Virginia Henley by Seduced

Author:Seduced
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub, pdf
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

Antonia awoke in a deep sweat. It was the third night this had happened and the third night she had had the recurring dream. It took her a moment to realize that the time was nigh.

She threw back the covers and shivered as the cool predawn air touched her fevered skin. An autumn chill was in the air that she welcomed, for she would of necessity wear a long cloak to conceal her identity.

She moved silently in the dark so she would disturb no one. If Mr. Burke heard her, she was lost. Before she retired last night she had laid out her garments with care and even poured her wash water from the jug to guarantee silence.

She removed Anthony’s damp nightshirt, then buried her face in it as if she could gather strength from a garment he had once worn. She stood naked and shivering and whispered, “Tony, help me.”

A measure of calm resolve descended upon her. She was doing this to avenge her twin and also in sheer self-defense, for she knew with every fiber of her being that Bernard Lamb was going to kill her if she did not take his life first.

With determination she lifted up the sponge to wash away the memory of the vivid dream that still clung about her tenaciously. It was always the same. They were on the dueling field just as dawn broke, counting, counting. Bernard Lamb always turned and fired on the count of nine.

Tony pulled on shirt, breeches, stockings, and boots with such steady hands, she surprised herself. She felt predestined to do this thing. It all had such an air of inevitability about it that she was calm even though she was afraid. She knew with a knowledge as old as time that her fate rested in her own hands. The conclusion was foregone. If she did nothing, she would lose. If she acted, she would win. That was the secret of everything, really. The secret of life and death.

Tony was grateful to Adam Savage. He had shown her that the most precious quality in life was courage. He had set out to make a man of her and he had succeeded. Tony had the guts of a man, the fortitude and the resolution of a man. Though she lacked a man’s strength she made up for it with a woman’s quick wits and intuition. Bernard Lamb didn’t stand a chance.

She had taken advantage of the fact that Adam Savage was tied to Edenwood and his weekend guests. She knew he had an appointment with the Prince of Wales and could not return to London until His Royal Highness had been entertained.

Tony had called on young Southampton and Colonel Dan Mackinnon, knowing their addiction to guns and shooting. They had been involved in many duels and of course Colonel Mackinnon had that superb collection of firearms. She swore them to secrecy and watched their excitement grow. Both were avid for risk and danger. Each time they acted as seconds their reputation grew, and now they were known as the Hellfire Bucks.

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