By the time Amelia and Harmonia returned home and changed, it was already close to luncheon. Harmonia felt quite drained as she made her way to the dining room, bolstered only by the thought that her afternoon was to be spent with Lord Newford. She was suddenly filled with an urgency to be in his company, glad that there were only a few more hours before he would call.

“Papa,” she said, greeting him as she took her place at the table. “Have you had an enjoyable morning?”

“Very much so,” her father smiled, looking quite pleased with himself. “I have accomplished a very great deal, I must say. Mostly business matters you understand, and a great deal of paperwork, but it is all in hand now.”

“Very good,” Amelia murmured, as she poured herself and Harmonia some tea. “There is something that we need to tell you, papa.”

“Oh?”

A frown jumped onto his face at once, his happy expression evaporating. Amelia nodded towards Harmonia and, as her father turned his gaze towards her, Harmonia haltingly began to explain what had happened.

As she spoke, the Duke’s face turned from horror to sheer fury, to the point that he rose from the table and thumped it hard with his fist.

“I will leave at once!” he exclaimed, going to ring the bell. “Luke will learn that there are consequences for treating my daughters with such disdain!”

“No, papa!” Harmonia exclaimed, getting up from her chair and coming around to him. “You must not. I know that his behavior is completely without excuse, but I do not think that calling him out will do anything other than cause a scandal.”

“Besides,” Amelia added, quietly. “I am quite sure that Lord Newford will not be long in declaring himself, papa. Why not write a strongly worded letter to Luke, telling him that you are aware of what he has done and the kind of gentleman he has become to warn him that if there are any more such displays from him there will be dire consequences? I am sure that will be enough to have him think twice.”

To Harmonia’s relief, the Duke sagged a little and looked at them both, one after the other. “But I am not defending your honor if I do nothing,” he said, slowly, with a pained expression on his face. “I would have him know that his behavior will not be tolerated!”

“Then do so,” Harmonia replied, quickly, “but do it in the way Amelia suggests. You do not need to call him out, papa, for I fear that would only bring more sadness and pain. Please, do not do such a thing. I would not have you injure yourself for all the world, not even in defense of my honor.” She gave him a half smile as he drew in a long breath. “Besides, there were no others within the bookshop except the owner himself. No-one knows what occurred, no-one saw. There is no need to worry about a scandal.”

His shoulders slumped, and from what Harmonia guessed to be against his better judgement, the Duke slowly returned to his seat. It was clear that her father wanted nothing more than to defend her, but she was relieved that they had managed to convince him not to call Luke out. Her heart was comforted by her father’s desire to do something to show Luke she was not to be treated so. Silently she vowed not to be separated from her sister again when they next left the house, not even with a footman by her side.

“Thank you, papa,” Amelia said, softly. “I do believe that this is the best course of action. Luke will soon be run out of town since it is now clear that almost everyone is aware of his insolvency. He is not welcome to any society events, and I am sure will very soon be forced to leave London.”

“I suppose that is true,” came the quiet response.

Harmonia shot her sister a concerned look as she took her seat at the table once more, seeing her father somewhat despondent.

Amelia made to say more, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door. The butler entered with a note, but instead of handing it to her father, gave it directly to Harmonia.

“It was to be given to you urgently,” the butler said, quietly. “I believe the man who brought it is still waiting for your response, my lady.”

Harmonia stared at the butler for a moment, the slice of toast dropping from her fingers. Something coiled in her belly, sending frissons of fear through her limbs.

“Open it,” Amelia urged, looking up at the butler. “Send the man here, will you?”

“Of course,” the butler intoned, hurrying from the room as Harmonia broke the seal on the letter. Her hand trembled as she recognized the Newford seal, her eyes lifting to her father for a moment before she began to read aloud.

“‘I have been shot but not severely injured. I write to you to beg you to be on your guard. I need not guess who it was for I had an altercation with Lord Darnsley late last night. Write to me at once so I know you are safe. Yours, Newford.’”

