Page 57 of A Lady's Dangerous Secret
Finally, the doctor finished and leaned back. “I can see you all care for Lady…”
“Charlotte,” His Grace said.
Dr. Stone continued, “I’ll leave laudanum for the pain, but she shouldn’t be moved right now. When she awakens, give her fluids, and I will come to check on her first thing in the morning.”
The three men murmured their acknowledgement of the instructions.
The doctor stood, packed his bag, and then left.
A woman rushed into the room. “I was waiting for the doctor to leave. I didn’t dare come in before then. We have kept all the guests’ prying eyes away. What happened?”
James realized it was Lady Rowley, the hostess of the ball.
“Yes,Captain Hughes,” the Duke taunted, “tell us what happened.” The eyes of the Duke of Westcliffe, Arthur Tipton, and Lady Rowley all stared at him expectantly. If he did not answer their questions properly, he could ruin Charlotte’s future.
“I’m close friends with the Earl of Carrington and was introduced to Lady Charlotte at the beginning of the Season,” James began.
Start with a nob, always start with a nob,he told himself. This group of judgmental aristocrats could not balk at him becoming acquainted with a lady of thetonif it wasthrough the Earl of Carrington.
“At tonight’s ball, I saw Lady Charlotte rush to the doors leading to the balcony, and she looked distressed. I went to check on her, and she was already in the gardens,” James paused for effect, “with a man pointing a gun at her.”
Lady Rowley gasped.
James continued, “I was armed myself, but I was too far for a good shot. Lady Charlotte kept the man talking, so I sneakeddown into the gardens. I crept up and killed the man, but his gun released as he fell to the ground.”
“Oh, my heavens,” exclaimed Lady Rowley. James glanced over to ensure she did not need smelling salts. Lady Rowley was fanning herself, but she appeared rather stable for a lady of theton.
“Is this man still in the gardens?” Tipton asked.
“His body is,” James answered.
“A dead body in my gardens? The magistrate must be called.” Lady Rowley whipped her head toward James then to the Duke. “Don’t you agree Westcliffe?”
“Yes. Immediately.” The Duke nodded to Lady Rowley, who turned to James.
The chignon holding her raven-colored hair streaked with gray did not jostle one bit. Although she was quite short compared to him, she still managed to look down her aristocratic nose at him as if he were an errant schoolboy. “Captain Hughes, come with me. I will need you to speak with the authorities.”
James nodded but took one more look at Lottie on the settee. With the laudanum, at least she appeared to be resting more comfortably.
He did not want to leave her for even a moment, but he had no choice.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Lady Rowley dragged James through the ballroom to reach the gardens. He heard all the guests atwitter, speculating about what had just transpired. Once they exited the home, she banished him outdoors to guard the dead body until the magistrate arrived. Lady Rowley stationed footmen at the balcony doors to keep curious guests away, which added to the drama.
James thought this was an unnecessary precaution. Thetonmay gawk at a murdered body from a distance and gossip endlessly, but they would never sully their pristine reputations by getting too close to such a gruesome sight. However, his hostess had no qualms about sending James to this sort of scene.
After the authorities arrived and James recounted the night’s events with painstaking detail, including the parts he fabricated to protect Lottie, he was finally allowed back inside. James rushed to the room where she lay. The brown head of Arthur was bent over his sister, and he rubbed her hand lovingly. It did not matter that the man was Lottie’s brother. James wanted to be the one comforting her. It took every ounce of self-control to not throw him aside to make room for himself next to Lottie.
But he could not.
He had to keep up the ruse that he barely knew Lottie, in order to protect her.
The Duke of Westcliffe marched into the room, no doubt after ordering more people around.
“You’ve finally returned,” he said, and eyed James warily.
“It was deemed necessary by Lady Rowley that I guard a corpse,” James replied. “Your Grace,” he added as an afterthought. He still did not care that he was a duke. He was the man she was to wed. James wanted to be that man.
