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.“This shall be dealt with by our own kind.”“Do you agree, Sir Hugh? Or does your sister still speak for you?”Ross walked past Gillian and stood slightly in front of her.“Maybe you should be askingme the questions,” he said.“Mr.Maitland was the one who invited me to theConvocation.He had information that there might be some trouble planned by certaindelegates, but he knew Sir Averil wouldn‟t admit that the people he‟d chosen couldbetray the principles he lived by.” He let his gaze sweep the room.“I‟ve had a littleexperience catching criminals in Arizona.And that‟s what Mr.Maitland and I are goingto do.”He didn‟t turn to see Gillian‟s reaction, but the others‟ responses were loud andimmediate.“Who are you?” one of the Károlys cried.“My name hasn‟t changed,” Ross said, meeting the Hungarian‟s hostile stare.“Neitherhas anything else, except my purpose here.”“Indeed?” von Ruden said, his teeth glinting beneath his moustache.“Is that why youwere seen coupling with Mrs.Delvaux?”“That‟s a damned lie!” Hugh shouted.He advanced on von Ruden with raised fists.“Youtake it back, von Ruden, or I‟ll—”“You‟ll what, boy? Challenge me?”Come The Night – Roaring Twenties 03Page 413 of 530“Not him,” Conrad snarled.“Keating! He‟s the one—”“Shut up,” Ross said, hardly raising his voice.Conrad‟s eyes bulged.If it hadn‟t been for his father‟s restraining arm, he would haveattacked Ross on the spot.“I don‟t know who‟s giving you your information,” Ross said to the count.“Could be themurderer, trying to cause more trouble.Or maybe you observed this indiscretionfirsthand?”“Do you deny it?” von Ruden asked.He sniffed.“You are so covered in that herbalstench that one might be convinced that you were attempting to disguise another smellentirely.”“Occupational hazard,” Ross said.“Guess I chose the wrong place to watch you fellaschase those little deer around.”“Yes,” Hugh said, taking up the thread.“That is why Mr.Keating wasn‟t at the Hunt.Iasked him to observe any questionable behavior that might assist us in determining theidentity of the killer.”“And what did you learn?” von Ruden asked Ross in that dangerously conversationaltone.“I have a few ideas,” Ross said.“One of them is bound to pan out before this day isover.”“You will not be here when this day is over!” Conrad said.“I challenge you, CharlesKeating!”Come The Night – Roaring Twenties 03Page 414 of 530Gillian moved to join Hugh.“You have no basis for a challenge,” she said.Not so muchas a quiver in her voice gave her away.“You have issued an accusation which both Iand Mr.Keating deny.”“And that gives my son every right,” the count said.“Ancient law permits us to offerchallenge when our honor is questioned.”“Your honor—” Hugh began contemptuously.“Also compels me to challenge you, Sir Hugh Maitland.”Hugh was well beyond either commons sense or discretion.“I accept!” he snapped.“No,” Gillian said.“This is not acceptable.”“The law is clear,” Vasily Arakcheyev said to murmurings of agreement.“Trial bycombat is permitted under such circumstances.”“You are forgetting the issue of greatest importance,” Thierry de Gévaudan said,drawing all eyes to him.“As Mr.Keating so reasonably suggested, this conflict may beexactly what the murderers intended when they poisoned Sir Averil.”Conrad rounded on de Gévaudan.“Do you dare to imply—”“Until the murderer is identified,” Gillian said, “there will be no challenges.”The Hungarians and Norwegians protested.To Ross‟s amazement, Benedikt vonRuden raised his hand.“Perhaps we ought to put it to a vote,” he said softly.Come The Night – Roaring Twenties 03Page 415 of 530The other von Rudens‟ astonishment was almost laughable.“This is no pueriledemocracy,” Count von Ruden growled.“Your motives are not clear, Count,” Tovar said.“How are we to know you will behavehonorably?”“You‟ll be next, Spaniard,” Conrad hissed.Graeme Macalister, who stood at the back of the room with Marcus Forster, spoke in histhick Scottish burr.“You may only challenge one man at a time, Herr von Ruden.Thefight must end when one submits or is clearly defeated.”“In other words,” Forster said, “there will be no medieval battles to the death.”Tovar nodded.“There shall be no killing.”Ross didn‟t have to search the room to know which delegates would have liked to nixany such restrictions.Even Ross found himself rebelling.He couldn‟t think of anythinghe would like to do more than get rid of the bastard who was so obviously intent onhumiliating Gillian.And how will you do that? With your bare human hands?He‟d hardly finished the grim thought when von Ruden spoke again.