Duel of Hearts

by Farr, Diane

  She twirled her parasol and looked back up at him. “Very well; I have been warned. Tell me your bad idea.”

  “First, an observation. I think you will agree that our confrontation last night had little effect.”

  “None whatsoever! But we haven’t actually presented our arguments. We had no chance.”

  “Nevertheless, there is no time to waste in wearing Sir Horace and Eugenia down. We’ll have to try something more drastic.” He shot a keen glance down at Lilah. “What was it that brought you hot-foot to London?”

  “Papa’s letter.”

  He shook his head and corrected her. “Emotion. Fear, to be precise. Strong emotion is the only thing that spurs a person to swift action.”

  “Oh, I see.” She frowned. “But what is your point? We cannot frighten Papa and Miss Mayhew into calling off their engagement. How could we?”

  “I can’t speak for your father. But I think we can frighten my Jenny a little.”

  Lilah raised an eyebrow and started to say something, but Drake held up a warning finger. “Let me finish. You know she declined my offer last night. But we agreed, after the fact, that she may have felt pressure to do so. I think I know a way to discover her true feelings. Speedily.” His eyes met hers, his expression an odd combination of dogged determination and sly mischief. “Let’s pretend that you and I are falling in love.”

  Lilah stared at him. A very queer feeling churned inside her, and alarm bells seemed to ring out a warning along all her nerves. Danger! Several seconds passed before she could trust herself to reply. Then she took a careful breath, and spoke.

  “Well. You are absolutely right,” she said cordially. “That’s a terrible idea.”

  His rare grin flickered. “No, it’s not. Remember, I can personally vouch for the power of jealousy. I had only the vaguest notion that I might marry Eugenia one day, until I learned she was on the brink of marrying someone else.”

  Lilah looked at him in a fascinated way. “So you think that if Eugenia believed you were on the brink of marrying someone else, she would instantly realize she had made a terrible mistake, break off her engagement to Papa, and fall at your feet.”

  “That’s right.” He winked at her. “We’ll fight fire with fire.”

  Lilah’s chin assumed a stubborn tilt. “Those who fight fire with fire get doubly burned. No, no, and no. I won’t do it.”

  Anger sparked in the back of his eyes. “It’s the best plan we’ve come up with yet.”

  “It’s the only plan we’ve come up with yet. There must be a better way.”

  “Since we haven’t thought of another, why not try this one?”

  “Why not?” Lilah shuddered. “Because it’s dangerous. And it’s ridiculous! You can’t play with people’s emotions like that; such schemes only work in fiction. In real life, people are completely unpredictable. There’s no guarantee she will fall on your neck, just because she thinks she can’t have you. What if Miss Mayhew turns out to be a rational creature, not subject to fits of jealousy? That’s just remotely possible, you know.”

  Lilah’s sarcasm evidently did not offend Drake. “Blast,” he muttered, looking chagrined. “It’s more than possible. It’s probable. Eugenia was always the sensible type.”

  “There, then!” said Lilah triumphantly. “Besides, it would be extremely difficult to pretend to fall in love. I daresay we wouldn’t fool anyone.”

  She had to look away when she said that, to give it the proper airy tone. It still sounded oddly unconvincing. She wished she hadn’t brought that particular objection up. There were some things better left unsaid, and this was one of them. Mentioning how hard it would be to pretend to fall in love had immediately made her picture how easy it would be, if the supposed object of her affections were Drake.

  She felt his touch, warm against her glove. He pulled her hand up and tucked it in the corner of his elbow, covering it with his. “Would it be that difficult for you?” he asked. His voice was low and rough. “I think I could do it.”

  Lilah, as usually happened when he touched her, had to remind herself to breathe normally. “I was never any good at pretense,” she said, willing her voice to not shake. “I know you think me overly dramatic, and I suppose I am. I must be; everyone accuses me of it. But that’s not the same thing as acting a part.”

  “I’ve no talent for play-acting, either.” He gave a short, mirthless laugh. “But all I need do, to behave exactly as if I’m in love with you, is turn off my brain.”

