few who had no interest in the old scandal or in the legitimacy of Sebastian's birth.
Garrick had been carrying deep, invisible scars from the war. He had felt an instinctive bond with Sebastian, who, he must have sensed, carried scars of his own. Neither man spoke much of the past. It was not necessary.
"Are you serious?" Garrick demanded. "The Merryweather boy challenged you over a mere trifle. You did nothing except dance with his sister."
"I am aware of that," Sebastian said quietly.
"Are you telling me you're going to let him get away with that?"
"I have it on excellent authority the young man is hotheaded and not very wise in the ways of the world."
Garrick snorted. "Then you may as well teach him his first lessons."
"I am inclined to leave that task to someone else."
"I don't understand this." Garrick grabbed a bottle of port and dashed some of the contents into a glass. "Not like you to let an upstart young pup get away with this kind of thing. What's going on, Angelstone?"
"I've changed my mind, that's all. There's nothing more to it than that. Tell Mr. Merryweather that I have no interest in meeting him at dawn."
Garrick eyed the port he had just poured as if surprised to find it in his hand. He carefully put the glass down again without tasting the contents. He looked at Sebastian. "I know damn well you aren't afraid to meet him. You're bound to best him in the encounter. The boy has no experience in this sort of thing."
Sebastian smiled thinly. "Which makes the whole event something of a bore, don't you think?"
Garrick's brows rose. "No doubt. But what's going to happen the next time you elect to dance with the Original? And I know there will be a next time, Angelstone. I saw the look in your eye tonight when you spotted her in the crowd. Haven't seen you react that way to a female before."
"If Merryweather sees fit to issue another challenge—"
"Which he will, especially when he sees how quickly you apologized after this one."
"Then I shall simply convey another apology," Sebastian concluded easily.
Garrick's blue eyes widened. "Damnation, man. You'd give him a second apology?"
"And another after that, if necessary. I have discovered to my astonishment what appears to be an inexhaustible supply of gentlemanly remorse, Sutton. I do believe I can continue to apologize as long as Merryweather can continue to issue a challenge."
"Good God." Understanding dawned in Garrick's eyes. He started to grin. "In other words, you're going to amuse yourself with his sister as long as you please and Merryweather will be helpless to force a duel because you will simply apologize every time he issues a challenge."
"That's the plan."
"Incredible." Garrick shook his head in admiration. "No one will believe for a single instant that you're actually afraid to meet the boy, of course. Your reputation is too well known. People will say you are merely amusing yourself again. Merryweather will become a laughingstock."
"Perhaps. That's not my problem."
"The club betting books will fill up with wagers on when you'll finally get tired of the game and put a bullet in him," Garrick said.
"What goes down on the betting books is not my concern, either." Sebastian helped himself to a small swallow of Garrick's untouched port. "In the meantime you'll see that my apologies are conveyed to my worthy opponent?"
"If you insist. This is a first for you, though, Angelstone. And not in your usual style."
"Who knows? Perhaps I'm changing my ways. It's just barely possible that I am becoming more responsible as I advance into my mature years."
Garrick eyed him with some concern. "You're in a strange mood tonight, my friend. Mayhap it's time you indulged yourself again in your little hobby. It's been a while since the last occasion, I believe."
"Perhaps you're right. Then again, perhaps I'm in a strange mood because it's been a rather strange night."
"And getting stranger," Garrick muttered. His gaze shifted to a
Garrick had been carrying deep, invisible scars from the war. He had felt an instinctive bond with Sebastian, who, he must have sensed, carried scars of his own. Neither man spoke much of the past. It was not necessary.
"Are you serious?" Garrick demanded. "The Merryweather boy challenged you over a mere trifle. You did nothing except dance with his sister."
"I am aware of that," Sebastian said quietly.
"Are you telling me you're going to let him get away with that?"
"I have it on excellent authority the young man is hotheaded and not very wise in the ways of the world."
Garrick snorted. "Then you may as well teach him his first lessons."
"I am inclined to leave that task to someone else."
"I don't understand this." Garrick grabbed a bottle of port and dashed some of the contents into a glass. "Not like you to let an upstart young pup get away with this kind of thing. What's going on, Angelstone?"
"I've changed my mind, that's all. There's nothing more to it than that. Tell Mr. Merryweather that I have no interest in meeting him at dawn."
Garrick eyed the port he had just poured as if surprised to find it in his hand. He carefully put the glass down again without tasting the contents. He looked at Sebastian. "I know damn well you aren't afraid to meet him. You're bound to best him in the encounter. The boy has no experience in this sort of thing."
Sebastian smiled thinly. "Which makes the whole event something of a bore, don't you think?"
Garrick's brows rose. "No doubt. But what's going to happen the next time you elect to dance with the Original? And I know there will be a next time, Angelstone. I saw the look in your eye tonight when you spotted her in the crowd. Haven't seen you react that way to a female before."
"If Merryweather sees fit to issue another challenge—"
"Which he will, especially when he sees how quickly you apologized after this one."
"Then I shall simply convey another apology," Sebastian concluded easily.
Garrick's blue eyes widened. "Damnation, man. You'd give him a second apology?"
"And another after that, if necessary. I have discovered to my astonishment what appears to be an inexhaustible supply of gentlemanly remorse, Sutton. I do believe I can continue to apologize as long as Merryweather can continue to issue a challenge."
"Good God." Understanding dawned in Garrick's eyes. He started to grin. "In other words, you're going to amuse yourself with his sister as long as you please and Merryweather will be helpless to force a duel because you will simply apologize every time he issues a challenge."
"That's the plan."
"Incredible." Garrick shook his head in admiration. "No one will believe for a single instant that you're actually afraid to meet the boy, of course. Your reputation is too well known. People will say you are merely amusing yourself again. Merryweather will become a laughingstock."
"Perhaps. That's not my problem."
"The club betting books will fill up with wagers on when you'll finally get tired of the game and put a bullet in him," Garrick said.
"What goes down on the betting books is not my concern, either." Sebastian helped himself to a small swallow of Garrick's untouched port. "In the meantime you'll see that my apologies are conveyed to my worthy opponent?"
"If you insist. This is a first for you, though, Angelstone. And not in your usual style."
"Who knows? Perhaps I'm changing my ways. It's just barely possible that I am becoming more responsible as I advance into my mature years."
Garrick eyed him with some concern. "You're in a strange mood tonight, my friend. Mayhap it's time you indulged yourself again in your little hobby. It's been a while since the last occasion, I believe."
"Perhaps you're right. Then again, perhaps I'm in a strange mood because it's been a rather strange night."
"And getting stranger," Garrick muttered. His gaze shifted to a
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