Page 11 of The Tantalizing of a Scandalous Rake

“Can I help you, my lord?”

“I’ll send for my doctor as soon as I return home. I anticipate him arriving forthwith.”

“Of course.”

“I shall send coin too. No doubt his care is expensive.”

Rosie shook her head vigorously. The laudanum had not come cheaply but she could not bear the charity. “No, please—”

The marquis glanced at the door, ignoring her. “Keep an eye on my brother if you will. Ensure he does not fall on any more knives.” His lips quirked. “He has a tendency to find trouble.”

Rosie wondered if the trouble mentioned had caused the few little scars on Adam’s face. “Your brother shall return entirely unharmed, I promise.”

“Excellent.” He gestured to the other brother. “Come, Leo, we had better report home or else Mary-Anne shall work herself into a fit.”

A tiny jab of something pricked at her, like that of a sewing needle—a short sharp prick of her insides. Who was this Mary-Anne and what did she have to do with Adam?

“Good day, Miss Seymour,” both men said with a lift of their hats.

She dropped into a curtsey and waited until their heavy footfalls retreated downstairs before releasing a breath and pressing her back against the door.

Both were suspicious of her and why would they not be? Her story of Adam falling on a knife sounded ridiculous, but she could not have them know a would-be murderer haunted the doorstep of her inn. She ran a respectable tavern and whilst it was not luxurious, many of her guests were wealthy and of rank. If word got around there was someone stabbing her rich patrons, she would be done for.

Who it even was, she did not know, and the thought the person who had done such a deed might be in her taproom at this very moment made her itch.

Straightening, she set the sheets on the long bench that sat against one wall and entered Adam’s room. Sitting up in bed, his shoulders stood out in stark relief to the pale sheets and blue blanket. She glanced away briefly then chided herself for being foolish. She had seen him naked for goodness’ sake.

Not that she had taken long to linger over such a sight. Frankly, she had been too worried about him dying to marvel at the strength of his body, and arrogant or not, he deserved better than her lusting over him.

Notthat she was lusting over him now, either.

“You might have warned me.”

His brows lifted. “Warned you?”

“That you were the marquis’s brother.”

His lips curved. “And you might have treated me better?”

“I have treated you perfectly well.” She pressed her closed fists to her hips. “I saved your life.”

“I will be eternally grateful for that but pray tell what would have been different had you known?”

“Well, I—” She blew out a breath. “I just would have liked to have known.”

“Perhaps then you can tell me why you concocted that story of me falling on a damned knife. My brothers did not believe it for one second.”

She grimaced. There was no use in lying to him. “If it is known that you were harmed here, it will do irreparable damage to the inn. I cannot afford for my patrons to run away scared.”

“Ah.”

“So you understand?”

He nodded. “Any chance you know who did the stabbing?”

She shook her head. “Do you recall anything?”

“It was too dark.”

---