Free The Heart That Lies by April Munday

and I don’t want it all over my coat.”
    “ My lord!” Perkins’ voice was quiet, but insistent.
    Meldon quickly covered the short distance to where the boy lay on the ground. Perkins had undone his shirt and now Meldon could see the boy had some other injury, for his chest was tightly bound with blood-soaked bandages. Then Meldon realised what he was really seeing.
    “Damn! I’ve killed a woman, ” he whispered.
    “She isn’t dead yet , my lord,” said Perkins, equally quietly.
    “Lord Philpott,” said Finch, lead ing Meldon away from the woman to where Philpott stood by angrily, “we’ll look after Smith. It might be better if you left now.”
    “Finch, you know that’s not how things are done. I have to stay here to make sure nothing untoward happens. Meldon shot him when he was closer to him than he should have been.”
    “ You know he was on his way to help and he fired accidentally. He could just as easily have shot either of us. It was pure chance he hit Smith. I’ve never seen him hit anything he’s aimed at.” Finch took a breath. “Nothing’s going to happen. Meldon’s a man of honour. We’ll make sure that Smith is looked after and gets back to his lodgings.”
    Surely Finch knew that he couldn’t promise that; Smith no longer existed. He was about to object, but Finch kicked him, hard, and Meldon remembered some of Finch’s more particular skills. If he said that Smith was going back to his lodgings, then Smith was going back to his lodgings. As far as he knew, Philpott had no idea what they got up to for General Warren, so he would take Finch’s words at face value.
    “Mr Finch, I stay as much to protect Meldon’s reputation as to protect Smith. Personally, I believe that Meldon did not cheat, which means that Smith did. And I agree with you that he could just as easily have killed either of us with that shot. Were you always going to shoot wide, Meldon?”
    Meldon remained silent; shooting wide was almost as bad as cowardice.
    Finch sighed and continued to clean up Meldon’s wound. Meldon felt nothing. He’d killed a woman. He had never thought that he could do something like this. After today he would have to retire to his estate and waste away, or find some other way to kill himself.
    “ My lord?” Perkins was insistent enough to break into his reverie.
    “Is she dead?” At least he still had the sense to talk quietly enough that Philpott could not hear him.
    “No, my lord, but we should take her somewhere where she can get into a bed and be kept warm. We should do it now.”
    “We’ll take her to Meldon House. Don’t look at me like that, Perkins. We can’t take her anywhere else.” He raised his voice, “Lord Philpott, Perkins says we must move he... him.”
    “Very well, Perkins, we’ll take him to my house.”
    “My lord, I’m sorry, but what I need is at Meldon House.”
    Philpott’s expression darkened. “Lord Meldon has just tried to kill him. In all conscience, I can’t allow him to go to Meldon House.”
    “My lord,” said Meldon, “I give you my word of honour that no harm will come to him.”
    “But, Meldon, if he dies...”
    “It will not be because we didn’t do everything we could to save him. I promise you that I will do whatever is necessary to keep him alive.”
    “Meldon, if it hadn’t been for that affair with Vincent...”
    “I know,” said Meldon, heavily. “Finch, tell Lord Philpott what Mr Smith said when you proposed that I apologise.”
    “He said that an apology would not be acceptable.”
    Wearily, Meldon looked into Philpott’s eyes, “My lord, he was determined to have his chance to kill me. I bear him no grudge, although I confess that I am bewildered as to his reasons for manufacturing this fight. Nonetheless the shots have been fired and the duel is over. I will not see him die for want of action on my part.”
    Philpott nodded. “I see there is more going on here than meets the eye, Meldon. It was for your