Page 67 of A Sense of Fate
Oddly enough, Flora felt no fear for herself. Conrad had acted out of character, and had Flora not been foolish enough to enrage him by mentioning Archie’s name he probably would have come to his senses and let them go. All well and good, but her actions had brought Archie to this dilapidated barn with a muddy floor that would make it hard for him to remain on his feet, and now they had a stand-off. Archie had murder in his eyes, but Conrad would never back down.
‘Let them go,’ Archie said, in a mordant tone. ‘Your argument is with me.’
‘Glad you could join us, your lordship,’ Conrad replied with a mocking bow. As he straightened himself up, he pulled Melanie to her feet and held the dagger to her throat.
‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ Archie sneered at him, waving a hand in casual dismissal of his desperate actions. ‘If you harm a hair on her head, then you will swing for your crime. I know you are perhaps not the most intelligent of men, but even you must be able to see that you will never get away with it.’
‘You always were an arrogant bastard, Felsham.’
‘Arrogant possibly, but I am no bastard.’ Archie sauntered further into the barn, showing no signs of the strain Flora knew he must be feeling as he waded through thick mud. She had the satisfaction of seeing the surprise on Conrad’s face as Archie walked upright and apparently at ease. Archie sent Flora a look of mild concern. ‘Has this person dared to harm you?’ he asked.
‘No, not me, but he keeps threatening Melanie, presumably because she is smaller and therefore easier to subdue.’
‘I might be small but I am not afraid of this…this oaf!’
‘I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised to see you hiding behind a child’s petticoats,’ Archie drawled.
Flora smiled, proud of her sister’s resistance. She had a dagger held to her throat but still didn’t show the fear she must be feeling.
Good girl!
I refuse to give him the satisfaction.
The telepathy between them was strong now that they were in the same place and Remus didn’t have to communicate across wide distances.
Stay strong.
Remus flew close to Conrad’s face, and pulled ugly faces at him that caused Flora to smile in spite of the tense situation. Conrad felt the draught and waved his free hand in front of his face, looking momentarily bemused.
‘Is this parody of an abduction being carried out on Latimer’s orders?’ Archie asked idly. ‘I should have thought that he would be more concerned with his next exorcism.’
‘Exorcism?’ Flora and Melanie breathed in unison, sharing a bemused look.
Conrad appeared equally shocked and abruptly released Melanie, throwing her to the muddy floor of the barn. Flora seized the opportunity to spring forward, grasped her sister’s hand and pulled her to safety.
‘Go, the pair of you!’ Archie didn’t remove a concentrated gaze that was filled with venom from Conrad’s face.
‘You too, Archie.’ Flora tugged at his hand with her free one. ‘Leave him to the authorities. We have grounds now for his arrest.’
‘Yes go, Felsham.’ Conrad waved a hand, goading him. ‘It wouldn’t be a fair fight.’
‘Oh, I don’t know.’ Flora groaned when Archie walked closer to his adversary. ‘My incapacity makes us about even, I’d say.’
‘Your incapacities have done nothing to temper your arrogance,’ Conrad sneered. ‘You used to swan around Oxford like you owned the entire city, and half the population fell at your feet. Everything you touched turned to gold.’ He sent Archie a sneer that didn’t entirely disguise his envy. ‘Nothing has changed in that regard.’
‘You must be devastated to know that your efforts to do away with me failed.’
‘What?’ Flora gasped softly.
Conrad sent Archie a smug look. ‘Took you long enough to work that out.’
‘Which highlights the differences between us. You have never stopped resenting me, whereas I haven’t spared you a passing thought over these past twelve years.’ Archie allowed a significant pause. ‘And even now that you have been drawn to my attention again, I look upon you as being no more significant than an irritating fly.’
There was the sound of a crowd approaching the barn but Flora heard Pawson’s voice warning them to stay back. She wondered at first why Pawson wasn’t at Archie’s shoulder, groaning when realisation dawned. Archie wanted…needed to settle this business with Conrad without anyone else’s help. Men! She rolled her eyes, even if a small part of her could understand Archie’s need.
‘Leave if you want to and you will be taken in charge,’ Archie continued conversationally. ‘Or face me like the gentleman you aspire to be but never will. You have clearly never stopped bearing me a grudge, so here I am and here is your opportunity.’
Conrad’s options were few, and both men clearly knew it. It would be cowardly if he backed down now. Flora’s heart flew into her mouth when, with a feral growl, Conrad leapt forward, brandishing his dagger. She gasped as Archie withdrew a vicious sword from the innocent-looking stick he carried before Conrad had covered half the distance between them.