  Lilah choked. “And that, I suppose, comes naturally to you,” she remarked. “Alas, I am not accustomed to turning off my brain, and cannot promise that I would make a convincing nincompoop.”

  “You’re extremely convincing,” he said encouragingly. “In fact, I thought you were a nincompoop the first time I met you.”

  She looked daggers at him. “Nevertheless, I suggest we try an alternate method.”

  “Is there one?”

  “Rather! Remember, we haven’t yet done what we set out to do. There’s no reason to think our original plan won’t work. We never had an opportunity to try it.”

  “I’ve forgotten. What was our original plan?”

  “Turn your brain back on,” suggested Lilah. “Our original plan was simply to persuade Papa and Miss Mayhew, singly or together, to break their engagement. Miss Mayhew will then be free to wed you—if she so chooses, although I cannot hold out much hope that such a sensible creature will have you—and Papa will be free to seek a more suitable partner, a lady closer to him in age.”

  Drake looked glum. “It all sounded perfectly reasonable two days ago. I confess, my optimism has faded.”

  “So has mine,” Lilah admitted. “But if we do not try, we may regret it all our days.”

  They reached the end of the Peabodys’ avenue of oaks and turned to promenade back toward the house, Lilah’s hand still tucked in Drake’s arm. Drake glanced down at Lilah. “It occurs to me—having turned my brain back on—that we still have one element of surprise left to us.”

  “Do we? How so?”

  “They are clearly avoiding us because they know we are itching to make our case, and they don’t care to hear our arguments. Eugenia expects to hear from me. Your father will, likewise, expect to hear from you—doubtless at great length and with elevated pitch and volume.”

  Lilah had learned, by now, that it was a mistake to react when Drake needled her. She sighed in a long-suffering way, but did not rise to his bait. “Your point being—?” she prompted him.

  He chuckled, showing that he was well aware of the restraint she was displaying. “I think,” he said mildly, “that you and I should switch targets.”

  Lilah cocked her head, regarding him approvingly from beneath the brim of her bonnet. “That’s not bad,” she told him. “If you mean that I should speak with Miss Mayhew, and you should approach Papa.”

  “That is exactly what I mean.”

  Lilah thought for a moment. “It could work,” she said. “I must say, Papa has grown inured to my tactics over the years. A fresh voice, a fresh style, might be more persuasive. And, of course, he will not like to contradict you—something he has no compunction about, when it is only his daughter making the argument.”

  “Precisely. Eugenia, similarly, has acquired a distressing habit of humoring me rather than actually listening to me. I am hopeful that she will show you more courtesy.”

  Sudden doubt shook Lilah. “But, surely—you do not expect me to act as a go-between? I couldn’t possibly propose marriage to Miss Mayhew on your behalf.”

  Drake’s shoulders shook. “I’d love to be a fly on the wall while you tried it! But no, I don’t think that will be necessary. I proposed to her last night, you will recall. All I need you to do is sow a few doubts about the wisdom of her present course, plead my case a little, and let the idea simmer for a while. Meanwhile, I will try to explain to your father why the most chivalrous course for him would be to give Eugenia up—nobly, you know, so sh
e might marry the better man.”

  Lilah shrugged one shoulder pettishly. “I wish you would disabuse your mind of this silly notion that you are a better man than my father. You are a younger man, and you outrank him, but you are not better than Papa.”

  She wasn’t sure why she was feeling cross and unsettled. Drake seemed to understand, however, which surprised her a little. He halted on the gravel path, forcing her to stop and look up at him. His hooded eyes gleamed down at her, their expression serious but unreadable.

  “It’s not my intent to disparage your father,” he said. “It would have been, two days ago. Not today. It’s easy to vilify a man you’ve never met. It’s easy to blame others for your own shortcomings, when you’ve never had to face your shortcomings. I’m facing them now, Lilah, and I’m no longer sure of anything. I’m not even sure that I’m the best man for Eugenia to marry.” His hand covered hers again, and his eyes darkened. “I’m not sure I’m right for Eugenia, and I’m not sure Eugenia is right for me. And if anyone had told me, two days ago, that I could become this unsure, this quickly, about something I have always been certain of…” He shook his head, seeming both angry and bewildered.

