Chapter 4 A Duel

“Would someone care to tell me what the hell is going on in my library!” Sebastian, the Duke of Hanton, gritted out through clenched teeth.

Sighing, Julian rubbed his brows. This was what he was afraid of. It was already enough that the four of them knew what was going on, and now the bloody Duke too? This was too much.

From his peripheral vision he saw George step forward regardless of his necktie which has gone askew and his blond hair which seems to be everywhere, he seems not to notice for he walked with an arrogant step, he might as well be the King of England, for the way he walked, ruthless, and fierce as if he owned the bloody world.

George stood in front of the duke and levelled him with an equivalent irritated expression. “Well, if you must know, the Earl has compromised my sister, both of them were found in a compromising position.”

The Duke's eyes shifted to her and Emily winced. She cowered her head in shame as the Duke passed her a fleeting stare. Emily wished the ground would open up and swallow her. Leave it to George to say things plainly, couldn't he have phrased it more delicately? One that didn't make her out to look like a wanton.

When she had scampered about looking for a kiss, the last thing she had expected when she found one was for her brothers to be a witness to it and now the duke too. This was so shameful.

Sebastian frowned and let his eyes drift over to Cole, who was leaning by the wall watching him with an amused expression. He noticed his friend's bloodied eye and cut lips and scowled. “Is that why you have seen fit to tackle him in my library? My wife would throw a fit if she should discover the sight of blood on this plush carpet, which she seems to love so dearly.”

“I'm sorry if we have caused you or your library any great discomfort, it was Julian who spoke up now, “and we would be happy to settle the bills if perhaps one is sent our way.”

That didn't sound nice in Sebastian's ears, and he scoffed and stared down at the man before him. Already showing off his wealth heh. He lifted his eyes from him and let it fall on the woman who they said was caught in a compromising position with Cole. He watched her cower and step back behind her brother's back, too afraid to meet his cold, frigid eyes.

For some strange reasons, she didn't strike him as someone who Cole might be found tangling with. In other words, she was no diamond of the first waters. Sebastian frowned and stared at the brothers, directing his question to them. “Why do I find this so hard to believe? Are you sure it was him?

Lucas's eyes narrowed, and his voice turned to steel. “Are you trying to tell me the four of us are blind!” He snarled out. “That we don't know what it looks like if someone was ravishing our sister. By God, the earl's mouth was just down on my sister's throat some minutes ago.

Sebastian cringed at the description. “Well, if you put it like that. It does sound like something Cole would do.”

On hearing that, Cole Fletcher grinned from his position on the wall, “I'm glad you still know me, Sebastian.” His comment, earning him a collective glare from the brothers.

Cursing furiously George turned to go back to Cole with a clenched fist but Lucas held him back and shook his head, silently asking him not to.

The earl only raised a brow and grinned. The Duke returned his grin with a similar one before he turned and face the siblings, “Well what have you decided.”

Lucas sighed, suddenly tired. With all the punching and rolling on the floor, the pain was beginning to set in. He did leave the earl with a few injuries, but he can't say his face was free either. For the life of him, his nose hurt like hell.  He sighed again and scratched his brows. “If you must know, Lord Tonfield had refused to do the honourable thing and marry my sister—”

Honourable thing indeed, Cole scoffed.

“—So I have challenged him to a duel.”

“A duel?” The Duke echoed back, surprised. Wasn't that taken it a bit too far?

“And you agree to this?” Sebastian asked Cole.

All this while Emily had been quiet, but at this last statement, she craned her head back over her neck and watched the earl with pleading eyes, Internally praying he would say no. But one doesn't always get what they wished for, for as she watched, his expression turned serious. Long were the amused eyes and playful grin. In place of it was an ugly, threatening frown. And as his eyes found hers, his lips curled up into a tight flat line before it flickered from hers and came to rest on her brothers.

“I agree to a duel.”

Sebastian sighed. “Very well then.” He turned and planted his hands on his waist. Gentlemen, it seems we have ourselves an agreement.”

“Not quite, Vincent glowered. “He is yet to pick a weapon, so what's it going to be Tonfield? A sword or a pistol heh?”

Eyeing the dark-haired man before him with a soulful expression, Cole opened his mouth and said, “Pistol.”

With that said, the siblings bundled themselves off towards the door with their sister firmly in tow.

The group of Siblings exited the library one after the other until only one of the Bertram brothers was left standing at the entrance.

The eldest, Julian, turned and regarded Cole with an expressionless face. “It will be best if you would appoint a second, someone who would act in your best interest and talk some sense into you. Then maybe we won't have to resolve to a bloody duel.”

Without a word, Cole watched him with the strangest expression on his face, until he finally disappeared.

Immediately after, Sebastian turned with his hands on his waist, and legs spread out at ease and grinned at his friend. “My, my, I can't say I am quite surprised by the aspect of you ravishing a woman, He said and rubbed his chin. “But what I am quite surprised about is the aspect of you ravishing a woman whilst a ball is going on. Heh, bloody hell! After all your thoughtful care to make sure you don't end up in a compromising situation like this one, look where you are. Look how the mighty have fallen.”

Cole bit back a curse and threw his face the other way “Goddamn it Sebastian! I didn't say I was marrying the chit.”

“No? Heh, the Duke asked and grinned. “Well, that is yet to be seen.”