand carelessly, “We must hurry before they actually kill themselves. Honestly I cannot understand the pleasure men derive in playing with their deadly toys.” she spotted several saddles in a corner and picked one up, grunting at its surprising heaviness.

“I'm glad we can throw decorum to the wind, Laurel,” Amelia said as she saddled her horse. “but I think Benedict and Thomas might just turn around and decide to cheerfully murder us instead. I don’t know Thomas all that much, but he seems like the kind of man you would not want to cross.”

“We’ll deal with the consequences. The important thing is that we stop them.” Laurel said as she hiked up her too big breeches, pilfered from William's closet an hour ago and led the horse out of the stables and into the yard. “Don’t worry, I shall say I dragged you unwillingly into this harebrained scheme. All you have to do is flutter your lashes and pretend to swoon if Benedict tries to throttle you.”

Amelia laughed dryly, “Like I would sit back and let you have the pleasure of being sent to your maker this very day.” she tucked a few stray strands of her red hair under the hideous brown riding hat, also courtesy of William's wardrobe, then took deep breath and picked up the reins to follow Laurel.

They led the horses to a nearby mounting stool, and mounted. Then with a flick of the reins, Laurel set a course towards Worcestershire field. Despite her blasé attitude for Amelia’s benefit, in truth she felt as nervous as a prisoner being led to the guillotine, except in this case, she was both the executioner and the victim. She shuddered as she thought of the fury they were certainly going to stir up when the men realized they had been thwarted by two supposedly fragile women poking their noses where they were not welcome.

The cold air rushed over her, the thin shirt barely providing any insulation and she wished she had thought to bring a coat. Obviously, this plan was not one of the best she had ever thought up. The cold was one thing, and then there was the distance they had to cover, for Worcestershire was at the outskirts of London, which made it an ideal spot for a clandestine duel, and in the dark, they would have to be careful not to stumble into ditches and injure the horses.

“I am cold Laurel,” Amelia said, her horse trotting briskly beside Laurel and Beauty, “We should have given thought to the weather. It would do us no good if we arrived there already frozen to death.”

“I know, but we are already on our way” She replied, shivering a little. “perhaps if we pick up speed we should be able to get a bit warm”

Amelia nodded and she spurred Beauty into a faster trot. At this hour, the streets were eerily silent and deserted, the sound of the hoofs hitting the cobbles seemed extremely loud. A few leaves and papers fluttered all over, carried by the cool breeze that swept through the town. Laurel and Amelia had never seen this side of London, and the sight stirred up an uneasiness in them.

“This just needs an apparition to make it all perfect” Laurel joked, in an attempt to lighten up the atmosphere, “I can barely recognize this place”

“Oh! do not speak of ghosts Laurel,” Amelia admonished with a frightened shiver, casting a fearful look about her, “You will be tempting fate to put us in a bind”

“We have already tempted fate by being about at this ungodly hour,” Laurel replied, “and we are most definitely going to find ourselves in a bind by the time the day is halfway through.”

“I am not looking forward to it,” Amelia shuddered as a vision of Benedict’s angry face loomed heavy in her mind.

As they moved towards the poorer parts of London, the atmosphere became livelier as here and there, there were sounds of a city stirring from its slumber. They passed through at a brisk pace and soon they were close to Worcestershire.

“I hope they haven’t begun killing themselves yet” Amelia said, casting a worried glance at the rapidly brightening horizon, “The sun will soon be up”

“It should not be much farther now,” Laurel replied, peering into the fog that swirled round about them, “I believe I can hear voices in the distance”

They both strained to listen and sure enough, they could hear disembodied voices floating through the fog.

“It seems to be coming from those clump of trees over on the right” Amelia jerked her head to indicate where she meant, “Maybe we should dismount and go the rest of the way on foot. We wouldn't want to spook the horses”

“I agree,” Laurel pulled the reins gently to halt her horse and dismounted, leading Beauty to a nearby tree, looping the reins over a jutting branch. Now that she was this close, her courage seemed to have deserted her and she felt her heart hammering painfully, her throat was dry and her palms were damp with perspiration. She wiped them on her breeches and motioned to Amelia to follow as she set off towards the sound.