“It is acceptable,”he said slowly.“Then let‟s finish this travesty,” Hugh said.Gillian‟s fear seeped into Ross‟s skin, as tangible as the fierce tension in the room.Shedropped all pretense of submission to her brother and stepped in front of him.“TheseCome The Night – Roaring Twenties 03Page 416 of 530games deceive no one,” she said, staring at von Ruden.“I also called you liar.Ichallenge you.”“No,” Hugh said.He faced the count again.“Fighting her won‟t do you any good if you‟reafter Sir Averil‟s position.”There.It was out in the open, and there was no putting the genie back in the bottle.Ross raised his voice.“Von Ruden challenged me first,” he said.“And I accept.”Conrad‟s lips curved into a baleful smile.“Excellent.As Sir Maitland said, let us wasteno more time.”“Away from the house,” Ross said, staring at the German‟s smugly confident face.“Andin private.Just you and me.”“All delegates are permitted to observe any challenge,” Vasily said.“This is true,” Macalister agreed.“There can be no secrecy.”“Do you not know why he wants such secrecy?” a voice said from outside the drawingroom.Ross stiffened.He glanced at Gillian to gauge her reaction, but no warning wouldchange what he knew was about to happen.Kenneth and Aldous Earnshaw strodethrough the door, ignoring Ross as they came to a halt in the center of the room.Aldousheld something up in his hand, a scrap of paper dense with writing.A fragment ofnewsprint, torn from a larger sheet.“His name is not Charles Keating,” he said.“And he is not one of us.He never was.”Come The Night – Roaring Twenties 03Page 417 of 530A smothering weight pressed in on Ross‟s chest.He faced Aldous and looked him overwith blatant contempt.“You want to explain that remark?”“He is human,” Earnshaw snarled.“He is no wealthy rancher from Arizona.He is acommon criminal by the name of Ross Kavanagh.”Ross remembered the newspaper Hugh had hidden in his room.Had the Yorkshiremenfound it, or had they come upon another source?He had no time to think through the possibilities.Thierry de Gévaudan spoke, one darkbrow arched as if he found the accusation highly amusing.“I do not believe it,” he said [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.“This shall be dealt with by our own kind.”“Do you agree, Sir Hugh? Or does your sister still speak for you?”Ross walked past Gillian and stood slightly in front of her.“Maybe you should be askingme the questions,” he said.“Mr.Maitland was the one who invited me to theConvocation.He had information that there might be some trouble planned by certaindelegates, but he knew Sir Averil wouldn‟t admit that the people he‟d chosen couldbetray the principles he lived by.” He let his gaze sweep the room.“I‟ve had a littleexperience catching criminals in Arizona.And that‟s what Mr.Maitland and I are goingto do.”He didn‟t turn to see Gillian‟s reaction, but the others‟ responses were loud andimmediate.“Who are you?” one of the Károlys cried.“My name hasn‟t changed,” Ross said, meeting the Hungarian‟s hostile stare.“Neitherhas anything else, except my purpose here.”“Indeed?” von Ruden said, his teeth glinting beneath his moustache.“Is that why youwere seen coupling with Mrs.Delvaux?”“That‟s a damned lie!” Hugh shouted.He advanced on von Ruden with raised fists.“Youtake it back, von Ruden, or I‟ll—”“You‟ll what, boy? Challenge me?”Come The Night – Roaring Twenties 03Page 413 of 530“Not him,” Conrad snarled.“Keating! He‟s the one—”“Shut up,” Ross said, hardly raising his voice.Conrad‟s eyes bulged.If it hadn‟t been for his father‟s restraining arm, he would haveattacked Ross on the spot.“I don‟t know who‟s giving you your information,” Ross said to the count.“Could be themurderer, trying to cause more trouble.Or maybe you observed this indiscretionfirsthand?”“Do you deny it?” von Ruden asked.He sniffed.“You are so covered in that herbalstench that one might be convinced that you were attempting to disguise another smellentirely.”“Occupational hazard,” Ross said.“Guess I chose the wrong place to watch you fellaschase those little deer around.”“Yes,” Hugh said, taking up the thread.“That is why Mr.Keating wasn‟t at the Hunt.Iasked him to observe any questionable behavior that might assist us in determining theidentity of the killer.”“And what did you learn?” von Ruden asked Ross in that dangerously conversationaltone.“I have a few ideas,” Ross said.“One of them is bound to pan out before this day isover.”