Page 106 of The Study of Seduction

“And a man can be stubborn to a fault,” Clarissa replied.

“Nothing has changed,” Edwin told her.

“Everythinghas changed! Since this isn’t about Durand’s wild obsession with me, he’s not going to stop until he gets what he wants—the information about where to find my brother.”

“And possibly,” Warren put in, “the chance to humiliate Clarissa by telling the world what happened.”

“He could have done that long ago if that’s what he intended,” Edwin pointed out.

“Yes, but then he would have lost his chance to find Niall,” Warren said. “He wants them both—her ruined and Niall charged with murder.”

“And if he’s anything like Whiting,” Clarissa said, “he will break every rule—even cheat at a duel—to get rid of his opposition, who happens to be you. And he’ll get away with it because of his position! Then who will keep him from draggingyourfamily through the mud? If he reveals your father’s activities—”

“What activities?” Warren asked.

“All the more reason to kill him,” Edwin said coldly, feeling beleaguered on all fronts. “Then he can’t hurt anyone.”

“Only if you win!” she cried.

When Edwin bristled at that, Warren said hastily, “Even if you don’t, there would be repercussions, old boy. You can’t kill a highly placed French diplomat, even in a duel over your wife’s honor, without comment. You ought to go to his superiors.”

“What superiors?” Edwin spat. “Heis the most senior member at the French embassy right now! And there’s no time to go through channels.”

“Unless you refuse to fight him,” Clarissa said stoutly. “You’ve bluffed him before and it worked. Just do it again. Tell him to go to the devil.”

“And what happens to you when he has me dragged before the courts on trumped-up charges of treason?” Edwin countered.

“Hold on, now,” Warren said, “what’s all this abouttreason?”

Clarissa ignored him. “You could consult with your friends at the club, talk to Warren’s friends, gather some help and advice before you go waltzing off to die! But you simply won’t.”

“Because I refuse to embroil a bunch of friends and strangers in my private affairs. And certainly not in the private affairs of my wife!”

“Donotclaim you’re doing this for me, Edwin Blakeborough! I’ve argued myself hoarse begging you not to fight Count Durand, and you’ve ignored me. You’re doing this for yourself. For your sense of justice and right, for your belief that a man should risk his own life to protect the reputation of a woman.”

“Yes! He should!”

“Even if she doesn’t want him to?” She planted her hands on her hips. “I’ve already lost my brother to exile because he was protecting my reputation. I don’t want to lose you because of it, too. I would rather spend the rest of my life dealing with scandal than watch the man I love die trying to protect me, simply because he doesn’t want ‘a bunch of friends and strangers’ to know his ‘private affairs’!”

The man I love.

The words stunned him. She loved him? Truly?

As if she didn’t even realize what she’d said, she added, “So I’m washing my hands of this whole thing.” She tipped up her chin at Warren. “Perhaps you can talk some sense into him. I give up.”

Then she stormed from the room.

Edwin could only stand there staring after her. The wordloverang in his ears, shocking him with its power to beguile. If shelovedhim . . .

“All right,” Warren broke into his thoughts. “Now that she’s gone, you’d best tell me what the hell is going on. Why would you be accused of treason? What activity of your father’s is Durand threatening to reveal? And how in God’s name did you end up married to my cousin in only a few short weeks?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Then you’d better talk fast.” He examined his watch. “Because unless we think of something, you’ll be fighting a duel in four hours. And I’m not acting as your second for it unless I know what I’m getting into.”

Edwin gritted his teeth. “Fine. And in case you’re wondering, I never told you the spying and treason part because I didn’t know about it myself until two weeks ago.”

“Spying? God, this gets worse by the moment.”