Charlotte House Affair 01 - My Particular Friend

speculation might end or prove moot once he has inherited,’ I said.
    ‘Oh, and I believe he has also economized by the sale of his barouche,’ Mrs Fitzhugh added. #
    Charlotte remarked, ‘Has he? This is all very interesting.’
    But I could not understand her thoughts. ‘But how? Each discovery seems to contradict. He might be so despondent over his finances and the rejection of his proposal that he plans to offer no defence in the duel, or he might be facing a much better financial future following the tragedy of his brother dying in the same manner as his father.’
    ‘You must learn to think of the whole, Jane,’ Charlotte said, chiding me. ‘Oh, don’t worry, it may come to you yet. But here we are home and not a moment too soon for I am freezing. Let’s warm ourselves and wait for Mr Wallace to tell us of the challenge.’

The Gauntlet Is Thrown
    ‘As expected, the challenge was delivered at noon and immediately answered. Mr Jenkins has chosen pistols. As he does not own duelling pistols, Mr Sunderland has graciously offered him the use of one of his.’
    ‘How kind of him,’ I said.
    ‘And when is it to happen?’ Mrs Fitzhugh asked.
    ‘Monday at dawn at Claverton Downs,’ he said, resignedly. ‘I was able to wring that concession from them, to provide them another day for reflection … and perhaps for Miss House to find a solution to this problem?’
    ‘I am afraid I have no idea how to avoid this, Mr Wallace. I can only hope that it will end with neither man injured.’
    She said this while taking her tea, her whole attention seeming to be on her enjoyment of the warmth of the room, the pleasure of her company and the quality of the brew she sipped. In fact since our return, Charlotte seemed to have dismissed the whole affair as a
fait accompli.
Mrs Fitzhugh and I had discussed little else while Charlotte only offered noncommittal sounds as we awaited Mr Wallace’s arrival. Her seeming indifference began to grate on me. #
    ‘Out with it, Charlotte,’ I said, ‘you know something about this that is not apparent to us.’
    She opened her mouth to speak and then stopped. I could almost hear her unspoken words—‘When is that not true?’—but obviously thought better of it. Instead she said, ‘You know I am loathe to offer a theory, but in this instance, I will say it. I believe this duel to be an invention of Mr Jenkins and Mr Sunderland, and I predict that on Monday both men will fire wide, into the ground, or perhaps not even at all after a reconciliation. In fact, I would not be surprised if the extra day Mr Wallace has skilfully provided will be credited as the reason for the reconciliation.’ #
    We looked at her in amazement and she smiled back at us with satisfaction. Infuriating woman!
    ‘What!’ Mr Wallace cried. ‘I cannot credit it. Perhaps Mr Jenkins might stoop to such a tactic, for he is not a gentleman, but surely Mr Sunderland …’
    ‘For that same reasoning, it is most likely Mr Sunderland whose plan this is,’ answered Charlotte, ‘for it is not likely that Mr Jenkins should know the forms of duelling.’
    ‘But to what ends?’ Mrs Fitzhugh asked, as equally alarmed as Mr Wallace. ‘How do they profit from this?’
    In a flash, I saw it all. I comprehended the whole, or at least a major portion of it. ‘Mr Jenkins proves his ardour for Miss Bassett!’
    ‘Very good Jane. Yes, he proves to her the lengths he will go to win her favour. You heard her opinion of him improve, did you not? And Mr Jenkins also has the benefit of improving his station, although whether that was part of his calculations … no, surely Mr Sunderland used it in his argument.’
    ‘I am afraid I do not understand,’ I said.
    But Mr Wallace cleared his throat and said, ‘Perhaps I can explain?’ Charlotte nodded and he continued, ‘If Mr Jenkins finds himself in a duel with a gentleman, he is elevated, if ever so slightly, to that status. Mr Sunderland could have refused to be insulted, but he chose to challenge. And if nothing else, it certainly makes Mr Jenkins a more interesting man. But I still do not see your reasoning, Miss House. How do you know this to be true?’
    Charlotte rose and moved behind her chair, placing her hands upon its back. I had noticed my friend had a disposition to walk when expounding her brilliance.
    ‘You would have me reveal all my mysteries and expose my reasoning as mere pedestrian good sense? Very well, let us examine some of the absurd