Page 55 of In Bed with a Highland Brute

“Argh!” He cried out.

“Murdoch!” Eloise screamed.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Eloise dropped to the ground beside Murdoch as he fell to his knees. One of his hands planted to the floor, barely keeping himself up. The second figure, the one no longer hooded, had driven a knife into Murdoch’s shoulder.

“Help!” Eloise screeched the word, knowing it was their best chance now. The strength of her scream made the two men back up.

“Ye killed him?” the one man who was still hooded hissed to his friend. The other shrugged, clearly uncertain what he had done.

Lost and confused, Eloise held onto Murdoch as he fell forward.

“Nay, Murdoch.” She gripped to him, not letting him completely fall in the dirt. “Ye stay awake, ye hear me? Ye have tae stay awake now?” He was too heavy and rolled off her lap, ending up in the dirt. She lifted his shoulders and head, pulling him back into her lap. He was barely awake, grimacing at the pain in his shoulder.

“Eloise…?” he whispered. “Staunch… staunch it.”

She glanced up at the assailants, fearing what they would do next.

“Help!” she shouted again as she reached down for Murdoch’s belt, unlatching it hurriedly.

Footsteps came running, guards shouting.

“This way.”

“It came from over here.”

The two assailants back up, with the one bearing the bloodied dagger letting it drop beside him.

“We have tae go,” the first man said, hurrying back and dragging his friend with him.

Eloise worked fast. She pressed a handkerchief from the sleeve of her gown against the wound in Murdoch’s shoulder and used his belt to wrap it around the wound, pulling it taut. He grunted in pain, one of his boots thrusting down into the ground.

“Tighter,” he muttered.

Her heart twisted in pain, but knew she had to do as he said to stop the flow of blood. She tightened the belt on his shoulder and the grunt grew louder. She gripped to his good shoulder, holding him tight as the sounds of the guards grew closer.

Down the end of the path, there was a scuffle as the assailants were met by the guards. There was another in the group that Eloise recognized – it was Clyde.

He seemed transformed. No longer the happy man with the easy smile she had seen over the last few days, but with an expression that was hardened. He advanced toward one of the assailants with a sword. When the hooded man attempted to fight back, trying to cut Clyde, he came up against a stronger opponent. Clyde cut away the weapon as if the hooded man was a child playing with a stick. He cut across the hooded man’s hand next then ran him through.

“Oh God,” Eloise muttered, looking away from the bloodshed as she turned her face down to Murdoch.

“How bad?” he whispered, trying to raise a hand to where she had staunched the wound. “Eloise, how bad?”

“I… I dinnae ken,” she whispered, shaking her head. “We need tae get ye tae Callie and Wilson.” She shifted her hold to around his waist, trying to help lift him.

“Give me a minute more.” He sank down again. It had to be the blood loss, making him lightheaded.

“Oh, Murdoch.” She bent toward him, not really thinking about what was happening down the path and the great sounds of pain. All she could think of was him. She bent her head down toward him and kissed him on the forehead, blinking madly as she tried to fight tears. “This never should have happened.”

His hand curled briefly around her arm, then his touch loosened. She wished he’d hold on tighter again.

“What is this? What is happening?” Fergus’ voice boomed across the garden.

Eloise looked up to see Clyde had killed one of the assailants and the other laid on the floor, dying from his wounds. Clyde pulled back the hood of one of the men and looked between them.

“I diinnae ken them, dae ye?” he asked his father hurriedly.