“You will not be here when this day is over!” Conrad said.“I challenge you, CharlesKeating!”Come The Night – Roaring Twenties 03Page 414 of 530Gillian moved to join Hugh.“You have no basis for a challenge,” she said.Not so muchas a quiver in her voice gave her away.“You have issued an accusation which both Iand Mr.Keating deny.”“And that gives my son every right,” the count said.“Ancient law permits us to offerchallenge when our honor is questioned.”“Your honor—” Hugh began contemptuously.“Also compels me to challenge you, Sir Hugh Maitland.”Hugh was well beyond either commons sense or discretion.“I accept!” he snapped.“No,” Gillian said.“This is not acceptable.”“The law is clear,” Vasily Arakcheyev said to murmurings of agreement.“Trial bycombat is permitted under such circumstances.”“You are forgetting the issue of greatest importance,” Thierry de Gévaudan said,drawing all eyes to him.“As Mr.Keating so reasonably suggested, this conflict may beexactly what the murderers intended when they poisoned Sir Averil.”Conrad rounded on de Gévaudan.“Do you dare to imply—”“Until the murderer is identified,” Gillian said, “there will be no challenges.”The Hungarians and Norwegians protested.To Ross‟s amazement, Benedikt vonRuden raised his hand.“Perhaps we ought to put it to a vote,” he said softly.Come The Night – Roaring Twenties 03Page 415 of 530The other von Rudens‟ astonishment was almost laughable.“This is no pueriledemocracy,” Count von Ruden growled.“Your motives are not clear, Count,” Tovar said.“How are we to know you will behavehonorably?”“You‟ll be next, Spaniard,” Conrad hissed.Graeme Macalister, who stood at the back of the room with Marcus Forster, spoke in histhick Scottish burr.“You may only challenge one man at a time, Herr von Ruden.Thefight must end when one submits or is clearly defeated.”“In other words,” Forster said, “there will be no medieval battles to the death.”Tovar nodded.“There shall be no killing.”Ross didn‟t have to search the room to know which delegates would have liked to nixany such restrictions.Even Ross found himself rebelling.He couldn‟t think of anythinghe would like to do more than get rid of the bastard who was so obviously intent onhumiliating Gillian.And how will you do that? With your bare human hands?He‟d hardly finished the grim thought when von Ruden spoke again.“It is acceptable,”he said slowly.“Then let‟s finish this travesty,” Hugh said.Gillian‟s fear seeped into Ross‟s skin, as tangible as the fierce tension in the room.Shedropped all pretense of submission to her brother and stepped in front of him.“TheseCome The Night – Roaring Twenties 03Page 416 of 530games deceive no one,” she said, staring at von Ruden.“I also called you liar.Ichallenge you.”“No,” Hugh said.He faced the count again.“Fighting her won‟t do you any good if you‟reafter Sir Averil‟s position.”There.It was out in the open, and there was no putting the genie back in the bottle.Ross raised his voice.“Von Ruden challenged me first,” he said.“And I accept.”Conrad‟s lips curved into a baleful smile.“Excellent.As Sir Maitland said, let us wasteno more time.”“Away from the house,” Ross said, staring at the German‟s smugly confident face.“Andin private.Just you and me.”“All delegates are permitted to observe any challenge,” Vasily said.“This is true,” Macalister agreed.“There can be no secrecy.”“Do you not know why he wants such secrecy?” a voice said from outside the drawingroom.Ross stiffened.He glanced at Gillian to gauge her reaction, but no warning wouldchange what he knew was about to happen.Kenneth and Aldous Earnshaw strodethrough the door, ignoring Ross as they came to a halt in the center of the room.Aldousheld something up in his hand, a scrap of paper dense with writing.A fragment ofnewsprint, torn from a larger sheet.“His name is not Charles Keating,” he said.“And he is not one of us.He never was.”Come The Night – Roaring Twenties 03Page 417 of 530A smothering weight pressed in on Ross‟s chest.He faced Aldous and looked him overwith blatant contempt.“You want to explain that remark?”“He is human,” Earnshaw snarled.“He is no wealthy rancher from Arizona.He is acommon criminal by the name of Ross Kavanagh.”Ross remembered the newspaper Hugh had hidden in his room.Had the Yorkshiremenfound it, or had they come upon another source?He had no time to think through the possibilities.Thierry de Gévaudan spoke, one darkbrow arched as if he found the accusation highly amusing.“I do not believe it,” he said [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]