] Wow -- Col Brandon could easily be the stuff of a regency romance novel.

All I can say is read on ;o) (if you haven't already).

For some reason a random recollection shoots into my head (excuse the pun) of that scene in True Lies when Bill Paxton's character is whimpering and wetting himself in front of the spy Arnie, begging him not to kill him and confessing to the many lies he has to tell just to make himself attractive to women ;o)

Somehow the scene isn't quite fitting for Willoughby, (he's got charm enough) but in the face of a duel, I wonder (or doubt) how courageous he'd really be. Willoughby's just not the sort of person who'd be willing to get his boots dirty in a real heart-to-heart, man-to-man duel. Nor is he malicious enough to take the opportunity to really shoot at the colonel.

Which, for me, leaves the original question unanswered: what really happened.

Perhaps this is the reason for Willoughby deloping (as per the thread below). If there was nobody else watching (and thus nobody to spread the word of) the illegal meeting, then nobody would know of any concession on Willoughby's part. To him, Brandon's opinion is worthless anyway, so it's no skin off his nose to concede and save himself the hassle of possibly getting shot