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The man who’d first spoken shook his head stubbornly. “Well, I don’t know about these other fellows’ tales, but mine is the truth. I heard it from Langston who heard it directly from Montfort. And Montfort said his own source was very reliable. It must be, for Montfort is too much the gentleman to say anything against a young lady unless he’s sure of his information.”
Every muscle in Sebastian’s body turned to stone. He should have suspected Montfort sooner. It was just the sort of thing that sly bastard would do.
“Well, that explains everything,” Sebastian retorted. “Montfort offered marriage to the lady, and she turned him down. So now he’s striking back at her any way he can.”
“How the devil do you know that, sir?” said one of the other men in a hostile tone. “I never heard of any offer, and who are you, anyway?”
“I’m Templemore. From Shropshire.”
The man’s eyes went wide, and his friends exchanged glances. One of them asked, “You’re old Templemore’s heir, Sebastian Blakely?”
Sebastian nodded tersely.
“The one who designs the pistols?” asked another man.
“The very one. I shoot them, too.” He leveled a hard stare on the lot of them. “And I’d like nothing better than to practice upon gentlemen who spread malicious lies about innocent young ladies without knowing the entire story.”
That shut the wagging tongues of most of them, but there was one brave soul who spoke up. “What do you know about it? You come in here from out of nowhere, make these claims, slur Montfort, then threaten us and—”
“You’re quite right. My quarrel is not with you ‘gentlemen.’ It’s with Montfort. Do any of you know where I might find him?”
They looked uneasy, but one of them finally offered, “I saw him headed toward the library with Knighton a few moments ago. It seems you’re not the only one to take issue with his tales.”
Devil take it, Knighton would only make matters worse. “Where’s the library?”
They pointed him in the right direction, and he hastened toward it. As he skirted the ballroom, he watched Juliet more closely, cringing to see the forced smiles she bestowed on her partner. When the dance ended and Havering led her off the floor, Sebastian noticed how women clustered together to whisper when she passed. How the young gentlemen felt free to look her over with a detestable impudence that had him swearing under his breath.
His hands clenched into fists. By thunder, he’d brought her to this with his blindness. But he’d never expected his carefully controlled actions to run so completely amok. He’d never meant to hurt her, to ruin her life with such utter finality.
He gritted his teeth. It hardly mattered what he’d meant. This was the result. And he’d even made light of her worries to her face! How cruel could a man be? Well, no more. If he did nothing else, he’d take care of this ridiculous gossip. Though he knew he could never squelch it entirely, he could certainly reduce its effects.
Dancing in her chemise in a tavern, for God’s sake! He’d have Montfort dancing on the point of his sword for this, he would.
He found the library easily, since the sound of raised voices floated halfway down the hall from it. Hesitating outside, he wondered if he should wait until Knighton had said his piece. Then he noticed the door that opened into the adjoining room. Ducking inside, he was pleased to discover that the door connecting the two rooms had been left open.
Prepared to jump in if he had to, he inched nearer the open doorway.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Montfort’s usual Eton clip sounded dulled by drink. “Why should I bother to gossip about your sister-in-law?”
“You know why!” Knighton bellowed. “Because she spurned you!”
Sebastian stifled a groan. The man was about as tactful as a cannon.
“I wouldn’t trouble myself over any chit stupid enough to refuse my offer of marriage,” Montfort said with a faint slur. “And I certainly have no reason to seek revenge. I can have any woman I want.”
“Perhaps so, but I know you started these rumors.”
“How d’you know that?”
“I had a letter from Daniel Brennan, my brother-in-law.”
“Ah, the good Mr. Brennan.” There came the sound of a glass clinking. “And what did your highwayman’s bastard of a brother-in-law say about me?”
Montfort might be a bit foxed, but he was baiting Knighton most effectively. Still, Sebastian held back, wanting to hear Knighton’s proof.
“Daniel says you saw Helena in London two years ago when she was supposed to be in Warwickshire, and you accosted her at a ball over the matter. She kept quiet about it, not wanting to cause trouble for you—”
“What drivel!” Montfort exclaimed with a laugh. “She kept quiet about it, because she didn’t want any of you to know she’d let the cat out of the bag.”