  As if moving of its own volition, Lilah’s hand turned and clasped Drake’s. “I understand,” she said, in a low voice. “But I think at times like this, when we know we are not behaving rationally, all we can do is hearken back to the time when our minds were clear—and follow the course we set then.”

  His eyes searched hers. “I hope you are right,” he said hoarsely. “Because that is what I think, too. We must try to accomplish what we set out to accomplish. We must try to achieve the goals we set when we could think straight. As God is my witness, I want nothing more than to chuck it all. But I know I’m not thinking straight…because all I can think about is you.”

  Lilah gave a shaky little laugh. “If you are thinking of nothing but me, then you are definitely a bit addled. I know, because all I ever think about is you, and it’s driving me completely round the bend.”

  # # #

  Miss Mayhew proved remarkably difficult to move. For such a plain Jane, she certainly held a good opinion of herself. Lilah lured her into a private audience on the pretext of wishing to become better acquainted, then launched into an assault on the pairing of younger women with older men. She tried charm, then flattery, and finally a tearful plea calculated to appeal to Miss Mayhew’s sympathies. Miss Mayhew’s poise remained unshaken. At the end of Lilah’s carefully-crafted presentation, Miss Mayhew still sat serene, regarding her with calm and friendly attention. Lilah’s impassioned words had evidently had no effect whatsoever.

  She dropped into a nearby chair, exhausted. Miss Mayhew smiled kindly at her. “I hope you will not think me stubborn,” she said. Her voice had a soft, diffident quality. “I believe I understand what your feelings must be, and I am heartily sorry to be the cause of your distress. But I cannot alter such a momentous decision merely to please you.”

  Lilah eyed her with hostility. “What of Drake?” she demanded. “You could alter your decision to please Drake.”

  Miss Mayhew’s eyes slid away in a manner that struck Lilah as furtive. She gazed out the window in a meditative way. “I could,” she agreed. “But it would be rather silly of me, don’t you think?”

  “Not at all,” countered Lilah, sitting bolt upright. “Throughout the ages, women have made life-altering decisions based on the preferences of the men they love.”

  Miss Mayhew’s mild eyes returned to Lilah, studying her. “Indeed they have. And I’m very fond of Drake. But what of your father’s preferences? Am I not to consider those? I think I should.” Humor lit her features. “Particularly when his preferences march so well with mine.”

  The woman was infuriating. Lilah scowled at her. “I do not understand you,” she complained. “How can you—how can any woman—wish to ally herself with a man old enough to be her father?”

  Miss Mayhew colored. “Oh, come now. Hardly that. The disparity in our ages is only nineteen years.”

  “Only?” Lilah flew out of her chair in her agitation. “It is a lifetime! Not to mention that you will have a stepdaughter who is nearly your own age. How can you bear it?”

  “Easily, I hope,” said Miss Mayhew. Was that laughter quivering in her voice? “I have been looking forward to it with great pleasure. Lilah—may I call you Lilah?”

  Lilah nodded mutely.

  Her smile warmed. “And I hope you will call me Eugenia.” She leaned forward in her chair, looking very earnest. “You must know little about my life, or you could not wonder at my attitude. I was orphaned at the age of eleven. My parents left me quite penniless, I’m afraid. The dowager Lady Drakesley was my father’s second cousin, and it was she who offered me a home. Her son, Adam—Drake, you know—was my only companion—indeed, my closest friend—from that day until this. Whenever he was away at school, or off on his wanderings, I was desperately lonely. I have always secretly longed for a sister.” The color had risen in Eugenia’s cheeks again, but her eyes never left Lilah’s face. “When your father told me of your existence, I rejoiced,” she said softly.

