The Bridegroom's Bargain. Sylvia Andrew

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СКАЧАТЬ say anything. Take it! And stand back!’

      She turned to the shelves behind her, and when she faced the room again she was holding a pistol in her hand. ‘All of you stand back!’ The pistol was pointing at Richard. There was a moment of stunned astonishment.

      Then Lady Honoria exclaimed, ‘Alexandra! What do you think you’re doing? Is this a joke? It’s in extremely poor taste if it is. Put that thing down at once!’

      ‘Oh, no! Not till I’ve done what I’ve sworn to do.’ Her eye caught a movement. ‘I warn you all. If anyone moves, I shall shoot Deverell straight away. And I won’t miss.’

      Richard spoke for the first time. He was slightly pale, but perfectly self-possessed, and his eyes never left his bride’s face. ‘I think I can vouch for that,’ he said calmly. ‘Alexandra is a first-class shot, I taught her myself. But I’d quite like to know why she thinks she wants to shoot me. Alexandra?’

      ‘You need to ask? You’re a coward! A villainous coward! You killed my brother, and you ruined my father. Isn’t that enough?’

      A gasp went up at these words. Lady Honoria uttered a shocked protest, and Canon Harmond, looking bewildered, said,

      ‘I don’t understand. Why are you saying such terrible things, Alexandra? Lord Deverell has just made you his wife! Poor child, you don’t know what you’re doing. It has all been too much for you. Give that weapon to me.’ He took a step forward.

      Lexi’s command stopped him. ‘Stand back! I’m quite aware of what I’m doing. Stand back! I swear I will shoot Deverell before you can reach me.’

      ‘Richard, this is disgraceful behaviour! I’ve never known anything like it! Stop her, why don’t you?’ said Lady Honoria, outraged.

      Without taking his eyes off his wife, Richard said, ‘There’s nothing I’d like more, Aunt Honoria, but I’m not quite sure how.’ He was now very pale, but remained cool. ‘But I am sure that it’s no joke. She means what she says.’ His voice changed as he spoke. ‘These are very serious accusations, Alexandra. Do you really believe them? They can’t possibly be justified, you know.’

      ‘Oh, indeed they can! I have all the evidence I need for that! And now Rawdon is safe, I intend to make you pay for what you’ve done.’

      Lady Honoria turned to Mark Rawdon. ‘Sir Mark!’ she said forcefully. ‘Haven’t you any influence with her? Say something! Do something! I can’t believe she seriously means to shoot anybody, but pointing a gun like that is dangerous. Tell her to stop acting like a fool, to put it down. Make her listen to you!’

      ‘Don’t do it, Lexi!’ said her cousin. ‘You’ve got what you wanted—Rawdon will survive. Surely you don’t need to do anything as mad as this? It’s not necessary any more.’

      ‘It is! It’s more necessary than ever. He’s my husband, Mark! Do you imagine I could live with such a villain?’ She lifted the pistol, and the tension in the little room rose again.

      ‘Wait, Alexandra! Wait!’ Richard spoke urgently, but still without fear. ‘Give me just one moment. As the condemned man I could surely be allowed one moment to put my case.’

      ‘To plead your innocence, perhaps?’ Lexi’s lip curled.

      ‘Yes, dammit! I am innocent!’

      ‘You did not shoot my brother?’

      ‘No, I did not!’

      Lexi went on relentlessly, ‘You did not play cards with my father? Gamble with him? You did not win everything he owned? Ruin him?’

      Richard hesitated. ‘He was ruined before I began the game, but, yes, I did play him for what…what was left. And I won.’ Lexi gave a sob and her hand tightened round the pistol. Lady Honoria and the Canon both made a movement of protest.

      ‘Keep still, all of you!’ Richard spoke sharply. ‘I absolutely forbid anyone to interfere! This is between Alexandra and myself.’ He held Lexi’s eye as he went on deliberately, ‘I did what I had to about your father. I wanted to save him, not ruin him. If he had not died so suddenly, I would have proved it. To him, and, if necessary, to you.’

      ‘Not very convincing! I made you return my father’s lands to Mark. If I hadn’t, they would now all be yours, swallowed up in the Channings estate. Rawdon wouldn’t exist any more.’ Her voice rose angrily. ‘Good God, Deverell! What sort of man are you? Wasn’t Channings big enough for you? Did you have to take Rawdon as well?’

      With a touch of steel in his voice, Richard said, ‘You didn’t make me give anything back, Alexandra. It was all freely given as a wedding present to you. You chose to pass it on to your cousin.’

      ‘Not so freely! I had to marry you to get it!’

      ‘Are you saying you wouldn’t have married me otherwise? I find that hard to believe. You seemed willing enough when I asked you.’

      ‘That was before—’ She stopped and swallowed. ‘Before I found out what you’d done. After that, nothing but the thought of saving Rawdon could have reconciled me to it.’

      If possible, Richard grew even paler. ‘I…see…’ Then, after a pause, he went on, ‘But, as you have said, Rawdon is saved. Whatever I did or didn’t do, surely it’s been put right again?’

      ‘Put right again? You drove my father to his death! And there’s still my brother to be paid for!’

      ‘I’ve told you,’ Richard said steadily, ‘Johnny’s death was an accident.’

      ‘Oh, I could believe that! But accidentally or not, you shot him, Deverell, though you told everyone he had shot himself. Why else would you have tried to cover it up afterwards? You are a liar and a coward, Richard Deverell. I know that, even if the world doesn’t.’

      Richard grew white about the lips, and Lexi held the gun up more threateningly as he took an involuntary step forward.

      Lady Honoria shrieked, ‘No! No! Please God, no!’

      After a momentary pause her nephew was once again cool as he said, ‘If that was true, I would deserve everything you say of me. But it isn’t. I wasn’t even there when Johnny died. If I had been, it—’ He stopped for a moment, showing for the first time a hint of strong emotion. His jaw tightened, then he went on, ‘If I had been there it wouldn’t have happened. I’d have saved him. But he was alone when he died.’

      His voice carried conviction, and for the first time Lexi hesitated. But after a moment her confidence returned and she said flatly, ‘I have proof. Very good proof.’

      ‘Then show me! Come, Alexandra, where’s your sense of justice? Tried, convicted and condemned, all in one breath? Is that to be my fate?’

      The pistol did not waver, though Lexi’s voice rose in despair. ‘I loved you, Richard! My father loved you. Johnny was your friend. And you betrayed us all! You lied and cheated people who had trusted you all their lives! You don’t deserve to live.’

      Richard’s voice was still measured, still calm. He said drily, ‘My dear girl, try for once to think of the consequences before you act! At the moment СКАЧАТЬ