Charlotte House Affair 01 - My Particular Friend

servant,
John Wallace
    I looked to Charlotte and now noticed her worry. ‘When was this delivered?’
    ‘Not long ago, a quarter of an hour previous perhaps,’ she said, but then with one of her quick smiles that left no trace, ‘and delivered by one of our own emissaries. Mr Wallace has learned how to contact and use them.’
    ‘And what can it mean? How do you explain this change of plans?’ I asked. Mrs Fitzhugh laid her hand on my arm and I realized then that Charlotte had no explanation.
    ‘I think it best if we endeavour to arrive at Claverton Downs before the two parties,’ Charlotte said, ignoring my question. ‘I am sorry; I should ask before assuming you will join me in a mad dash to witness a duel.’
    ‘Of course I will come,’ I said, ‘you know you need not ask.’
    ‘Stout Jane. Where would I be without you at my side? But then we must prepare for a cold ride and a long wait in the snow. And I think you will need to bring your country shoes.’

Pistols at Dawn
    ‘It is remarkably cold,’ I said through my clenched but chattering teeth. Our footsteps were muffled as we walked through the soft snow that covered the withered grass. We were quite alone, our carriage having deposited us and left us further down the road. The slight hiss of the falling snow contrarily made the empty downs seem preternaturally quiet, adding to the sense of isolation.
    ‘Nonsense, Jane,’ Charlotte said, but her red cheeks, blue lips and … could it be that for once her impeccable posture was disfigured into a hunched attitude? … betrayed her true feelings. ‘Well, perhaps it is cold, but it does no good to complain of it.’
    We were walking to the place where Mr Wallace had earlier explained the principals would be meeting. We were well ahead of the appointed time, owing to Robert’s success at quickly obtaining the horses for our carriage and Charlotte’s worry that we might arrive too late. She had the driver send the carriage at mad speed along the road, the frozen ruts jostling us so that I felt a little ill and gladly exchanged the interior of the carriage for the crisp air.
    However a mere few minutes walking had chilled me to the bone, while Charlotte struggled in the pre-dawn light to find us the place of concealment Mr Wallace had suggested.
    ‘Why must they meet at dawn?’
    ‘I believe you know the answer. To attract the least attention, although I believe they are also eager to limit the possibility of injury by firing in the indistinct light.’
    ‘Not shooting each other at all would be the surest way of limiting the possibility of injury.’
    ‘Oh, so you no longer find the prospect of duelling so romantic.’
    ‘I can find nothing of romance at this hour of the morning. And why did they need to come so far?’
    ‘Jane, you did not have to come.’
    ‘Of course I did, I … I thought I heard a sound.’
    ‘Quick, behind this tree,’ Charlotte commanded.
    We soon heard and then saw a carriage arrive and drive unsteadily onto the down, and presently emerged several men who were hard to distinguish in the dim light.
    ‘I think they might be Mr Jenkins’s party. Yes, I see Mr Wallace!’
    ‘Hush Jane, or they will discover us. In fact, they
will
discover us if we remain here. We need a better covert.’ Charlotte led us to the safety of a thicker screen of trees, and we must have been easily spotted but for the fact the men were engaged in surveying the ground directly before them. Once we were safely concealed, we could observe their actions more easily. We also took the opportunity to wrap tightly our mufflers about our faces, throw a rug from the carriage about us and stand with an arm behind each other’s back.
    ‘What are they doing?’ I asked Charlotte, slightly improved by the warmth of the rug and the closeness of our bodies.
    ‘I believe they are ascertaining the boundaries of the duelling square. Ah, and I think Mr Wallace is pointing where the sun will rise. I believe by good fortune we have found the spot Mr Wallace had suggested.’ #
    I could now see two of the men walking stiffly across the ground, for the purposes of marking out the distance of twenty paces.
    ‘It seems premature until Mr Sunderland arrives,’ I said.
    ‘I believe a good general wants to know the lay of the land before his opponent’s arrival. Mr Wallace knows this and would give his champion any fair advantage, although that is perhaps an inappropriate term to use in this