Chapter 20

The next morning.

Sarah shot up from bed when she heard a loud knock on the door. She looked beside her to find Rosalyn missing. Had she gone on a ride again? It was four in the morning, for God's sake.

She got up and pulled the door open to find John, the Orford butler standing there looking worried.

"What is it, Johnson?" she yawned.

"I apologise for waking you at this hour, my Lady. This missive arrived for you ladies just now. I would've informed the Earl first, but he's not at home. The boy who brought it said that I must deliver it to you right way," he said.

Sarah nodded, taking the note from him.

Her eyes scanned the contents quickly. She ran to Alice and Vanessa's room and entered without knocking.

"Wake up," she shook them.

"In a moment," Alice replied, her voice gravelly.

"Goodness gracious, it's still dark. What is it?" Vanessa groaned.

"Lord Fortescue challenged Lady Petal's brother to a duel. It's to take place in a few hours. We must stop it," she said.

Alice and Vanessa shot up from the bed.

"A duel?" Vanessa gasped.

"Of all the preposterous..." Alice was muttering, trying to put on her dress.

"Wrong hole," Vanessa chuckled before donning her own dress.

"Damn," Alice muttered again.

"Where's Rosalyn?" she asked once they were dressed.

"I honestly don't know. I'm hoping she's gone on a ride, but I don't know where she usually rides," Sarah frowned.

"We don't have time to find her, we must act fast," Alice said.

Vanessa nodded her agreement.

"We need Lady Petal," Alice said once they'd called for a hackney.

"Her father and brother locked her in her room because she tried to come to us last night," Sarah said.

"So melodramatic," Vanessa rolled her eyes.

They arrived at the townhouse that the Cowpers had rented for the season.

"Where's Lady Petal?" Alice asked the sleepy butler, pushing past him.

"My Lady! I request you to wait in the parlour. I shall ask the Lady if she's ready to receive now," he said, trying to catch up with them.

"Stuff it and tell us where she is."

"What's all this commotion about?" came Lady Cowper wearing her night gown.

She looked shocked on seeing the ladies, but quickly reined in her surprise.

"What brings you here at this hour, Ladies? Good morning, I think?" she blinked.

"Good morning, my Lady. Where's Lady Petal? We're afraid we can't stay and chat. We have a duel to prevent," Alice said, her eyes hard.

Her tone brooked no argument and although Lady Cowper's eyes widened, she still tried.

"I'm sorry but my daughter is still asleep, Lady Alice. I must request to call upon her at a more decent hour..."

"Petal!" All three of them hollered. They barged into the hallway, shouting out her name. They ignored Lady Cowper who was sputtering angrily behind them.

"I'm in here," came a muffled voice from one of the doors.

It was locked, as expected.

"I don't mean to be disrespectful Lady Cowper, but open the damned door," Sarah said dangerously.

"He's not going to like this," she was muttering as she fumbled around her night gown, trying to find the keys. She was clearly terrified of the picture these three young ladies had painted.

Once the door was unlocked, the girls practically dragged Petal to the awaiting hackney. They hardly even gave her time to dress.

"Tell us everything," they said to her once they were seated, already on their way to the dueling ground.

"I overheard my father and brother speaking of the duel last night. I interrupted them and told them that I didn't want to marry Lord Fortescue, that he hadn't compromised me. They didn't listen to me and when I made to reach you, they locked me in my room. I asked my maid to sneak in a note. I gather she sent it with her son," she said.

The girls looked angry. "We thank you for alerting us," Sarah murmured.

"Thank you for rescuing me," she smiled at them.

"Think nothing of it. Besides, we need you there if we need to stop the duel," Vanessa shrugged.

The duel was to take place by the Thames, on a deserted strip of land.

Meanwhile...

"You're aiming wide, aren't you?" Lord Gavin Ker asked Theo who was checking his pistol.

Theo merely shrugged.

"I spoke to his second and he said Cowper's shooting west," Gavin continued.

"I'm an Earl. He's the son of a Baron. It's not like I'm going to face any consequences," Theo grinned.

Gavin merely rolled his eyes.

Once they'd taken their positions, Theo turned around and raised his pistol. He was not going to aim at Cowper, he didn't care for all the legal proceedings that would surely ensue if he killed him.

"I can't believe you pulled me out of my bed for..." Gavin was grumbling when he was interrupted by four loud, decidedly female screeches.

"Stop," they screamed, running in their direction.

But it was too late. Cowper had already fired his pistol.

Aiming west.

The direction from where the Ladies were running towards them.

Everything happened in a flash then. Gavin rushed that side and by the time Theo turned around to look at them, Gavin lay on the ground, the bullet having scratched his arm.

And behind him stood Lady Vanessa, looking shocked.

"I aimed west!" Cowper screamed. Theo ignored him, his attention on Gavin.

"It's just a scratch," Gavin muttered, looking at Lady Vanessa as if she was the answer to all his prayers.

"The bullet hasn't damaged any important veins," the physician declared.

Cowper sighed his relief.

Theo looked at the ladies then.

"What were you thinking?" He asked, his voice low.

"We just wanted to stop the duel," Lady Vanessa said defensively.

"I said I didn't want to marry him, Brian! Now look what you did, going and shooting poor Lord Gavin," Lady Petal was saying to her brother who looked extremely annoyed.

Theo's mouth fell open.

She didn't want to marry him? Then why the hell was he here in the cold, fighting a duel when all he wanted was to be with Rosalyn?

"We can keep this a secret," Cowper offered grudgingly.

Theo nodded, not wanting to stay there any longer.

He called for their carriage and helped Gavin get into it. The ladies were standing near them, looking pleased with themselves. Theo wondered why. He was more than annoyed with them. At least they hadn't put Rosalyn in danger.

Rosalyn. Where was she?

"Go find Lady Rosalyn," Gavin said reading his expression.

Theo shook his head.

"Just go, damnit! I'm fine," he groaned.

Theo looked at Lady Vanessa knowingly. Gavin actually blushed.

"Where's Rosalyn?" Theo asked Lady Sarah, grinning.

"We don't know, I think she left for her morning ride earlier than usual. She doesn't know about the duel either," she shrugged.

"I know where she is," Theo murmured.