Page 110 of Unseen

Grantham took my arm, and amidst protests, I was removed from the kitchen and ushered into the drawing room.

“I must stay with him!” I cried, and Grantham shook his head. “Please, sir, if it was your wife I know she would want to be by your side.”

Grantham gave me a sad smile. “And if it was my wife, I would wish that someone would comfort her while the doctors did their work. He is strong, madam. It is a flesh wound, you must not worry yourself.”

“Is de la Croix dead?”

Grantham nodded. “He managed to get a shot off before Caine did, surprised all of us. But whereas his shot landed inthe shoulder, Caine’s landed squarely between de la Croix’s eyes. It wasn’t until he even collapsed that we realised he had been shot, too.”

“Oh my god.” I covered my face with my hands. “He has lost so much blood, what if… Oh god, what if…”

“He will be alright, madam.” Grantham laid a hand on my shoulder. “I am sure of it.”

“I still… I do not understand how he could agree to something so… so ridiculous.”

“Madam, please sit, and calm yourself.” Grantham gestured to the armchairs by the window, and did not sit down himself until I had finally slouched down, my head in my hands. “I promise you, it looks worse than it is.”

“Why would he do this?” My hands dropped from my face, and I gazed at Grantham with wide eyes. “Why? For what purpose?”

“I do not know myself. I tried to talk him out of it on the way there, but…” Grantham threw his hands up. “Waste. All of it.”

“Will the police come?” A new and terrible problem presented itself to me, and renewed panic clenched at my stomach. “Duels are against the law. Will… Oh god, will they charge Azriel with murder?”

Grantham shook his head, giving me a grim smile. “No, madam, of that you can be certain. The police, well, while some things may be against the law, the law would be reticent to come after a man like Azriel Caine. And in the unlikely event that they do, I shall stand for him, and tell them de la Croix challenged him. None of this would have happened if not for that hot-headed fool.”

“Your grace, did Azriel know de la Croix? Intimately, I mean.”

Grantham sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Why do you ask?”

“Azriel called him Fitzwilliam. His first name, yes?”

“Yes.” Grantham met my eyes with a defeated huff of breath. “They were old friends. They went to school together.”

The whole situation was becoming more and more muddy, and yet somehow I could not shake the feeling that Azriel and de la Croix knowing one another well was important, relevant, even, to what had occurred that morning.

“And now one has killed the other,” Grantham mused, lifting a hand and recoiling at the blood that caked it. “Waste. Ridiculous waste.”

We both fell into silence, staring alternately at the clock on the wall, and outside at the snow that had begun to fall. Grantham, gentleman that he was, stayed with me, urging me to at least drink some sweet milky tea when it was brought to me, continually reassuring me that Azriel would be alright.

After more than an hour, the doctor came into the room, accompanied by Barlow, who looked pale and drawn. I sprang to my feet, holding my breath, still praying, still hoping.

“Madam,” the doctor said with a curt bow of his head. “Your husband is well. He shall make a full recovery.”

I exhaled heavily, catching myself on the back of the armchair. “Oh, thank god.”

“He is resting now, and I shall call on him again in a few hours, to ensure an infection does not set in.”

“Thank you, sir.” I gave the doctor a nod, blinking away my tears. “Is there anything I should do?”

“You may sit with him, madam. He has been asking for you.” The doctor gave me a brief smile, then turned to Barlow. “See me out, my good man.”

“Certainly, sir.”

Barlow and the doctor disappeared through the door, andGrantham turned to me with a wide smile. “There now, nothing to worry about.”

“Thank you for staying with me, your grace.”

Grantham took my head, dipping his head to it. “Of course, Mrs Caine.” He straightened up, still holding on to my hand. “If you need anything at all, Edith and I are not too far away. Send word, and we will come.”

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