Hearing Amelia’s gasp, Harmonia lifted her eyes to her sister and stared at her in horror. Could this truly have been Luke’s doing?

“He was rather drunk when we encountered him this morning,” Amelia breathed, a look of understanding in her eye. “Did he perhaps feel triumphant in his success?”

“You must write back to Newford at once, Harmonia,” her father said firmly, breaking the sudden silence. “This very moment, in fact. Tell him that you are well, and that you will not leave this house until Luke is dealt with. Do not delay. This is not to be borne! Luke will have to pay for what he has done!” He got up from the table and rang the bell. The butler appeared at once and the Duke sent him off to prepare the carriage.

“I must go to him.”

Her whisper travelled all around the room, bringing with it a long, lengthy silence. The Duke said nothing and nor did Amelia, each clearly stunned by what they had heard.

“I must go to him at once,” Harmonia said again, trying to get to her feet. “Oh, papa! He has been shot! What if he is close to death?”

Her father harrumphed and shook his head with a determined look in his eye. “No, Harmonia, you will remain here. I shall go. It is time for me to act instead of remaining passively at home. I will not have you in danger again.”

“You cannot, papa!” Amelia exclaimed, now also rising from her chair. “What if Luke….”

“Luke will do no harm to me,” the Duke said, firmly. “It is you I am concerned for, particularly after this morning’s events. And Harmonia, it is clear to me that Lord Newford is not at death’s door, else he would not have been able to write with such a steady and consistent hand.”

Harmonia swallowed the lump in her throat, battling against the tears that formed in her eyes. “Do you truly think that Luke was the one to do this, papa?”

Her father’s face remained grim. “I would be lying if I did not say that yes, I believe he could have been the one to do it. It appears that we are all finally seeing the kind of man Luke is, for he has been able to hide his true self from us all for some time. I will not have you go near him, Harmonia, do you understand? You are to remain here with your sister, and you are not to leave this house until I discover Luke’s whereabouts.”

It took every bit of Harmonia’s willpower not to argue with her father, although her heart broke asunder within her.

“Harmonia,” Amelia said, quietly. “Go and write to Lord Newford. Papa can take the letter with him.”

The Duke nodded, compassion written on his face. “I understand how difficult this must be for you Harmonia, but I cannot allow you to leave, even if it is to travel with me to see Lord Newford. I could not bear it if something were to happen to you. Write to Lord Newford and assure him that you are well. I will explain what happened with Luke this morning and why you will be remaining at home until he is found. Take heart, my dear. I am sure Lord Newford will come here the very moment he is able.”

Finding herself somewhat weak, Harmonia nodded and walked towards the door, her feet a little unsteady. What had occurred this morning had been difficult enough but now to discover that her suitor had been shot by her cousin only added to her burden of pain and confusion. She desperately wanted to hurry to Newford’s side, as if to make certain that he was to live and not draw near to death, but her father’s edict stood. She was to remain here, far apart from Lord Newford even though her heart ached to be with him.

‘My dear Newford,’ she wrote, her hand trembling as she scratched the quill across the parchment. ‘I am deeply troubled to hear of your injury. Be assured that I am quite well, as is Amelia. I long to be with you but for reasons that my father will explain, I am to remain at home. I do hope that, very soon, I will be in your company once more. Write to me when you can and know that I love you with all that is within me. Yours, Harmonia.’

A single tear fell from her eye and landed on the parchment as she folded it up, sealing it with wax. Pressing the letter to her heart, she held it there for a moment, her eyes closing as she fought her desperate tears. To be apart from Newford now was an agony, a searing pain that would not let her heart go.

“I will be with you again very soon,” she whispered, looking down at the letter at her hand. “Luke will be gone from town and all will be well.” She tried to smile as she rose from her chair in search of her father, all the while trying her best to believe that, soon, Luke’s dealings with Newford and her family would be nothing more than a distant, cloudy memory.

And yet, as she handed the letter to her father, the disquiet, the doubt and the fear remained.