Sophy straightened in his lap, grasped two fistfulls of his shirt and narrowed her eyes. "Julian, you must give me your word of honor that you will not do that. You must promise me for the sake of our unborn child. I will not have you risking your life. Do you hear me?"
"It is Waycott, is it not?"
Sophy's eyes widened. "How did you know?"
"It was not terribly difficult to guess. What happened on the path this afternoon, Sophy?"
She stared up at him in helpless frustration. The gentle, reassuring expression in Julian's eyes was vanishing as though it had never existed. In its place was the cold, prowling look of the predator. He had won the immediate battle and now he was preparing his strategy for the one that lay ahead.
"I will not let you call him out, Julian. You will not risk a bullet from Waycott, do you understand?"
"What happened on the path today?"
Sophy could have wept. "Julian, please—"
"What happened today, Sophy?"
He had not raised his voice but she knew immediately his patience was exhausted. He would have his answer. Sophy pushed herself up off his lap. He allowed her to get to her feet but his eyes never left her averted face.
Slowly she walked across the room to the window and stood staring out into the night. In short, concise sentences she told him the entire tale.
"He killed them, Julian," she concluded, her hands knotted in front of her. "He killed them both. He drowned Elizabeth because she had finally goaded him too far by taunting him with her plan to rid herself of his babe. He killed my sister by treating her as though she were nothing more important than a casual plaything."
"I knew about your sister. I put the pieces of that puzzle together myself before I left London. And I have always had my suspicions about what happened to Elizabeth that night. I wondered if one of her lovers had finally been pushed too far."
Sophy leaned her forehead against the cool glass pane. "God help me, I could not bring myself to pull the trigger when I had the chance. I am such a coward."
"No, Sophy, you are no coward." Julian moved to stand directly behind her. "You are the bravest woman I have ever met and I would trust you with my life as well as my honor. You must know you did the honorable thing this evening. One does not shoot an unconscious man in cold blood, no matter what he has done."
Sophy turned slowly to look up at him with a sense of uncertainty. "But if I had shot him when I had the chance it would all be over by now. I would not have to worry about you."
"You would have had to live with the knowledge that you had killed a man and I would not wish that fate on you, sweetheart, no matter how much Waycott deserved to die."
Sophy experienced a twinge of impatience. "Julian, I must tell you that I am not so much concerned with whether or not I behaved honorably as I am with the fact that I did not settle the matter once and for all. I am afraid that when it comes to this sort of thing, I have a very practical streak in me. The man is a murderer and he is still free."
"Not for much longer."
Alarm flared within her. "Julian, please, you must promise me you will not challenge him. You could be killed, even if Waycott fought a fair duel which is highly unlikely."
Julian smiled. "As I understand it, he is in no condition to fight at all at the moment. You said he was unconscious, did you not? I can well believe he will remain so for some time. I, myself, have had extensive experience with your special tea brews, if you recall."
"Do not tease me, Julian."
He caught her wrists and brought her hands to his chest. "I am not teasing you, sweetheart. I am just exceedingly grateful you are alive and unhurt. You will never know what it did to me tonight to arrive here and find that you were missing."
She refused to be comforted because she knew what lay ahead. "What will you do, Julian?"
"That depends. How long do you estimate Waycott will be asleep?"
Sophy frowned. "Another three or four hours, perhaps."
"Excellent. I will deal with him later, then." He began untying the ribbons of her dressing gown. "In the meantime I can spend some time reassuring myself that you are, indeed, unhurt."
Sophy looked up at him very earnestly as the gown fell away from her. "Julian, I must have your word of honor that you will not challenge Waycott."
"Do not worry about it, my dear." He kissed the curve of her throat.
"Your word, Julian. You will give it to me." There was nothing more she wanted at the moment than to be in Julian's arms but this was far more important. She stood stiff and unyielding, ignoring the warm, inviting touch of his mouth on her skin.
"Do not concern yourself with what happens to Waycott. I will deal with everything. He will never come near you again."
"Damn you, Julian, / will have your promise not to call him out. Your safety is far more important to me than your stupid, male sense of honor. I have told you what I think of dueling. It settles nothing and can easily get you killed into the bargain. You will not challenge Waycott, do you hear me? Give me your word, Julian."
He stopped kissing the hollow of her shoulder and slowly raised his head to look down at her. He was scowling for the first time. "I am not a bad shot, Sophy."
"I do not care how accurate your aim is, I will not have you take such a risk and that is final."
His brows rose slightly. "It is?"
"Yes, damn you. I will not take the chance of losing you in a silly duel with a man who will most likely cheat. I feel about this precisely the way you felt the morning you interrupted my appointment with Charlotte Featherstone. I will not stand for it."
"I do not believe I have ever heard you so adamant, my dear," Julian said dryly.
"Your word, Julian. Give it to me."
He sighed in capitulation. "Very well. If it means so much to you, you have my solemn vow not to challenge Waycott to a duel with pistols."
Sophy closed her eyes in overwhelming relief. "Thank you, Julian."
"Now may I be allowed to make love to my wife?"
She gave him a misty smile. "Yes, my lord."
Julian roused himself an hour later and propped himself on his elbow to look down into Sophy's worried eyes. The glow she always wore after his lovemaking was already wearing off to be replaced again by concern. It was rather reassuring to know that his safety meant so much to her.
"You will be careful, Julian?"
"Very careful."
"Perhaps you should take some of the stable lads with you."
"No, this is between Waycott and myself. I will handle this alone."
"But what will you do?" she demanded fretfully.
"Force him to leave the country. I believe I shall suggest that he emigrate to America."
"But how can you make him go?"
Julian leaned over her, his hands on either side of her shoulders. "Stop asking so many questions, my love. I do not have time to answer them now. I will give you a full accounting when I return. I swear it." He brushed his mouth against hers. "Get some rest."
"That is a ridiculous instruction. I will not be able to sleep a wink until you return."
"Then read a good book."
"Wollstonecraft," she threatened. "I shall study A Vindication on the Rights of Women until you return."
"That knowledge will indeed force me to hurry back to your side," Julian said, getting to his feet. "I cannot have you any more thoroughly corrupted by that nonsense about the rights of women than you already are."
She sat up and reached for his hand. "Julian, I am frightened."
"I know the feeling. I felt the same way when I arrived here this evening and found you missing." He gently freed his hand and began to dress. "But in this case, you need have no fear. You have my promise I will not propose a duel to Waycott, remember?"