Page 5 of Her Summer Duke

Saltonbury leaned toward Harrington. His eyes were narrowed, but he did not pull his hands into fists.

“I am only stating the facts for you, with my concern.” Harrington emptied his glass of its contents. “And now, I must bid you adieu.”

“Listen Harrington, you cannot simply drop hints here and then leave me to attempt to puzzle out what you are implying.”

Harrington shook one stubby finger in the air.

“No, no, no, it is not for me to paint upon the canvas. But perhaps Captain Halstone has a point. You could pay some attention to the lovely Lady Phoebe, or another lady, and see if you get some true indication of love from Lady Margaret. That might provide the answers you are seeking, though, in truth, I am not knowledgeable in the matters of the heart myself. Though, once the next Season is upon us, or even sooner, unless you have finally followed through on that promise and married her, I might well choose to pursue Lady Margaret myself. Betrothals are made to be broken, are they not? And yours is not quite a betrothal even, only a promise… Lady Margaret is young, and likely she can change her mind as easily as the wind changes. She might decide that you are not to her liking after all, and cry off. I am willing to bank on the possibility of such. Good day, gentlemen.”

Lord Percy Harrington left His Grace of Saltonbury and Captain Halstone sitting there with their mouths agape.

After a moment of shock, Saltonbury became extremely agitated and adjusted his cravat several times before he spoke.

“That’s it then. I will see Lady Margaret soon, and flush out the true direction of her heart – and mine.”

Adam spoke slowly, his honourable nature reasserting itself, although it was the last thing that he wanted to say.

“But is that wise, Saltonbury? You could annoy her and she might take flight.”

“Or it could be quite the opposite and she might tell me that her heart truly does beat for only me. I had no idea that there were other suitors ready to vie for my dear sweet Lady Margaret’s hand. It is, after all, most inappropriate for a man to pursue a woman already betrothed. I have been, it seems, resting too confidently in my belief in the honour of gentlemen.”

Adam took a large mouthful of his drink, feeling rather like a cad at that moment, yet unable to deny the fact that he still loved and wanted Lady Margaret. He forced his voice to steadiness as he spoke.

“Yes, yes, well, she is quite lovely and, I dare say, the act of dragging her limp body from the Avon might not be a guarantee of a young maiden’s ever-lasting love, after all. Now that she is a grown woman, perhaps more is required to win her true love?”

Adam watched Saltonbury closely, wondering what had made the man begin to question his situation so. The silence seemed to draw on the air, leaving Saltonbury almost gasping.

“I… I, uh, I really cannot know. You are correct in your conjecture, of course, yes, of course it is no guarantee of love ever-lasting to merely save her life. Oh yes, this is the thought that plagues me.”

“Well, with a man like Lord Percy Harrington also in the running for her affections, it could become quite a race, couldn’t it? I’d suggest that you act with all haste to make a decision.”

Adam smiled, as if he was not at all concerned with the outcome of Saltonbury’s deliberations, but he had his own fears, equal, if not more of an encumbrance to his heart and his future than Saltonbury’s woes were to him.

He had to find a way to meet Lady Margaret again, admit to his true identity, and profess his love for her. He could still feel the pressure of her gloved hand in his, from when they had danced that solitary waltz, every time that he thought of her. He took another gulp of his drink.