  A lump formed in Lilah’s throat. Eugenia’s brief history, so simply told, and ending with such a naked plea for friendship, could not but move her. She had to look away for a moment. “I am sorry,” she said, hoping she did not sound too gruff. “I should not have…badgered you. I am only trying to comprehend your motives. So far, I’m afraid they escape me.”

  Eugenia folded her hands quietly in her lap. “Marriage is a contract. It is more than that, of course, but a contract it surely is. Your father and I are entering into an alliance that will, we hope, benefit both of us. Do I seem mercenary to you?”

  At least the lady did not mince words. Relieved, Lilah faced her squarely. “No,” she said levelly. “That is what I do not understand. If you were marrying for money and position, you would choose Drake.”

  “Not necessarily.” Humor lit Eugenia’s eyes again. “It is important, when marrying for position, that a lady choose the position to which she is best suited. I would make a poor countess, I think. But mistress of a snug little property in Wiltshire? I confess, that life appeals to me strongly.”

  Lilah flung her arms wide. “But it’s nonsensical!” she cried. “The life of a countess is far superior to that of a mere baronet’s wife! My mother was a great lady in the neighborhood, but her sphere was woefully small. Think, Eugenia! You have lived among the aristocracy. Your life as Lady Chadwick will seem sadly flat, compared to the life you have witnessed Drake’s mother lead.”

  Eugenia laughed and wrinkled her nose. “Important duties, vast responsibilities, arranging enormous parties and then having to play hostess at them—feeling all eyes upon you, everywhere you go—your every utterance weighed and judged and repeated, and occasionally finding its way into the gossip columns! No, thank you. Everyone around Lady Drakesley jockeys for position and tries to curry favor, until the unfortunate woman scarcely knows who her real friends are. I’ve no desire to lead a countess’s life. In fact, I would hate it.”

  Lilah struggled to see Eugenia’s point of view, and failed. How could any woman turn down a life of never-ending excitement, glamor, and high drama? A life where she would hold the reins, wielding power over a large and complicated household? A life where she would be forever the center of attention?

  “Well,” said Lilah frankly, “perhaps I am a shallow creature, but I would absolutely love it.”

  Eugenia’s smile was suspiciously demure. “Mayhap you should marry Drake,” she suggested, as if the idea had just occurred to her.

  Lilah was not fooled. Eugenia’s expression was just a shade too innocent. She glowered at her. “No,” she said flatly. “I should not.”

  “Why not, pray?”

  Lilah began flitting restlessly around the room. “Well, for one thing, he wants to marry you,” she said roundly.

  “Oh, pooh.” Eugenia pulled a face. “I would
n’t let a trifling thing like that stop me.”

  “But that’s not all,” exclaimed Lilah, exasperated. “Drake and I fight constantly. We can’t seem to help it. We just naturally rub up against each other.” That was an unfortunate image. Lilah corrected herself hastily. “What I mean is, we are too much alike.”

  “I have noticed that,” said Eugenia thoughtfully. “It’s really quite remarkable. You and Drake are like two sides of the same coin.”

  “I daresay we are. Unfortunately, two sides of the same coin can never see eye-to-eye,” said Lilah firmly. “I’ve no desire to spend my days quarreling over every little thing.”

  “Interesting,” Eugenia commented. “Most people search for common ground in a life partner. But you seem to believe, as Drake does, that you would be happier with someone who is unlike you.”

  “Oh, yes. Of course I would! I saw such a match work well for my own parents, you know—a pairing of opposites. My mother was a lively, brilliant woman, but…volatile. My father is self-effacing and mild. He is never the brightest light at the dinner table, but he is utterly reliable. One can depend upon him.”

  “Yes,” said Eugenia softly. “That is the quality that first drew me to him.”

  Lilah was suddenly aware that she was failing to make a case for Drake. “Drake has fine qualities, too,” she reminded Eugenia desperately. “I do not think you should dismiss his suit out-of-hand.”

  Eugenia chuckled. “You would.”

  “That is an entirely different matter,” said Lilah, annoyed. “Drake and I butt heads whenever we meet. That’s not the case where you are concerned. He tells me you never argue with him at all.”