“Where the devil is Rosehaven?” Benedict grumbled, as he rocked on his heels in attempt to stave off the biting cold that seemed to seep through the pores of his great coat, “We have been waiting for nearly an hour and there is still no sign of the scoundrel.”

“Perhaps he has changed his mind then?” William swatted at an annoying bug that kept circling his head, then pulled his cap closer around his ears. “I would not be too surprised if we go back to town and discover he has skipped London for parts unknown under the cover of darkness”

“That would be a disappointment ,” Thomas leaned against a tree trunk, arms folded, looking the very picture of making a leisurely study of his environment. “I was quite hoping for a chance to use my weapon to great effect”

“More’s the pity, he did not prove a worthy adversary” Benedict grunted, plopping down to sit on the raised roots of an ancient looking tree. “It appears we have come all this way for nothing”

William corked his head as a twig snapped somewhere behind him, “Did you hear that?” He asked Grayson who was seated closest to him.

Thomas nodded, his entire demeanour suddenly wary as he drew his rapier from its sheath hanging from the belt around his waist, the cold metal glinting when it’s blade caught the moon light. He motioned for William to go round to the other side in order to cut off any chance of their intruder escaping. Benedict jumped up from the roots and drew his own sword. The sound came again, closer this time, and it seemed the stranger gave no thought to concealing his advance as the noises increased with each step.

Thomas tensed and readied himself for attack. He would not put it past Giles to attempt to attack them without warning, and he glanced quickly at his companions and saw that they too were on the alert.

A hazy figure detached itself from the fog and walked slowly but purposefully towards them.

“Lower your weapons gentlemen,” Lord Giles admonished, as he came into full view, Lord Snell behind him. “It is I. Pardon me for my tardiness”

Thomas relaxed and slid his sword in its sheath, motioning for William and Benedict to do the same. “You are here, that is what matters.” He nodded a greeting to Lord Snell, and received a cheery wave in return.

“Hullo there Grayson, Abbington” Lord Snell called out, setting the box he carried on the mossy ground. “Perfect morning for a fight, isn’t it? I see you’ve brought the lad with you,” He nodded towards William, a faintly mocking expression on his face. “Is he here to witness your demise?”

William bristled at the veiled insult and snapped, “I am here as a referee Snell, and I would most profoundly advice you to hold your tongue and concentrate on not getting killed”

“My, my, what spirit you have” Snell chortled, and spat out a wad of tobacco he had been chewing, “I am astounded at your maturity, aren’t you Giles?”

“Be quiet Snell,” Lord Giles snapped impatiently, retrieving the box and opening it to draw out his weapon. “Let us be about our business, it is almost light.”

Benedict crossed his arms and studied Lord Snell thoughtfully, although known as a drunken wastrel about town, he was also rumored to be a particularly ruthless nobleman, who never missed out on am opportunity to fight, and fight dirty, a fact that most of his opponents had come to learn too late. He made a mental note to be wary during the fight.

“There is a suitably large clearing close to the stream” Thomas said, placing a calming hand on William's shoulder. “William, you will read out the terms of this duel, and the laid down rules. I and Giles shall have the first round, and regardless of the outcome, Benedict and Snell will carry on till there is a clear victor. Do you understand?”

“I was under the impression we would fight simultaneously” Giles said, “It seems a waste of time to wait until one of us is dead before the other set begins”

“It seems the prudent thing to do” Benedict replied, “ however, I have no objections if Lord Snell is willing to duel now.”

Lord Snell nodded and picked up his own rapier, swinging it expertly and grinning at Benedict. “I would like to do this right now, Abbington, I do love a good altercation.”

