"Lady Sudley. I'm pleased you were able to join us." Elliot said failing to disguise the contempt in his tone. He despised weak women who chose weapons as a means to manipulate and control. Although Lady Sudley's hair was coal black, something about her arrogant countenance reminded him of the golden-haired devil in Bavaria.
"Step away from the bed." The lady waved the pistol back and forth between him and Grace, gesturing to the place where she wished them to stand. "I'm afraid now that you've seen Miss Rosemond, I cannot let you leave."
"I don't understand. What's Caroline doing here?" Grace said, her tone revealing her distress. "And before you say anything more, I know it has nothing to do with a head injury."
"Well, no, you're right." Lady Sudley gave a sly grin. "It has nothing to do with an illness or an injury."
Mrs. Jones' hand flew to her chest. "But you said she had fallen. You said she couldn't be moved until she'd recovered and—"
"Oh, do be quiet, Mrs. Jones. I needed someone to care for her. Surely you don't expect me to cook her meals and empty her pot."
Elliot studied the exchange, trying to determine whether or not he could reach Lady Sudley before she fired the pistol. He would happily take a hit to the arm if it meant wiping the grin from her smug face.
But he would not endanger Grace.
If anything happened to her, he'd most likely rip the throats from everyone who crossed his path.
"I'm certain that when you've heard what I have to say, you will be thanking me," Lady Sudley said. "You will see this is the only feasible course of action."
"Does it have something to do with your brother?" Grace asked. "Has my sister wronged him in some way and now you're determined to seek your revenge?"
Lady Sudley laughed, the sound more an ear-piercing cackle. "If I sought revenge on all my brother's conquests, London would only be populated by men."
He noticed Lady Sudley's hand quiver. She would not be able to hold the pistol straight for long. Her arm would grow heavier by the minute.
"If revenge is not the motivation, what is?" Elliot said as he edged forward.
Ignoring his question, she turned to Grace. "You have been married, Mrs. Denton. So Mrs. Jones tells me. Do you have children?"
Elliot observed Grace's expression with keen interest. The way she answered would reveal much, he thought. Would her words convey a deep sense of longing? Did she dream of raising a family? A dream he could never help her fulfil. Could she bear a life knowing she would never be a mother?
"No. I do not have children."
Her tone was blunt and concise.
She gave him nothing.
"I am so pleased to hear that. What sort of mother would you be, parading about town with your lover while your little treasures are tucked up in their beds wondering if you'll come home?"
/> Elliot had no idea where this conversation was heading, but he feared the lady possessed a distorted view of reality.
"I would be a very poor mother indeed," Grace replied while Elliot used the distraction to shuffle forward.
"Do not come any closer, Lord Markham." Lady Sudley aimed the pistol directly at Grace's heart. "I will not hesitate. I will shoot."
Damn the woman.
He would have to use his powers of persuasion to get her to give up her weapon. Choosing the right time would be critical as she would become dazed, perhaps a little confused at first and he could not risk her firing at some imagined target.
"Some women do not deserve to experience such a precious gift," Lady Sudley continued, glancing at Caroline's still body in the bed. "Not while there are perfectly respectable ladies desperate to hold a babe in their arms. Ladies denied the opportunity at every turn."
Grace shrugged. "Nature has a way of deciding who or what best serves its purpose. I'm certain there are many respectable ladies who would make appalling mothers. Just as there are street vendors whose exhaustive efforts to raise their children are to be commended."
Elliot glanced at Grace, admiration filling his chest. Her heart was kind, honest, and good. She did not judge; she did not preach. She bore no preconceived notions or prejudices.
"I disagree." Lady Sudley stuck her nose in the air. "Respectability is everything. And so you can imagine my horror when Mark told me his whore would bear his child."
The whore she referred to was obviously Caroline Rosemond. Elliot touched Grace's hand as it hung by he side, an affectionate gesture to calm and soothe her spirit.