His Wicked Seduction novel Chapter 69

Cedric looked pained. "I didn't mean to fire at all. I meant to stare you down until you yielded. When you lowered your pistol it unnerved me, and my hand...it shook."

Lucien's smile withered and he grew serious. "No matter what you think, I meant what I said. I love Horatia more than anything...but I could never kill my closest friend, nor the brother of my greatest love." Lucien tried to ignore the burning pain in his head. It felt like someone was branding his skull.

"You...you really love her?" Cedric asked. The pain in his eyes wounded Lucien more than the bullet.

"She is everything to me. Always has been. I just couldn't face that before. I tried to push her away." Lucien winced. "I don't deserve her." He shut his eyes as pain overcame him. A cold darkness swept over his limbs, numbing him to any other sensations.

"Help me get him up!" Cedric shouted at their seconds.

Lucien opened his eyes and tried to laugh. "I always knew she'd be the death of me," he said before he went numb again.

"You die on me and I'll kill you," Cedric growled as Lucien's eyelids fell heavily shut once more.

"Not planning on it," he said, but his spiraling vision warned him otherwise.

Memories of Horatia clouded his mind as he sought to focus on the best moments he'd had with her. But death was cruel he supposed, because only the sad and awful moments rose to his mind. Shouting at her in the Midnight Garden. His harsh words, forced kisses and scathing glances. Such a damned fool I was, he thought as he was swallowed by darkness.

Horatia woke to an empty bed and frowned. Something was wrong. A sense of foreboding rippled through her like the remnants of a nightmare teasing the edges of her waking mind. She slid out of bed and slipped her shift and dressing gown back on. She wanted to seek out Lucien immediately but it seemed better to be fully dressed, should she have to canvas the huge mansion to find him. She trod down the hall and slipped inside her room.

She selected a gown that buttoned down the front, so as to avoid summoning Ursula. A moment after fastening the last button, she heard the distant crack of a gunshot. Horatia bolted to her window, which faced the northern field. She saw four distant shapes and a second crack cut across the field. One of the figures collapsed to the ground.

A duel! Why hadn't she questioned Lucien? She'd sensed something was amiss last night, but she had ignored it. Why had she done that? In her panic she barely heard the door open behind her.

"A terrible thing, is it not, Miss Sheridan?" a voice said softly from just over her shoulder. She tried to scream as an arm banded about her neck, choking her while a hand clamped over her mouth. "But I'm afraid I'm now running short on time and there is still much to do." The voice was strangely familiar. But even as Horatia thrashed against her captor she still could not see his face.

"I never would have guessed a quiet little chit like you would drive men to duel. Perhaps I will taste you for myself, just to see what the fuss is about." A tongue flitted around the shell of her ear. Horatia tried to claw at his arm, but it only squeezed her throat tighter. Black and gray spots blotted her vision as she fought to breathe.

"Fiery little hellcat. Didn't expect that from the likes of you."

Horatia saw a brief opportunity and abandoned her attempt to claw his arm. Instead she pushed her head forward and then threw it back, colliding her skull with his. Her attacker cursed and loosened his hold. Horatia dropped to her knees, escaping the arm wrapped around her neck. She turned just in time to see the face of the man who'd assaulted her.

"You!" she breathed in shock.

A blow struck her temple, and Horatia saw no more.

Cedric cursed as he and Lawrence carried Lucien's body between them across the field and into the house. Gregory had sprinted ahead to alert the house and have someone ride to Hexby. As Cedric and Lawrence were nearing the stables they learned that someone was Gregory himself.

"I'm off for the doctor," he shouted and streaked past them on a dappled gray stallion. Avery and Sir John were the first two people to meet them at the front door.

"Good God!" Avery gasped at the bloody wound on Lucien's head and Cedric's grief-stricken expression.

"You were dueling?" Sir John growled. "Fools." He relieved Lawrence of Lucien's feet to help carry the unconscious Marquess up the stairs to an empty bedroom. The second Lucien was on the bed Lady Rochester burst into the room, fire in her eyes.

"Is he dead?" she asked, panic creeping into her.

"The blow glanced his skull," Lawrence said. "He may still live."