Page 148 of On a Wild Night (Cynster 8)

Feminine tones, decidedly autocratic, penetrated the room. Amanda knew them well. She glanced at Devil, saw his jaw harden. He looked, pointedly, at Lady Osbaldestone. Who narrowed her eyes back.

"Wasn't me," her ladyship declared. "Must be one of you two"-she waved her cane at Devil and Vane-"who can't keep his secrets."

"We haven't even seen them since you grabbed us," Vane growled.

The door opened; Honoria, Patience and Amelia swept in. Honoria's gaze swept the room. "Now this is more like it! Amanda, you are going to have an enormous job decorating all this before the wedding."

Descending on her, Honoria hugged her without removing her from Martin's embrace. "Patience-here. She's been cut and it's bleeding."

Honoria turned to Lady Osbaldestone, who, Martin now noticed, had paled; the old harridan allowed herself to be guided to a chair. Patience took over with Amanda, taking her to sit on a chair near the window so she could tend her wound. "We don't want any unsightly scars."

Martin let Amanda go, and watched, amazed. They were only three women, yet… within seconds, they'd seized the whiphand.

Amelia had settled Reggie, also rather pale, back on the chaise. She inquired after the bellpull, then crossed to tug it; when Jules appeared she ordered warm water in a basin and cloth to tend her sister's cut. After glancing at Luc, she also ordered an ice pack.

Martin looked at his cousin. A large bruise was spreading over Luc's chiseled jaw. It was from a blow Edward had aimed at Martin; Luc had intercepted it.

After one pointed look at her spouse, Honoria had dispatched him to get a glass of something for Lady Osbaldestone. Vane had been similarly dealt with, and ordered to supply drinks to all others in need. From what Martin overheard, Honoria, Patience and Amelia had worked out their plan for themselves; they'd kept watch from a carriage in the lane beyond the courtyard wall. They'd heard Amanda's scream and come running.

Having had all his hostly duties usurped, Martin crossed to Luc, still standing over Edward, prone and moaning on the floor.

"Leave him." Martin looked down at Edward. "If he moves, Lady Osbaldestone will just hammer him again."

Luc laughed shakily. "I still can't believe she did that."

"She's a terror with that cane." Vane handed them glasses, then nodded toward the fireplace. "Let's go over there-there are things we need to discuss."

Devil brought a glass of wine for Reggie. "No spirits for you, so I was instructed." Reggie humphed but accepted the wine.

Jules returned with a basin and cloths; Amelia hurried to take them, then went to help tend her sister. The men gathered before the hearth, Reggie beside them on the chaise, and got down to business: how to deal adequately with Edward, and how to minimize the social damage his perfidy would inevitably cause. The first was easy enough, the second anything but.

Then the ladies joined them, disposing themselves on the chaises. Honoria looked at her husband. "What have you decided?"

Devil glanced at Martin, then stated, "Neither the law nor society will accept anything less than banishment for life." He looked at Edward who'd dragged himself up to slump against a bureau. "He can choose where, but we'll need to see him off English soil, and that as soon as may be. Too many people knew the revelation was to occur this afternoon. A result will be expected."

Honoria looked at Luc. "You agree?"

"Yes." Luc glanced at Edward. "I'll see him on the packet myself."

"Very well." Honoria's gaze rested on them all. "Now, what about the rest?"

"That," Devil admitted, "was as far as we'd got. We need to do something to protect the Ashfords, but what…?"

Honoria humphed. "Indeed."

"Quite ridiculous," Lady Osbaldestone opined. "This business of the sins of the brothers being visited on their sisters and all others in sight, no matter how undeserved. In this case, it's quite clear the felon"-she bent a vengeful glance on Edward-"was in no way insane or unstable. He was simply rotten to the core, and that's all there is to it. An unfortunate throwback to the less admirable side of the paternal line, but you"-she pointed at Luc-"will clearly relieve future Ashfords of the taint."

Luc blinked, looked nonplussed.

Lady Osbaldestone ignored him. She looked at Honoria. "Well, my dear? You're a duchess, Amanda here is an almost-countess, and I'm not entirely without influence myself. I suggest we get busy." She glanced at the clock, sent a sly glance Martin's way. "Unfortunate timing, but I daresay you and I alone can reach enough ears to ensure that the important dinner tables hear of the wonderful relief."

The men exchange

d glances; it was Devil who asked, "Relief?"

"Good gracious, man! Of course relief! Just think how unhappy the situation would have been if the Ashford girls had received offers before this dreadful business had been resolved! A positive morass of potential uncertainty has been avoided! Now those girls can come out and gentlemen can marry them with confidence that there's no rotten apple left in the family's basket, that all has been settled and everything's as it should be." Her ladyship surged to her feet. "You just have to think of these things from the right angle."

Leaning on her cane, she looked at Patience. "You know Minerva Ashford well enough, I believe?"

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