Out of the corner of his eye, Ash saw Maura surge to her feet and take a step toward their table, only to be prevented from approaching by his brother, Jack.
Shifting his gaze from her, Ash glanced around at the crowd. “Pray, give us privacy,” he ordered with a sharpness that sent the observers backing away.
“Shall we settle the matter with pistols or swords?” he asked Deering then.
“Pistols,” Deering snapped. “You should name your seconds so they may arrange the particulars.”
“I prefer to decide all the particulars tonight,” Ash countered. “Of course we will have our seconds present to watch the duel to insure that honor is satisfied, but I see no reason to delay our meeting. After first light tomorrow should suffice, say half past six … unless you dislike rising at such an early hour. As for place, the field below Granger Hill is a prime location.”
He could see Deering internally debating a reply. Dueling was illegal, so the fewer people involved the better. The gentlemen’s code required that each primary appoint a second to act as emissary and arrange the details of time and place. Normally at least a full day was allowed to pass to give a cooling-off period in case common sense prevailed over charges made in the heat of anger. But Ash wanted to pressure Deering as much as possible, since the threat of a duel was likely the only way to get him to confess his role against Collyer.
Not surprisingly, Deering faltered, as if suddenly regretting that he’d issued his challenge so hastily. He well knew that Ash was accounted an excellent shot. Yet Deering was highly skilled as well, so the match would not be totally uneven. And he could not back down now without losing face.
As if coming to the same conclusion, the viscount gritted his teeth and gave a brusque nod. “I will rely on Pelham as my second.”
His choice of such a reputable gentleman was unexpected, but Ash had no right to question it. “I plan to ask my cousin, Traherne.”
“Very well, I will see you early tomorrow morning.”
Standing, Deering turned on his heel and strode off, sending unwary bystanders scurrying from his path.
A moment later Maura appeared beside Ash, with Jack trailing close behind her. She still wore her mask, but her distress was audible in the tone of her voice when she launched into a protest. “Merciful heaven, you were not supposed to challenge him to a duel, Ash!”
“He challenged me,” he corrected.
Her scoffing sound held a measure of disgust. “You are arguing semantics. I know very well that you purposely maneuvered him into dueling with you.”
Realizing Maura was growing wise to his methods, Ash almost smiled. “Just as a last resort. Accepting his challenge was the only way to force his confession. If I had been able to catch Deering dead to rights and prove unequivocally that he’d marked the cards tonight, his cheating would have been publicly exposed. But I only managed to cast doubt on his honesty.”
“Even so, you cannot duel. You have to withdraw.”
“Whyever should I?”
Maura’s lovely jaw dropped in disbelief for a moment. “Because he could very well shoot you. He might even kill you! I never meant for this to go so far. Vindicating my father is not worth risking your life.”
“It is to me, love. But it may not come to a duel. Deering is a coward at heart. I suspect he will back down before it comes to actual shooting.”
“But what if he does not? You could die.”
“And so could Deering.”
Maura glared at Ash with mingled dismay and frustration. “If you kill him, you will have to flee the country, have you considered that?”
“I wish you had more faith in my skills, darling. I will only aim to wound him.”
“That does not reassure me in the least!” Maura retorted fiercely.
Rising from the card table, Ash pressed a finger to her lips to hush her. “Calm yourself, sweetheart. Deering could not retreat just now in front of so many onlookers, but by tomorrow morning he may change his mind. If he wishes to call off the duel, though, he will have to meet my terms and offer a public retraction of the charges against your father.”
Without giving Maura a chance to argue further, he shifted his gaze to his brother. “Jack, you will take her home? I need to visit Quinn and arrange for him to second me.”
At Jack’s nod, Ash turned away. Yet feeling Maura’s troubled gaze following him, he knew he hadn’t heard the last of her objections.
Maura could scarcely believe the turn her ongoing battle with Deering had taken. It was one thing to try and expose his treacherous connivances by challenging him at the gaming table. It was quite another to shift the challenge to the dueling field, where it could result in Ash’s death.
She found no ally in his brother, however, for Lord Jack supported Ash’s decision to meet Deering over pistols early the next morning.
“I wish you would speak to Ash and make him see reason,” Maura implored as Jack escorted her home.