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“If you could. I would like something in hand should I be accused again.”
“You think someone’s going to charge you after all this time? I thought there had been an agreement to not charge you.”
Rafe grunted.
“I don’t want to take any chances. Anything you can to help would be much appreciated.”
“Of course. I just need to head….”
There was a loud bang and the sound of breaking glass. Victoria screamed, and Rafe found himself immediately dropping to the floor. Millinchip also ended up on the floor, a lot more heavily. He barely moved, staring in shock at the red spreading across his chest.
Rafe’s stomach dropped. Oh, God! Someone had just shot him.
“Benjamin!”
He scrambled over, pressing his hands over the wound on Millinchip’s chest. The young man tried to say something, but nothing came out. Rafe began to panic. No, not now. This couldn’t be happening.
“Rafe?”
Victoria was hurrying around the settee. She stopped short and gasped when she saw Millinchip and the blood. Rafe tried not to growl at her.
“Go and get help. And have someone send for the doctor. Quickly!”
To her credit, Victoria didn’t argue. She ran out of the room, and Rafe heard her running footsteps as she started screaming for someone. All the while, his mind was racing.
Someone had just shot at them, and Millinchip had been hit. Was it deliberate? Rafe couldn’t see how it wasn’t. Or was Millinchip not the target?
Was he the one someone had tried to shoot at?
“My lord!”
Manning came running into the room, dropping to his knees beside the fallen man.
“Look after him, Arthur,” Rafe growled. “Put your hands on the wound and keep pressure on it. That should slow the bleeding.”
“But….”
“Just do it!”
Manning’s face was almost as pale as Millinchip’s, but he nodded and laid his hands over Rafe’s, pressing down as soon as Rafe pulled his hands away, looking slightly queasy as he applied pressure. Millinchip groaned, which had Manning flinching. Scrambling away, Rafe got to his feet and ran to the outside door.
There was a bullet hole in the glass, which had fractured the entire pane. Barely giving it a glance, Rafe yanked open the door and ran across the terrace and onto the grass. He looked around, now unsure about where to go. The garden was huge, and there were plenty of places for cover.
All of his years as a tracker, and now he couldn’t remember what to do.
“Rafe!”
Charlie was sprinting across the lawn. He skidded to a stop, panting heavily.
“I heard a gunshot. What’s going on?”
“Someone fired into the library.”
“What?” Charlie’s eyes widened. “You and Lady Blackmore aren’t hurt?”
“It wasn’t us who was hit.” Rafe pointed towards the trees. “We need to go that way. Our shooter must have been over there.”
“I’ve got it.” Charlie started to run again. “You get back and focus on everyone else.”
“What?”
“Just do it! I’ll find whoever decided to blow my friend’s head off.”
He was already a good distance away. In his current state, Rafe wasn’t about to catch up with him; his legs felt like they were going to collapse.
His heart racing and his head spinning, Rafe stumbled back to the house. All the while, he was silently praying that Millinchip was going to be all right.
