The Second Shot (The Dueling Pistols) (30 page)

"Now, that should make you feel better, Miss Lungren." Of course it was an appalling thing for William to say, and Miss Lungren responded appropriately by fainting dead away.

William tried to catch her dead weight, while Major Sheridan grabbed a wall to keep from tumbling down himself. Then William insisted they must with all due speed get Miss Lungren to London and a physician.

"Good show," said Sheridan as they headed for the carriage before the other two ladies could raise an objection.

"She's being poisoned, I daresay," whispered William as he and Randleton hoisted the inert frame of Miss Lungren into the vehicle.

"So I gathered," said Sheridan.

But Randleton shook his head, and the two of them took positions on the box while Sheridan climbed inside to ride with the ladies.

"She might be faking it, to throw us off the scent," said Randleton.

"I hardly think so." William was affronted.

"Look, no one would rather find that Lord Carlton is the culprit more than I, but even if this poisoning is real, after three murders our murderer would know what a fatal dose is. She might have even have poisoned herself. Did you hear any of them name anything beyond, turnips, peas, carrots, and rhubarb?"

"No. Maybe Lord Carlton didn't really call for the physician, either."

Then the coachman put an end to their speculations by climbing up on the box with them.

William didn't know what to think, but something else was niggling at him. How had Sheridan and Randleton known so quickly about Captain Lungren's death?

* * *

Felicity checked the long case clock. The men and the Lungren sisters were taking longer than she had expected. She had thought they would be among the first guests to arrive, but nearly all of the other thirty-four guests had arrived. She had received the duke and duchess and their strikingly beautiful daughter and winced as Diana bobbed one of her servantlike curtsies to them.

The next four people in line were chatting among themselves, and the dark-haired, dark-eyed Mr. Davies had to prod his pretty blond wife forward.

Sophie with a mop of impish blond curls, came forward and held out her hand to Lady Greystone.

"Sophie Davies," she said without a care that her hostess's mother might not know her by name. "That cad's wife." She pointed at Keene Davies, future baron of Whitley. She smiled at her husband, then turned to Felicity, her smile filled with so much engaging charm, that Felicity couldn't help but smile back.

The woman behind her gently tapped down Sophie's finger, her dark hair a sleek coil on her patrician head.

"And this is Amelia Keeting, I believe you know her husband," said Sophie.

"Thank you for letting me substitute Lord Wedmont. My husband is still down in the country," said Amelia.

"Although you might not thank her later," Sophie added.

Felicity turned to introduce her niece, when Amelia stepped back, her hand at her chest, and said, "Reggie."

Sophie looked Diana over and remarked, "Lud, she does look like Regina, doesn't she? How nice to meet you, Miss Fielding."

Amelia had recovered her composure, and with perfect politeness greeted Diana and moved on to Felicity's parents.

"A sister, do you think?"

Felicity whipped her head around to see Lord Wedmont and Keene Davies just as Keene said, "Shut up."

"He didn't mean you, Mrs. Merriwether. He means me. I have a tendency to speak before I think." Lord Wedmont bowed prettily over her hand. "Although I think you ought to address your wife so. I believe she just called you a cad."

Felicity exchanged greetings with the men and introduced them to her niece. As they moved away from the reception line, she strained to hear their whispered conversation.

"I hardly think the mother would fit into his pattern, would she?"

Lord Wedmont frowned. "Our dear papa's? No, not unless she was Haymarket ware. But she does look like Regina."

Felicity studied the two men, wondering why she had never noticed how very similar in appearance they were. They didn't have the same father. What were they talking about? And who was Regina?"

Just then the door opened, and three women dressed in black entered, followed by Mr. Bedford, Lieutenant Randleton, and Tony. Lord Algany followed them in.

"Tony, you're back in town! You should have called on me," exclaimed Mr. Davies as he backed out of line and headed down the stairs to embrace Tony. "Where are you staying?"

She tensed.

"I've moved about a bit. Haven't settled on a permanent place," answered Tony, giving nothing away.