“Since we are agreed, shall we begin?” Thomas said, moving off towards the field, not checking to see if the others followed.

Giles laid a restraining hand on Benedict’s shoulder as he made to pass. “A word with you in private Abbington”

Benedict studied him for several moments then nodded at William to keep going. “What is it?”

“Will you please extend my deepest apologies to Lady Laurel?” He said, a sad resigned smile on his face, “I know I might not emerge from this alive, and I would not wish for the lady to harbor evil thoughts towards me. I acted carelessly, with terrible consequences and I am sorry for the trouble I have brought on your family.”

“You should make sure you have settled your accounts with your maker first.” Benedict snapped, freeing himself from Giles' grasp, “because if Grayson does not succeed in killing you, be assured that I finish the job.”

***

“Ow!” Laurel exclaimed painfully, examining the cut on her arm where a spiky branch and torn through the shirt, to pierce her skin. “Another one? This is getting annoying by the moment”

“You can say that again” Amelia huffed as she stumbled over the upraised roots of a tree. “I thought we were close, but we have been walking for nigh on thirty minutes without any sign of the men”

“I begin to suspect we are well and truly lost” Laurel said, rubbing her bruised arm. “I can almost swear we have come upon this particular tree before.” she looked around her for clues to their current location, but in the mist everything looked the same and she cursed her impulsiveness for the umpteenth time. This would teach her to jump headlong into plans without taking the time to sort through everything first. She looked at her friend who looked miserable and wilted and her heart went out to Amelia.

“I'm so sorry I dragged you into this” She said, moving close to put a comforting arm around Amelia’s drooping shoulders, “If it weren’t for me and my impulsiveness, you would be safe and dry in the comfort of your bed by now”

“Dry? Maybe. Comfortable? Of course not” Amelia groused, slipping an arm around Laurel's waist. “I do not think I would be able to sleep with the knowledge that Benedict might be harmed. I do not blame you for bringing me here, I only wish we had a bloody map”

“Now who is the one with the gutter for a mouth?”Laurel teased, chuckling, “you sound like your brother in his cups. Benedict will surely put you over his knees and administer justice to your backside if he discovers his bride has turned into a hoyden”

“Ha! That is if we do not perish in this horrible place first” Amelia replied with another shiver, “What are we going to do Laurel?”

“I think we should sit here and wait for daylight” Laurel sighed, rubbing at her tired eyes. This was the third night in a row that she had gone without sleep, and exhaustion washed over her in waves. Damn Thomas and Benedict and Giles and all bloody males in general for their inexplicable pigheadedness. If the world was ruled by women, a lot of senseless killings would be avoided, by both sides of a dispute simply coming together to settle the issue over a nice cup of tea, laced with poison of course, then everyone would cheerfully go home and die peacefully in their beds.

Gradually, she became aware of a new sound that filtered through the other usual sounds of the woods. Chills ran down her spine when she realized that what she was hearing was the sound of steel weapons clanging together. Oh no! She thought in dismay, Thomas!

She grabbed Amelia’s arm and began hurrying towards the sound, her heart beating wildly, and panic seeping in through every pore in her body as her mind filled with horrible images of Thomas lying so still, with death’s pale color on his skin. Oh dear god! She thought frantically, please let me not be too late, let me meet him alive and whole, let Benedict be safe. Her breath came in short puffs of steamy air that swirled in front of her as she ran. This time, it seemed their luck had turned because, the farther they ran, the closer the sound became, and suddenly, Amelia pointed towards a clearing in the trees and they could make out a large field, and the outline of several figures seemingly engaged in combat.

“Stop!” she cried out as loud as she could, but her voice could not carry that far, “Please stop, I beg of you”

***

Thomas cursed as he dodged a particularly vicious attack from Giles, bringing up his sword in an arc, to clash with his opponent’s weapon. He had to give Rosehaven credit, the man was quite good at sword play, and he found himself having to concentrate deeply, in order to avoid being injured. He put all his weight behind the next swing, barely missing striking Giles in the left arm, and he parried the next thrust from him.

