Pistols at Dawn Read Online Free PDF Page A

to continue.
    He waited for a moment to see if she might change her mind, "Very well, then. As I was saying, before you reject the offer out of hand, have you considered that your sister may find herself with child? Even if she does not, her future prospects of marriage have no doubt been greatly compromised, if not ruined outright."
    The elder Kirtland sister fixed both him and Lucien with a look of contempt. "Our local midwife has examined her. Judging from that, and what my sister was able to recount, it seems your nephew did not actually..." A tinge of color rose to her cheeks. "That is, my sister was pawed over and vilely humiliated in the most intimate of ways, but there was no actual... consummation of the act." Her eyes pressed shut for an instant. "I suppose we must be grateful for small favors."
    Lucien's face went from deathly pale to a vivid scarlet as he gave a convulsive swallow.
    Recovering her composure, Eliza went on. "And any man who truly cares for Meredith will not hold her to blame for being forced against her will."
    The earl made no effort to hide the cynical curl of his lips. "You have a more sanguine view of human nature than I would have expected. Let me assure you that men can be quite unreasonable about that sort of thing." He saw a flicker of doubt cross her face. "Once your anger has cooled, I urge you to think over my nephew's offer very carefully."
    There was an awkward silence as their gazes locked. Steel against steel. Marcus was surprised the clash of metal was not ringing in his ears.
    He slowly withdrew a purse from his pocket. He placed it on the sidetable, next to a basket of sewing. "In the meantime, if your sister has need of anything, this may serve to help. And if you are truly bent on rejecting the offer of marriage, I should be willing to arrange for a suitable dowry, one that might help smooth things with any future suitor."
    However reasonable they sounded to him, his words seemed only to rekindle the fire in Eliza's eyes.
    "Take your filthy purse and be gone, sir! In London, your money may be adequate recompense for the pleasures you take, but not here."
    So much for thinking that logic might prevail .
    "No doubt you look at us poor country folk as mere chattel to be used as you please. Well, no amount of coins will ever pay for what you have done to my sister, you debauched wastrel."
    The earl stiffened. If she were a man, he would not hesitate to demand satisfaction for the slur. A duel at dawn? That, of course, was out of the question. Or was it? With a flash of grim humor, he recalled her obvious experience with wielding a weapon. Why, if looks could kill, those molten emerald eyes—
    Just how he had come to be thinking of their intriguing color took him aback for an instant. He shook away such distracting thoughts and quickly parried her cut with a thrust of his own.
    "You deliberately misinterpret my words, Miss Kirtland. If you would temper your anger with a modicum of reason, you would see your accusations are unjust. My nephew has offered marriage. If that is not acceptable, I am simply trying to find some other way to offer amends for the damage that has been done."
    "Nothing can make amends for that!"
    He met her fiery words with an icy stare. "Then what is it you would like?"
    Eliza pointed at Lucien. "To see him suffer! To see him transported or swinging from the gibbet for what he has done."
    "No, I cannot allow that." Marcus's jaw set in an intractable line. "Lucien is willing to abide by what honor demands and give your sister the protection of his name. I will not ask more than that from him."
    "I could press charges."
    "Don't be a fool," he snapped. "We both know it would only further harm your sister." His eyes avoided Meredith. "No magistrate would act on such a charge. My nephew could always claim that she was... willing. Do you doubt that his word would be accepted over hers?"
    "I—"
    Meredith laid a hand on Eliza's arm. "I know you mean well, but I do not