Wedmont followed him, and both men embraced Tony. She wondered if any of them would remark on their long-ago engagement. Mr. Bedford was leading two of the women up the stairs, with the third walking behind. They must be the Lungren sisters. He held on to one of them with a firm grip on her arm. Another sister on the other side held her other arm.

Mr. Bedford presented her as Miss Lungren, and the one holding her other arm as Miss Carolyn Lungren. Felicity welcomed them and, concerned by the glassy look in Miss Lungren's eyes, and the furrows of pain in her face, leaned forward and asked if there was anything she could do for the sister.

Felicity was familiar with the woman's tragic history. She had lost three brothers and a father in the past few years.

"Thank you so much for everything you've done." Miss Lungren made a small gesture to indicate her black silk gown. "I'm feeling much better than I was earlier. I feared I might not be able to come, and I so did want to make your acquaintance."

"I am glad to have you, and so sorry about Captain Lungren."

The woman nodded and turned to be introduced to Diana.

Off to the side, Felicity could see Tony being introduced to Sophie and Amelia. He turned briefly and met her eyes. He gave her a small half smile, as if to apologize for their lateness and promise an explanation later.

Felicity realized with a gulp that it was far too easy to communicate with Tony. She turned back and greeted the remaining Miss Lungren and then Lord Algany, who lingered over her hand with his ferret smile and his odd, hanging-over-his-forehead hair.

Out of the corner of her eye she saw the smile on Sophie's face turn to a grimace as she watched Algany's introduction to Diana.

The Lungren sisters and Lieutenant Randleton and Mr. Bedford joined the cluster of her guests, and Sophie jerked her arm away with an "Ouch!" when Miss Jocelyn sidled up next to her.

Davies's arm went around his wife's waist almost without thought as he continued talking to Tony.

"Lud-cakes, what do you have in your reticule, an iron?" asked Sophie with no malice as she rubbed her elbow. "I don't believe we've met." She extended her hand.

Miss Jocelyn was slow to respond to the buoyant greeting from Sophie. "I'm sorry. Did I bump you with my bag?"

"Oh, don't worry about it. Just caught my funny bone or something."

Lord Algany paused and looked around, his pleasant smile fading from his face as he saw Sophie. He almost took a step back into Diana but stopped himself in time.

Sophie took a determined step forward, and Lord Wedmont glanced at her and then moved to her side, as if the four of them had some unbroken code of protection that while her husband was occupied, Wedmont would step up.

"Hello, Lord Algany, what tricks are you up to this year?"

Algany put a hand to his forehead as if to smooth back his hair and for a moment lifted it up, exposing a black mark, and then as if he had forgotten himself, he smoothed it back down. "No tricks, Mrs. Davies."

"That's lovely. Because I shall be watching," she said with a tap on his arm with her fan, and a smile that had nothing of the winsome sweetness of earlier.

Lord Algany moved toward the open door of the drawing room, quite neglecting to greet Felicity's parents.

"Well, I never..." started Lady Greyston.

Diana looked between Felicity and Lady Greyston.

"Let it be, mother. Please, let it be," whispered Felicity.

"Don't think you should invite that one to any more of your dos," said Sir Edmund Greyston.

"I didn't intend to invite him to this one," whispered Felicity. "He invited himself, along with the duke and duchess."

Wedmont bent close to Sophie's ear and said, "By God, I believe you tattooed him."

"I didn't. It was Indian ink—it should have worn off in a few weeks." She giggled, though, then clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh, it is not funny."

Felicity wondered if she had a horrible contretemps on her hands. Obviously, there was some sort of row between Sophie Davies and Lord Algany. And across the landing Miss Jocelyn was watching her with an odd expression. "Shall we move into the drawing room?" asked Felicity.

Tony began steering people in that direction, and Felicity raced down to the dining room to make sure that Lord Algany was seated far away from Sophie, her husband and friends, Lord Wedmont, and a wide-eyed Amelia Keeting.

Chapter Nineteen

Meg watched as Mr. Bedford paid meticulous attention to one of the Lungren sisters. He led her into the rose drawing room and found her a seat. Had that kiss meant nothing to him, or was Felicity's rejection of his suit enough to get him to entirely disregard her?

