Pistols at Dawn Read Online Free PDF

wish to argue anymore. Lord Killingworth and his nephew have offered to take responsibility for what has happened. It is, I imagine, a generous offer. Though not one we wish to accept. The matter is finished."
    "But—"
    "Please, Eliza. It is what I wish."
    The trill notes of a robin's song wafted from the garden, an incongruous counterpoint to the harsh words still echoing in the grim silence.
    "Very well. If that is what you wish." Eliza looked away. "Good day, gentlemen."
    Lucien fell back a step, but then hesitated, hands clenched tightly at his side. "I... didn't mean to hurt you," he stammered. "Never have I done such a..." Words seemed to elude him. "I—I am so very sorry."
    The earl rather expected another round of invectives, but as Eliza turned and met the haunted look in his nephew's eyes, she heaved a sigh. "Aren't we all?"
    It was impossible to make out Meredith's expression for she had retreated into the flickering shadows.
    He took hold of Lucien's sleeve and started him toward the door. "You know where to find us if you have a change of mind." He left the purse where it lay.
    "Oh yes, I certainly do, Lord Killingworth." Eliza spoke just loudly enough for him to hear her parting shot.
    "But Hell is where the likes of you and your nephew belong."

 
     
     
    Chapter 4

     
    Meredith knelt down and began to gather up the herbs from the floor. "I had better start on Mama's tisane," she said softly, her features still hidden from any scrutiny. Without waiting for a response, she took up her basket and hurried toward the kitchen.
    It took a moment for Eliza to realize that her hands were so tightly clenched that her nails had drawn blood. Looking down, she quirked a rueful grimace and forced herself to relax. It would seem that the term "seeing red" was not merely old wives' expression for a fit of blinding anger. Such a display of raw emotion left her feeling both stunned and a little shaken.
    Strong, steady, unbending. A female with deeply rooted notions of principles and purpose. And one as unlikely to snap in the face of a storm as the towering oak behind the village tavern.
    Now that was the Eliza Kirtland most people would recognize, including herself. Though, to be honest, there were others—people to whom she had stood up over the years—who would no doubt use less flattering adjectives. Stubborn and strong-willed were among the first to come to mind.
    Well, whatever the nuance of language, something had broken her self-control as if it were naught but a twig. The crime against her sister had been a monstrous one, to be sure, but was it that alone which had sparked such passion? For along with anger and a desire for revenge was another powerful emotion she couldn't put a name to.
    Or didn't dare to.
    Her nails nearly dug fresh furrows in her palms. The brutal truth was, her heart had nearly skipped a beat on seeing the Earl of Killingworth in the doorway of the parlor. In daylight, his shoulders looked even more sculpted, his height even more imposing, his profile even more handsome...
    No! It simply could not be possible that she felt any attraction to one of the most notorious libertines in the land. Much less one that was so intensely... physical.
    Even in her youth she had never been foolish enough to fall into girlish raptures over an attractive face or casual compliment. So surely she was not now, at such an advanced age, succumbing to sheer lunacy.
    And yet it was hard to deny that he aroused feelings that defied mere words.
    A shiver shuddered through her.
    She took a deep breath. It was not as if she disliked men in general. Not really. There were several of her acquaintances who merited her regard. However, the trouble was that most of them seemed lacking in any of the qualities that engendered real respect. And those shortcomings were only exacerbated by the fact that they were accorded authority by virtue of their plumbing rather than their brains.
    The utter unfairness of it elicited another