“Allow me to commend you on your excellent fighting form” He said conversationally, blocking another thrust from Giles. “I am really impressed and I must say I quite enjoy the challenge of a worthy opponent”

Giles grinned, and swung again, looking like he was also enjoying himself immensely, “Thank you Grayson. Too bad this has to end in death”

Thomas saw an opening and thrust, but was blocked once again, “Too bad indeed.”

“Perhaps we can come to some sort of agreement?” Giles panted, as he ducked to avoid an upward swipe of Grayson's rapier. “I must admit I am quite fond of life at the moment, perhaps we can change the terms of this?”

Thomas backed away and used the brief reprieve to assess his second’s progress. Benedict looked like he was able to hold his own against Lord Snell, blocking attack after attack, as the latter hurled insults with impunity, grinning maliciously.

A small wail carried to his ears and he c****d his head to listen. It sounded like someone crying for help, and he frowned and glanced about. Giles seemed to be listening too, wearing a similar perplexed look as the voice came again.

“What on earth is that?” Giles muttered, turning slowly so he could sweep the field with his gaze. They both saw it at the same time; what appeared to be two young men were making their way hastily towards them, waving their arms and shouting excitedly. Everyone else turned to take in the sight of the lads, the duel forgotten in favor of this new spectacle.

“Stop!” One of the lads cried out again, “This is pure madness. What do you all think to gain by killing yourselves?”

The voice sounded oddly familiar and Thomas' eyes narrowed suspiciously. What in god’s name?

They drew closer, and the one behind took off his hat, allowing a mane of glorious red hair to spill forth around his shoulders.

“Lord Almighty!” Benedict roared as he finally recognized his betrothed, “Amelia? What the hell are you doing here?”

Thomas refused to acknowledge the sight before him. Surely he was dreaming and if he pinched himself hard enough he would awaken. Since the second lad was Lady Amelia Farnsworth, it simply meant that her companion was.......

“What were you thinking?” William yelled angrily, striding forward to grasp his sister by the arms and shake her till her teeth rattled. “You stupid girl, have you lost all precious sense?”

Giles burst into amused laughter and Thomas had to fight the urge to join in the amusement. Despite being in grave danger of being throttled to death by her brother, the tiny woman still had the effrontery to glare at him, not even paying the slightest attention to William.

“I should be asking the lot of you the same thing,” Laurel scolded, wagging a finger in Thomas' direction. “I would certainly not be here if any one of you had shown the tiniest bit of sense.”

“We could not just sit back and watch you destroy yourselves” Amelia added, a stubborn look coming into her eye as Benedict continued to glare at her. “And none of you gave any thought to our well-being. Can you imagine the agony we have had to go through whenever we pictured you lying helpless, dying and we could do nothing. It is entirely selfish of you Benedict, and you too Lord Grayson.”

“Yes,” Laurel nodded in acquiescence and she looked so wonderfully earnest in her determination to save him from himself that Thomas gave in and laughed, earning puzzled glances from everyone, except Giles, who joined in once again.

“I swear I cannot fathom this man” Laurel huffed, piqued that he found her so amusing, “What is the matter with you now?”

Thomas wiped tears of mirth from his eyes and smiled at her, letting his sword drop to the ground.

“You are so endearingly beautiful when you are angry.” He shook his head and took a step towards her, grinning when she backed away slightly before squaring her shoulders beneath that ridiculous shirt and holding her ground defiantly. He took another step, his grin positively feral when he saw alarm flare in her eyes, but she didn’t budge.

“And the fact that you are wearing those hideous garments and still manage to look breathtaking boggles my mind” Another step. This time she held up a hand in an attempt to fend him off, but he advanced steadily.

“Keep away Thomas” she warned, her voice shaking slightly, “or there will be consequences”

“The way you try to stop me from coming to harm, then threaten me in the same instance, is a thing of joy” He was almost toe to toe with her, and she had to tilt her head back to be able to look him in the eye.

