There was no answer, although I rather thought he was grinding his teeth. Then I saw his face properly and caught my breath because I don’t think he was even properly aware I was with him, he was so angry.

When the cab stopped Lucian was out of it and up the steps of the house before I had even got off the seat.

I climbed down and the driver leaned over. ‘You want me to wait or what, Miss?’

‘No, thank you. How much do I owe you?’ I fumbled in my reticule with the unfamiliar coins and probably over-tipped the man, but I was half-turned to watch Lucian as the front door opened.

‘Thank you, Miss.’ The driver whipped up the horse and was off at a brisk trot. I obviously had been far too generous.

The butler who had answered the door looked somewhat apprehensive. Presumably he had a better view of Lucian’s face than I did. ‘My lord?’

‘Selbourne. Now. Fetch him.’

‘I will ascertain whether Sir Clement is at home, my lord,’ the butler said as I reached the top step ‘I am not certain – ’

At that moment the man himself came into the hallway. ‘Who is it, Baines? Ah, Luc, I am glad you – ’

He did not stay glad for very long. Lucian simply shouldered past the butler, sending him rocking on his heels, marched down the hall and punched his friend in the face. Selbourne went sprawling full length on the chequered marble floor.

‘You lying, treacherous bastard!’ Lucian hauled him to his feet by the neckcloth, drew back his fist and was punched in turn by Selbourne who swung a left that sent Lucian crashing into a side table. A vase full of roses rocked wildly.

I steadied the swaying butler and pushed past him to the two men who were rolling on the floor now, apparently trying to kill each other with their bare hands.

Chapter Eighteen

There was a gasp and a maid, who had just emerged through a door with a large flower arrangement in her hands, stopped dead and began to scream.

I grabbed the vase from her and upended it over the men, then picked up the rose bowl from the hall table and added that for good measure as a footman came bursting through the baize-covered door under the stairs.

‘Help me!’ I got hold of Lucian by the collar and tugged and the footman and the butler waded in.

The two fell apart abruptly and lay sprawled on the marble, panting and swiping at wilted foliage. Both of them were bleeding from the nose, from cut lips and battered knuckles. The butler and footman got their master to his feet and half-dragged, half-helped him into the nearest room.

I bent over Lucian. ‘Stand up or I’ll have them haul you in too.’

He got to his feet, swatted a rose from his sodden waistcoat and stalked into the drawing room, his dignity not helped by the trail of bent fern fronds that fell in his wake.

‘Towels and a valet, quickly,’ I said, shooing the servants towards the door and closing it behind them.

When I turned round Sir Clement was still on the floor, but he had hauled himself back against the sofa and was gingerly moving his jaw while he dripped water and petals onto the carpet. ‘What the hell do you think you are doing?’ he demanded, having apparently decided that nothing was broken.

‘What am I doing? You lie to me, you involve me in your lies, you ruin a respectable young lady – And then you stoop to attempted murder of me and this lady.’ Lucian paused in mid-rant and swiped a handkerchief across his bleeding mouth before gesturing in my direction. ‘I thought you were my friend. I believed I could trust your word. Did you set those footpads on me as well as that coach? It was a miracle that Cassie was not killed.’

‘What are you talking about?’

‘Lucian, sit down.’ I pushed him towards a chair and, for the first time, he seemed to properly take in the fact that I was there in reality and not simply as someone to rant about.

‘Sir Clement, Arabella’s maid has finally confessed that she helped her mistress to elope with you that night, that you sent Arabella a note and met her in a carriage.’

‘What? The hell I did! My apologies, Miss Lawrence, but this is outrageous.’

I went and held out my hand to help him to his feet and, as usual, he reached out with his left, got in a muddle and almost had me on the floor by the time he’d finished. But for all his clumsiness, he had a stunning left-handed punch from what I had seen in the hall: it did not do to underestimate this man.

‘We believed her,’ I said. ‘She was telling the truth.’

‘I did not send Arabella a note, I did not arrange an elopement. I do not know where she is. And I did not try to have you killed. Are you insane, Radcliffe?’

I looked at Lucian as he stood up. ‘Upon your honour?’ he demanded.

Tags: Louise Allen Science Fiction
Source: readsnovelonline.net