She didn't understand why Felicity objected to Mr. Bedford as a suitor for her, and he must have approached her aunt for permission to court her, or whatever it was that these toffs did. Meg figured, a little desperately, that the sooner she was married, the sooner she could count herself in. She was desperately afraid one of her slips would lead to her discovery, and she was a bit unnerved by the two ladies who had looked at her as if she were familiar or at least reminded them of someone.

Then there was her half-brother, who had been eyeing her strangely, as if he was trying to puzzle her out. With the secrets and the pretense she was carrying, she didn't want anyone paying her undue attention.

Felicity brought over all the unmarried gentlemen to speak with her, and most of them, after a cursory glance at her bosom, turned their attentions to her aunt.

Meg desperately wished the butler would announce dinner, so that she would no longer have to suffer through this incessant milling about with these full-of-themselves strangers.

"Diana, I'm sure Lord Algany would love to hear about Switzerland." Felicity turned to the gentleman she had brought over. "My niece has spent the last twelve years at school there."

"A beautiful place, isn't it?" responded Lord Algany. "I chanced to visit a few years back. Stayed at a lovely little chalet near Lake Geneva. Where was your school, Miss Fielding?"

Meg searched her mind desperately and then remembered the direction on the letters Felicity had sent and realized she had no idea how to pronounce Lucerne and would probably botch it. She cleared her throat and whispered the name.

"And where is that, Miss Fielding?"

"Well, north of Geneva." Everything in Switzerland was north of Geneva to a degree, but that was exactly as far as Meg's geographical knowledge went. She hastened to fill in the silence with a change in subject. "There is nothing so lovely as the Alps, though, is there?"

Lord Algany gave her a sharp look and said, "Not quite as lovely as you and your aunt, but breathtaking all the same."

Meg, who had only seen the French side of the Alps, quite thought the loveliest thing she'd ever seen was the Aegean Sea, with it's blue-green waters reflecting the brilliant blue Mediterranean sky, but she supposed that the real Diana had never seen the Aegean Sea. Blimey, she was going to be exposed.

Felicity murmured a thank-you for the overblown compliment.

Lord Algany leaned close to Felicity and wrapped his hand around her elbow. "I wonder if I might have a word with you in private, Mrs. Merriwether. Won't you excuse us, Miss Fielding? It won't take but a minute."

No, he could tell her aunt that she was an impostor in half that time.

She was doomed.

"I suppose we might step into the green drawing room for a moment," Felicity said.

"That would be wonderful, Mrs. Merriwether."

Felicity moved to the curtained doorway that connected the rooms, and slid back one of the pocket doors. The last thing she wanted was to be alone with Lord Algany, but since he had managed to get the duke and duchess and their beautiful daughter, who was monopolizing all the eligible –bachelors, to attend her dinner, then Felicity owed him that much.

Other than Diana seeming more awkward and tongue-tied than usual, the party was starting out well. Since the men couldn't dance all at once with the lovely Lady Penelope, she supposed things would be all right. It probably would be much worse if the bachelors were forced to dance attendance on the uncharacteristically speechless Diana or the three Lungren sisters. At least this way, everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Lord Algany and she entered the green drawing room, where Felicity had requested the servants to set up a table and chairs for the musicians to dine. She could smell the covered food across the room. But for the moment the room was empty. The musicians were upstairs tuning their instruments and would be led downstairs as soon as the formal dinner was under way.

Felicity turned around and asked, "What can I do for you, Lord Algany?"

He pulled the door shut behind him and moved toward her. "My dear Felicity—may I call you that?" He didn't wait for her answer. "Won't you have a seat?"

"I really can't be away from my guests for long," she said.

"You needn't worry. I'm sure your mother shall fulfill any hostessing duties in your absence. What I have to say is more important."

Felicity sat down on the chaise longue. There wasn't any point in telling Lord Algany that his advice not to worry would not make her stop. "All right."

He moved over in front of her and dropped down to one knee.

He wasn't going to...propose, was he? Panic fluttered through Felicity's veins. If she had known this would happen...No, he wasn't the sort to propose, else he would not still be a bachelor at the advanced age of—what was he, perhaps thirty-five, thirty-six? She was likely to receive another offer for an affair.