Still no answer.
Richard hoisted his captive’s arms behind the man’s back to move him along to where Richard might assist Graham, when gunfire inside the house had him shoving his prisoner towards Beaufort, who had come around the side of the house with a gun pointed at his captive’s head. When Richard’s prisoner fell face-first into the gravel, Beaufort stepped on the man’s back, but Richard only caught a glimpse of his friend, for Orson was bounding up the stairs to the gun room from the outside door only to be brought up short. Graham was standing over the third man while Lady Emma was tearing pieces of ruffles from the bottom on her robe to stop the blood flow.
Graham stood watching her while she fussed and admonished the man at the same time.
“I told you I would not permit you to hurt him,” she was saying while putting pressure on the man’s wound.
Graham smiled. “The ‘him’ is you, by the way, not me.” He glanced down to where Lady Emma still tended the man. “I will assist Beaufort. I fear her ladyship is your task this evening.”
Richard nodded his gratitude and moved to lift Lady Emma upward by the shoulders. “Beaufort, Graham, and I are perfectly well, sweetheart. Now, permit me to administer to this man. Why do you not return to your quarters, and I will come to you as quickly as we can secure them for the authorities.”
She nodded weakly. “You told me to point it and squeeze the trigger,” she said through several gasps, as her energy escaped her body. “I saw him,” she gestured to the man on the floor, “cross the garden walkway. I knew Lord Graham...” she sighed heavily as her tears arrived. “His lordship... has been... so kind... to me. And you... you are... and then I saw you coming towards this one,” she gestured to the man on the floor, “and not knowing he was there, and I thought...”
Richard slid his arm around her waist and kissed her temple. “It will all be well soon. I promise.”
“Will he die?” she asked with a hiccup of tears.
“He will not die. Such is another promise from me. Now return to your quarters. I will follow soon.”
Though they hadquestioned the three men repeatedly, none of their captives were willing to admit to being employed by Lord Davidson.
“We heard two toffs were staying at the lodge. Thought we might pick up a coin or two.”
Beaufort lit a cheroot and yawned. “I am tired of this charade. Graham and I will call in at Bletchley on our way to London to learn if Lord Davidson is desirous of your return. Whether his lordship is waiting there or not is yet to be seen. Either way, we will turn you over to the authorities and charge you with trespassing. Perhaps a bit of poaching. An attack upon a peer, or two or three.”
“Or four,” Richard added.
“Yes, four peers. The lady was the only one to know the satisfaction of exacting real damage on any of you. Think upon it, you of little intelligence, the lady discovered your maneuvering, and she was the one to put an end to your efforts. Quite shameful an account for those of the thieving lot. A mere lady from a drawing room bested your plans to deceive.”
“I will take the first watch,” Graham said. “I will wake Beaufort in two hours. His lordship may wake Orson for the early morning hours.”
“What about my wound?” the injured man asked.
“Minor,” Graham declared, “but I will promise to send for a surgeon if you begin to run a fever or some such nonsense. Otherwise, we will all journey together tomorrow.”
Richard said, “If you will pardon me, I should speak to Lady Emma regarding these developments.” Without further discussion, Richard left Graham and Beaufort to secure the ropes holding their prisoners. He took the steps two at a time to reach Emma. With a perfunctory knock on her door, he entered.
“Will the man I shot survive?” she asked as she jumped to her feet.
“It was simply a flesh wound,” he assured her as he gathered her into his arms.
“Were they here after us?” she asked. “I do not like the idea of putting others in danger. You have all become too dear to me.”
“The men claim they had hoped to steal a few coins, thinking we would all be too drunk to notice or some such nonsense,” Richard explained. “They swear that they were not hired by Lord Davidson.”
“It is after midnight,” she reasoned. “Have I not reached my majority? It is Monday.”
Richard looked to the mantel clock to see she was correct. It was nearly one in the morning. “I suppose you have the right ofit; though someone with no scruples might still force a marriage upon you, unless you are given a voice in the matter. You may refuse.” Suddenly, Richard feared she might also choose to leave him behind.
She reached a hand to him, which he gladly accepted. “I have thought on this matter long and hard: before I may speak to my future, I must resolve the past. I cannot think of placing another in danger. The situation with Lord Graham and you this evening proves such to be the truth.”
“Do you wish to return to London tomorrow with the others?” he asked.
“Could you and I spend the day gathering everything we know regarding what happened? You likely have information on what you have learned after rescuing me, and I have had a few memories we have not had time to discuss. I am more frightened than I ever thought possible, but I do not wish to spend my life wondering if the man who just bowed over my hand and just asked for the next dance set at a ball is the same man who struck me repeatedly about my head and shoulders in an alley in Covent Garden.”
“Then, you and I will stay tomorrow and plan how we will move forward. Do you wish for me to stay in the room with you? Beaufort is to wake me in four hours to oversee the prisoners, so, if I stay, you may be awakened before you wish,” he warned.
“If you do not stay, I shall likely know no sleep,” she admitted. The despair in her voice pricked at Richard’s desire to protect her. Yet, in truth, could he keep her safe? After all, what did he truly know of the woman, other than he desired her more than he should? He had been aware of Lady Emma Donoghue for more than a year, but had only known her for a week.
