“Step away from her.” Edwin held his hands curled into fists before him in a pugilist’s stance. “Now!”
Durand frowned. “Stay out of this, Blakeborough. It’s none of your concern.”
“The devil it isn’t.” Edwin said the first thing that came into his head. “She’s my fiancée.”
Bloody hell. Had he actually said that? He’d never been good at lies, and that was a colossal one.
But he wouldn’t back out of it now. Too much was at stake. “So I’ll thank you to keep your hands off her unless you want to end up laid out on the floor.”
Looking panicked, Clarissa rushed over to put herself between them. “That’s enough, both of you!” She grabbed Edwin’s rigid arm and dragged on it until he reluctantly lowered his fist. “There will be no brawling. There must be no brawling.” Her imploring gaze said, This must remain private.
Damn it. She was right.
“You heard the lady,” Durand said with a smug tone. “There’s no need for brawling. Especially since we both know you’re lying about being her fiancé.”
She whirled on the man with a fierce look. “He is not.” Then she grabbed Edwin’s hand. “I just told you I’m in love with someone else. You simply refused to listen.”
Even knowing she was bluffing about being in love didn’t diminish the power of those words. Or the strange sensation of her fingers clinging to his hand so intimately. As if she needed him.
God help him, he would be here for her, no matter how many lies he had to spout. She was still shaken. He could tell.
It brought anger roaring up inside him once more. “I suggest you leave, Durand, or I won’t be accountable for my actions.” That was certainly not a lie.
The Frenchman laughed dismissively. “And what do you think you could do?”
Edwin’s free hand was still clenched in a fist at his side. “Not for nothing did my brother spend all his time with pugilists. They taught him how to fight, and he taught me. I’m happy to demonstrate what I learned.”
Rabidly eager, in fact. He couldn’t explain the violence of his anger, but it was a palpable, twisting creature inside him. If Durand made one move toward Clarissa, Edwin would gleefully punch the arse in the jaw.
Eyes narrowing, Durand glanced from him to Clarissa. “Your fiancé, eh? If that’s true, then why is this the first I’m hearing of it?”
“We’re keeping it secret until my cousin returns.” Clarissa sounded far calmer than Edwin felt, though the surprising strength with which she gripped his hand belied her tone. “Edwin hasn’t had the chance to ask Lord Knightford for my hand formally.”
“Why not?” Durand crossed his arms over his chest. “Knightford brought you to town only a couple of days ago, didn’t he?”
Edwin’s gut twisted into a knot. The man knew her comings and goings that well? “Not that it’s any of your concern, but he had to leave right away again on business.” Edwin stared down into Clarissa’s face with what he hoped was a convincing lover-like expression as he prepared to lie his arse off. “Besides, I wanted to speak to her before I approached him. So I did. Yesterday. Unfortunately, by then he was already gone.”
The Frenchman scowled. “I don’t believe either of you. Here’s what I think happened.” Ignoring Edwin entirely, Durand sidled nearer, and Clarissa pressed herself against Edwin’s side so instinctively that it worried him. “Knightford had to leave on business, and he was afraid that if he left her ladyship alone, I might persuade her to give me a chance. So he asked his good friend to stand in for him as her protector.”
“And why would I agree to that?” Edwin asked.
“Yes,” she said swiftly. “Why would he agree—or then make up a story about an engagement? And why would I support it, instead of just telling Edwin to leave you and me alone?”
Durand fixed his gaze on her. “Because they’ve poisoned you against me. But don’t worry. I shan’t relinquish my pursuit just because this arse is trying to keep you from me.”
Edwin pushed between her and Durand. “Come near her again, and I will make you regret it.”
Durand chuckled. “She let me kiss her, you fool.”
“I did not!” Clarissa cried.
“And the minute your back is turned,” Durand went on, ignoring her, “she won’t be able to resist finding me. You’ll see. All that this ploy of yours does is delay the inevitable.”
A cold chill ran down Edwin’s spine. The man was mad. And madmen were always dangerous. “Get. Out.” Edwin stared him down. “Before I decide to give you that demonstration in pugilism after all.”
The arse held up his hands. “Whatever you wish, my lord. I shall look forward to proving you wrong about Lady Clarissa and me.” After casting a lingering look at Clarissa, he left.