Free The Heart That Lies by April Munday Page B

one.”
    Once again she was struck by her recent losses and she almost turned her head away from Meldon so that he would not see her cry. Then she resolved not to cry, no matter what it cost her.
    “No, I thought not. ” His quiet voice was gentle and she thought he was grieved that she should have no one to help her. “I would not have shown the door to Mr. Smith in such circumstances, but Miss Smith must stay here until she is recovered. I don’t yet know what to do with you after that.”
    “You don’t have to do anything with me after that, just let me leave.”
    Ignoring her comment, he scratched absently at the court plaster on his left cheek. Noticing her glance he said, “Despite your trip, you still managed to hit me.”
    “But not kill you.” She could not hide her bitterness at that failure.
    “No. You really must tell me why you want me dead.” He sounded as interested as if he were politely asking a visitor whether it were wet outside.
    “You cheated.”
    “No, I didn’t.” He was firm and not in the least defensive. They both knew that she was the liar here. “You’re very good, though. I’ve worked out how you did it, of course, and why I noticed nothing.” His tone was still one of polite disinterest.
    Now Anna did turn away from him.
    “When I am recovered, you will allow Jonas Smith to return to his lodgings.”
    She could not put it more plainly than that. She doubted she could bear to live in his house until she was well, but she had always healed quickly and he would soon tire of sitting by her bed. One day she would just walk down the stairs and out into the street; he would not be able to bear the scandal of keeping her prisoner.
    “Jonas Smith has already returned to his lodgings, paid his bills and returned to Lincolnshire,” said Meldon, not unkindly. “Whatever happens next, you will not leave this house to go and live alone and unprotected.”
    “How...?” she started to ask, but she barely knew what question to ask.
    “Finch. It was his idea and I don’t know how he pulled it off. He came in this afternoon to see you, but you were asleep.”
    Anna was barely listening. In spite of everything she had enjoyed the freedom she had known in the last three months. Men’s lives were even more interesting than she had imagined. Jonas Smith might have been poor, but when he had expressed Anna’s opinions, men had listened to them and not dismissed them as a woman’s fancy. They had discussed Jonas Smith’s opinions politely, rather than tell him he could not have them. She could not let Meldon rob her of that as well.
    “I must apologise to you,” said Meldon.
    “For what?”
    “For injuring you.”
    “In the duel? Isn’t the object of a duel to kill your opponent?” That was certainly the spirit with which she had gone into the duel.
    “I’ve always felt the object is to survive.” He smiled slightly, although it was clear he saw no humour in the subject. “I did not expect to survive,” he admitted. “I’m a terrible shot. I’d have preferred swords.”
    “Mr Finch said you were the best shot he knows.”
    She was uncertain.
    “He lied. He was trying to scare you off. You’d have been safer if I had tried to hit you.” He looked embarrassed.
    “What were you trying to do, then?”
    “I was going to fire wide, but you tripped and...well, I went to help you, forgetting I had a pistol in my hand. When it went off, it was pointing at you.”
    Was he lying or was he such a bad shot that he had killed James accidentally? No, that had been a fencing duel. It had worried her since she had met Meldon, that a lame man had been able to best such a competent swordsman as James had been. It was impossible, after Meldon’s behaviour at their duel, to believe that he had cheated somehow as she had originally thought. The fight must have been fair.
    “Do you think you could eat something?” he asked.
    “No.”
    “A drink, then?”
    Anna was thirsty, but did not