He tried to shake off his foreboding when a gunshot rent the air. “Take cover.”
“They’re coming from the left,” Farley bellowed.
Geoff rode his horse to the right side of the coach. He wasn’t at all surprised to find his wife had her pistol out, and Vickers had the coaching pistol in her lap. He didn’t know how many of the bounders there were, but he’d wager he knew where they came from.
He rode up to his coachman. “Do not stop unless you have to.”
“Right, my lord.”
A man ordered them to halt and William Coachman kept going.
A ball hit the side of the coach, but bounced off the metal trim. Then Geoff saw the large tree branch lying across the road. Damn, the blackguards had set up an ambush. There was no way his coach could go over the branch.
Riddle, who had been riding with William Coachman, climbed up onto the carriage roof. Farley, his Brown Bess across the front of his saddle, rode up to Geoff. “I saw five. Two on each side and one on horseback.”
“Tell Kenton to get up on the roof and face the opposite direction of Riddle. You take the left and I’ll take the right.”
“Aye, my lord.”
At least the coach carrying their other servants was ahead of the trap. It still terrified him that Elizabeth was in the carriage.
As the coach slowed, men carrying muskets and wearing ragged French uniforms ran out from the woods on either side of the road. More than they’d expected.
Another cur rode up on a fine-looking horse. “You must be carrying much of value.” A man on a horse leered into the window on Elizabeth’s side. “I like pretty things. How much will you pay to keep her?”
Before Geoff could answer, a shot rang out from his coach, and the blackguard on the horse screamed, grabbing his crotch near the thigh as blood poured from a wound. Four more shots were fired as his grooms picked off two of the curs one on each side of the carriage. Geoff killed one of the scoundrels, but not before he got a shot off, hitting the coach.
“I got the last one,” Kenton said.
“My lord, come quick,” Vickers shouted from the coach. “Her ladyship’s been hit.”
Geoff didn’t even remember jumping off his horse, as he wrenched open the carriage door. Elizabeth was slumped over onto her side, bleeding profusely from the head.
No! No, this could not happen!He began to pray.
“Riddle, Farley, one of you ride ahead. We have to get a doctor.” Farley took off before Geoff had finished speaking. “Vickers, get a pad and put it on the wound. Keep it pressed down to stop the bleeding.” He glanced around. “Everyone else, we need to get that tree out of the road.”
In a very short time, they were careering down the road. Sometime later, they met Farley cantering toward them. “We have a doctor waiting at a hotel. Follow me.”
Time seemed to slow for Geoff as he carried Elizabeth into the bedchamber where a doctor was waiting.
“I am Dr. Benoit.” He bowed.
“Harrington.” Geoff put her down on the bed. “My wife was shot in the head.”
“I am aware.” The doctor moved to her head and searched through her hair. Finally he stood. “There was no shattering of the skull, which is good. However, the wound is deep, and there is swelling. At the moment, I cannot tell you how serious it is. You will need cold compresses. Ice, if you can find it, would be better.”
Geoff looked down on her pale face and his stomach clenched. Her breath seemed shallower than it ought to be. He couldn’t lose her. Not now. Elizabeth was too important to him. “Will she live?”
The doctor packed his bag. “It is in God’s hands now,monsieur.Madamis in a coma. If she does not sleep for too long she may live.”
That was not the answer he wanted. What good was the damn doctor if he couldn’t make Elizabeth well? For the love of God, she was still breathing. Other than the lump on her head, there was no internal injury as far as they could see. She had to live.
Geoff raked his fingers through his hair. “There must be something I could do to help make her better. You must know of a remedy, medicine that will help her.”
“Try to make her take nourishment to keep her strength.” The doctor’s lips formed a moue. “Talk to her. I have heard it can help.”
He turned to find his staff only to run into Nettle. “Broth for her ladyship. It has to be nourishing.”