“I thought you would be furious with me for stopping you” she said, “I almost prefer you angry than this.....this...I don’t know what to call it. But if you attempt to kiss me, I shall bite you for being so conceited as to believe you can sway me with a kiss.”

“Laurel, I am not going to kiss you” He replied.

She raised an inquiring eyebrow at him. “Oh you are not?”

He shook his head, and she visibly relaxed, “Good. It would make mockery of the entire situation”

He leaned closer to whisper in her ear, “Oh no, I am not going to kiss you...yet, we will settle this later and I shall decide on a suitable punishment for you.” the wariness returned and he grinned, taking a step back and picking up his rapier.

“Rosehaven” he turned to address his opponent. “I believe we were in the middle of a duel before we were rudely interrupted. Please draw your sword again. However, I believe we shall change the terms of the duel”

“What?” Benedict exclaimed, his mouth dropping open in astonishment.

“What?” Laurel shrieked. Of all the stupid, conceited nonsense she had ever heard, this one took the cake. “Surely you do not mean to carry on after all?”

“What are your terms?” Giles asked shifting his sword from one arm to the other, instantly on the alert.

“Whoever strikes the first wounding blow wins. If I win, you must leave England at once, and locate yourself elsewhere and do not attempt to return or I will hunt you down and kill you. ” Thomas replied. “Benedict, I will have to ask you to stand down and please restrain the ladies. William, you must continue in your duty as a referee. Lord Snell, are you in agreement?”

Lord Snell finally managed to tear his eyes off Laurel's bosom which he had been staring at since her appearance and nodded. “Fine by me Grayson”

“Good. Rosehaven?”

“I accept the new conditions” Giles replied, feeling relief sweep through him. “Whomever draws first blood is the victor. Now what if I win? What do I get?”

“You get to extend your sojourn in this world a little longer.” Thomas replied shortly, “That is all I can guarantee you.”

“I don’t believe this” Laurel exclaimed, “You pigheaded man, is fighting all you can think about.”

“Hush!” Benedict warned, letting his displeasure at her stunt show through his tone. “One more word from you and I will toss you bodily into that stream and let you fend for yourself.”

She wisely refrained from saying anything more, and had to content herself with shooting glares in the direction of the now fighting men. Honestly, she should not have bothered to come all this way if she had known all she would get for her trouble was more confusion. And what did Thomas mean by deciding on a suitable punishment for her?

***

Thomas forced himself to blank out all thoughts of Laurel and concentrate on not losing. Despite his amusement at her actions, he still felt a smidgeon of anger that she had willingly compromised her own safety by coming here. What if she had been set upon by thieves? What if she had lost her way and ended up in a ditch somewhere, with no one the wiser?

He lunged with his sword, feinting a left hand attack, and switching sides at the last minute. Rosehaven was caught unawares and Thomas felt the blade of his rapier slice through Rosehaven's right arm, the sleeve of his shirt stained a bright crimson as blood seeped from the wound. Giles cried out in pain and dropped his sword to clutch at the bleeding arm.

“You win Grayson” He panted, grimacing at the throbbing pain. “Now I must begin my exile from the land of my birth”

Thomas stood over him, his face devoid of any expression. “You have until tomorrow to make the necessary arrangements.” he said quietly. “That is all I can allow, don’t let me catch you lurking about at any time or the consequences will be very grave indeed”

He turned away from his bleeding opponent and strode purposefully back in Laurel's direction. She was staring at him with a mixture of fear and admiration, holding onto Amelia for support.

“Come with me” He instructed quietly, holding out his hand for her. She hesitated briefly, and then fearfully placed her hand in his.

“W-where are we going?” she asked timidly, awed at the raw power that seemed to exude from him.

“My house” He said cryptically. “I have decided that you are too much of a danger to yourself if left to your own devices. We are going to be married before noon”