up here to meet you, isn't she?"
"No."
"Don't try to deny it, you bastard," Thornbridge raged. "You're here to seduce my wife. Right here in my own house, by God. Have you no shame at all, man? No sense of decency or honor?"
"I have no notion of the whereabouts of Lady Thornbridge, sir. But I can assure you, I have no intention of meeting up with her here. See for yourself, she's nowhere in the vicinity."
"I suppose you've got a reasonable explanation for being in her bedchamber?" Thornbridge asked in disbelief.
"I was looking for the new water closet I'd heard you'd had installed."
"Do not think to fob me off with that banbury tale." Thornbridge was clearly infuriated. "The water closet is under the back staircase, exactly where it is in most respectable houses."
"My mistake, sir," Sebastian said politely. "I evidently got somewhat disoriented when I left the ballroom. I could have sworn one of the servants said it was on this floor. I believe I may have had a bit too much of your excellent champagne tonight, Thornbridge."
"You're not going to get away with this, Angelstone." Thorn-bridge's voice shook with the intensity of his emotion. "I don't care how good a marksman you are."
"If you're going to call me out, Thornbridge, I suggest you save your breath. In case you haven't heard, I've given up that sort of thing."
"You think I'll accept one of your mocking apologies?" Thorn-bridge's voice rose to a high, desperate pitch. "I'm not some stupid country squire to be taunted the way you're taunting young Mer-ryweather."
"Thornbridge, listen to me for a minute. I can explain everything."
"I don't give a damn about your explanations. And you can save yourself the trouble of having your seconds convey your apologies. I have no intention of meeting you on the field of honor."
"Then what do you intend to do?" Sebastian asked quietly.
"What do you think I'm going to do? I am going to put a bullet in you right here and now, you bloody devil. Right where it will do the most good. You may bid farewell to your ballocks, sir. They will be of little use to you after tonight. We'll see how well you rut with other men's wives in future."
"For God's sake," Sebastian said. "Put the pistol down, man. I swear I have no designs on your lady wife. My attentions are directed elsewhere these days."
Prudence froze. She realized from the way the conversation was going that Thornbridge had a pistol. He was working himself up into a state that would enable him to pull the trigger.
"Don't expect me to believe you're genuinely interested in the Merryweather chit," Thornbridge stormed. "You're hardly the type to be amused for long by an oddity such as her. You're using that poor young woman, aren't you?"
"Thornbridge, will you kindly listen to me for a moment?"
"You're making a show of courting her, but what you're really doing is using her to distract attention while you pursue your true goal. You're using the Merryweather female as a blind while you dally with my wife."
"I have no interest in Lady Thornbridge," Sebastian said. He sounded as if he had abruptly lost his patience. "I give you my word, Thornbridge, I am not here in this bedchamber to await your wife."
"There's no other possible explanation," Thornbridge declared. "She's so beautiful. God knows that every man who looks at her desires her. You think you can just take what you want, don't you, Angelstone? Bloody damn arrogant bastard."
"Thornbridge, I urge you to try to contain yourself. You're losing control."
Prudence knew she dared not wait another minute. It was obvious Sebastian was not going to be able to talk Thornbridge out of his rage. It was time to repay the debt that she owed to the Fallen Angel.
She took a deep breath and pushed open the wardrobe door.
"I beg your pardon, my lords," Prudence said crisply as the door swung open. "I believe it's time we put an end to this foolishness before someone gets hurt."
"What the devil?" Thornbridge swung toward
"No."
"Don't try to deny it, you bastard," Thornbridge raged. "You're here to seduce my wife. Right here in my own house, by God. Have you no shame at all, man? No sense of decency or honor?"
"I have no notion of the whereabouts of Lady Thornbridge, sir. But I can assure you, I have no intention of meeting up with her here. See for yourself, she's nowhere in the vicinity."
"I suppose you've got a reasonable explanation for being in her bedchamber?" Thornbridge asked in disbelief.
"I was looking for the new water closet I'd heard you'd had installed."
"Do not think to fob me off with that banbury tale." Thornbridge was clearly infuriated. "The water closet is under the back staircase, exactly where it is in most respectable houses."
"My mistake, sir," Sebastian said politely. "I evidently got somewhat disoriented when I left the ballroom. I could have sworn one of the servants said it was on this floor. I believe I may have had a bit too much of your excellent champagne tonight, Thornbridge."
"You're not going to get away with this, Angelstone." Thorn-bridge's voice shook with the intensity of his emotion. "I don't care how good a marksman you are."
"If you're going to call me out, Thornbridge, I suggest you save your breath. In case you haven't heard, I've given up that sort of thing."
"You think I'll accept one of your mocking apologies?" Thorn-bridge's voice rose to a high, desperate pitch. "I'm not some stupid country squire to be taunted the way you're taunting young Mer-ryweather."
"Thornbridge, listen to me for a minute. I can explain everything."
"I don't give a damn about your explanations. And you can save yourself the trouble of having your seconds convey your apologies. I have no intention of meeting you on the field of honor."
"Then what do you intend to do?" Sebastian asked quietly.
"What do you think I'm going to do? I am going to put a bullet in you right here and now, you bloody devil. Right where it will do the most good. You may bid farewell to your ballocks, sir. They will be of little use to you after tonight. We'll see how well you rut with other men's wives in future."
"For God's sake," Sebastian said. "Put the pistol down, man. I swear I have no designs on your lady wife. My attentions are directed elsewhere these days."
Prudence froze. She realized from the way the conversation was going that Thornbridge had a pistol. He was working himself up into a state that would enable him to pull the trigger.
"Don't expect me to believe you're genuinely interested in the Merryweather chit," Thornbridge stormed. "You're hardly the type to be amused for long by an oddity such as her. You're using that poor young woman, aren't you?"
"Thornbridge, will you kindly listen to me for a moment?"
"You're making a show of courting her, but what you're really doing is using her to distract attention while you pursue your true goal. You're using the Merryweather female as a blind while you dally with my wife."
"I have no interest in Lady Thornbridge," Sebastian said. He sounded as if he had abruptly lost his patience. "I give you my word, Thornbridge, I am not here in this bedchamber to await your wife."
"There's no other possible explanation," Thornbridge declared. "She's so beautiful. God knows that every man who looks at her desires her. You think you can just take what you want, don't you, Angelstone? Bloody damn arrogant bastard."
"Thornbridge, I urge you to try to contain yourself. You're losing control."
Prudence knew she dared not wait another minute. It was obvious Sebastian was not going to be able to talk Thornbridge out of his rage. It was time to repay the debt that she owed to the Fallen Angel.
She took a deep breath and pushed open the wardrobe door.
"I beg your pardon, my lords," Prudence said crisply as the door swung open. "I believe it's time we put an end to this foolishness before someone gets hurt."
"What the devil?" Thornbridge swung toward
Similar Books
Princess, Without Cover
Courtney Cole
Brain
Candace Blevins
In a Class of Their Own
Millie Gray
Metanoia
Angela Schiavone
The Devil You Know
P.N. Elrod
Cat
V. C. Andrews
The Dope Thief
Dennis Tafoya
Dastardly Deeds
Ilsa Evans
Horse Under Water
Len Deighton
Dancer
Viola Grace