Intolerable Civility

Chapter Fourteen: The Battlefield

In the gallery outside the door to Cate's apartments, David sank against a wall and took deep, strained breaths. The blood was pounding in his ears and his hands were shaking. He wanted to hit something.

That lying bitch.

That filthy, conniving old woman.

He clenched his fist then forced himself to slowly release it. Violence would only make him look more the fool. Besides, it was the first recourse of halfwits and blackguards. He had seen enough of those in the army. Men who never applied their brains to a problem until after their fists had made it worse. Not that there was much opportunity to apply his brain to this problem: Catherine had lied to him. Neither brain nor fist could fix that.

To be sure, it had all been Miss Skinner's idea, but Catherine had not opposed her. Not seriously, anyway. She was not merely dishonest, she was a coward.

His fist closed in on itself again. David took another deep breath. He had already known that. The real problem was that he had lost his chance to settle the bargain with Lord Varley. And that could be solved, yes, there were several solutions. There was no need to worry about the mines. No need to panic about the finances.

As the first heat of his anger cooled, David became aware of the hurt beneath it. He had believed Catherine to be in danger. She had played with his emotions, twisted him into believing it. Treated him like a puppet. Oh, to be sure, it had not been her plan. He had heard enough to understand that Miss Skinner had been the originator and architect of it. He had stayed by the door silently listening, hoping that Catherine would fight for him. And instead, she had deserted him. He meant that little to her.

He shook himself from head to toe. It did not matter what she thought of him. There was no point being hurt by her disregard or her fear. They were her feelings, which she owned entirely, and which he had done nothing to earn.

Steeling himself, he went downstairs, where he found Laurie and Sarah standing in the hall regarding each other with all the suspicion of two stray cats meeting unexpectedly in an alley. Sarah and Laurie never had got on.

"She says you invited her to stay for a while," Laurie said suspiciously.

"She invited herself," David corrected. "But that might forgiven in a cousin."

"Hmph." Laurie did not look impressed. "What happened upstairs? I heard you yell."

"A lover's tiff?" There was a teasing spark in Sarah's eyes.

"Not exactly." David did not wish to explain it in front of her. "Why don't you go up and introduce yourself to my wife, Sarah? She will forgive the imposition, I am sure."

"She is not too unwell for visitors?"

David did not wish to admit the truth he thought Sarah must already suspect. "On the contrary, I think the diversion will lift her spirits."

"Hm." Sarah looked from him to Laurie and back again, but her curiosity about the new was greater than her interest in the old. "If you think it wisest."

She went away up the stairs, holding her skirts six inches off the ground. Laurie watched her go with a scowl.

"What's she really doing here?"

"She said she wished to see Wales. I own, I had rather hoped she meant to stay with a friend."

"In which case, she would be limited to the hotels of Bangor."

David laughed then bit it back. "She has been very kind to me in London."

"Because she wants something."