Page 97 of The Replacement Duchess

“Oh!” he exclaimed softly. “I wonder how long that has been there for.”

“You are bleeding,” she gasped. “Surely you were aware of that.”

“Truly, I was not. Had I been, I would not have allowed it to drip on the bed. It appears that we will be sending the poor innkeeper quite the sum to fix all of this.”

“She is quite deserving of it, to be sure,” she sighed. “Now, we ought to do something about this hand of yours. Come, I know what to do.”

“What about Samantha?”

“She can have my room, and we can take hers. I doubt that she will mind. I simply do not wish to wake her.”

“Very well.”

The innkeeper, upon seeing the Duke’s hand, was all too quick to give him some supplies to bandage it.

“This will sting,” Diana said softly.

“I do know that.” He laughed. “I have been in my fair share of scrapes, you know.”

And yet, one could never fully prepare for the sharp pain given by ointment. He inhaled sharply the second it touched his wound, and Diana couldn’t help but giggle at him.

“It appears that you have not been in this situation for a good while now, though.”

“Well, I try not to make a habit of knocking people unconscious.”

“It is not the best habit to have, I will admit.” She nodded, beginning to bandage him. “But the pain is only temporary.”

“How do you know how to do all of that?”

“Have you met my father? It was almost a weekly occurrence that he would find himself in a fight. It is only by some miracle that he has not yet found himself on the business end of a pistol.”

“Yes, including my own.”

“There,” she said as she finished bandaging his hand. “I hope it stays put, at least.”

“It certainly feels secure.” He nodded. “You have most definitely had ample practice.”

“What can I say? I come from a certain type of family.”

“As do I, so you need not feel judgment there.”

“I do not.” She smiled. “I dare say that I never have, not from you at least.”

“Good.” He grinned. “Now, it is terribly late, and it appears that I shall have to make quite the journey tomorrow, so we really ought to go to bed.”

She looked at him carefully, then nodded and followed him to the stairs.

“I wish to say goodnight to my sister, first,” she said as they reached her door.

“Of course. I shall be here.”

But when Diana tried the handle, the door did not open. She looked at it, puzzled, before trying once more. Again, there was nothing.

“Allow me,” he offered, but when he tried, the door still did not open.

Then, they heard giggling from the other side of the door.

“Samantha?” Diana called. “What are you doing?”

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