Page 88 of Mayfair Madame
“She’s asking for you.”
“Is she okay?” I followed him through the door and down a corridor to a private room.
“Miss Reeves is doing as well as can be expected.”
I ran to her side and held her hand. She looked exhausted, her usual smile absent. “Hey. How are you feeling?”
“Like I got sliced open, but it’s going to be fine. The doctor said so.” She turned to him. “Tell her what you told me.”
“Well, fortunately, the wound was clean cut. A slice with a sharp knife is much better to stitch than a ragged one. There’ll be some scarring, but it will fade with time. Miss Reeves will make a full recovery. With a day or so in here and as long as all is fine, she can go home.”
The doctor left and closed the door behind him.
“God, I was so worried,” I said. “I thought I’d lost you.”
Seeing her pinned against the wall by that piece of shit, Godfrey, I’d frozen. Fear, horror, and panic almost had me running in and kicking the crap out of him, but sense had prevailed. My training had kicked in, and I’d resisted the urge to protect her from him.
“You can’t get rid of me that quickly.” She tried to sit up and winced.
“Steady, Naomi. Do you need painkillers? Should I get a nurse?”
“No, Ellie. Just help me sit up a little. My job might entail lying on my back, but I don’t want to do it if I don’t have to.”
At least her sense of humour hadn’t disappeared.
“What happened? How in God’s name did he get hold of you?”
“He came out of nowhere and jabbed the knife into my side. I tried to fight him off, but he threatened to stab the surrounding people. I couldn’t let that happen, Ellie. So many innocent lives could have been ruined by that maniac. I’m just glad you turned up when you did. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn’t?”
“Hey, none of that now.” I wiped away the tears from her face. “It’s over, and you’re safe. Josh took him away, and I doubt he’ll see the outside of a prison anytime soon. He’ll likely be charged with attempted manslaughter. With a good lawyer, he might get it knocked down to assault, but he’ll never harm you again, Naomi. You have my word.”
“Thank God.” Her eyes fluttered closed, and I took that as my cue to let her sleep.
I kissed her dry lips and laid my head on the bed next to her. They’d have to kick me out, as there was no way I was leaving her alone.
I thanked all that was holy that she was fine, and when her fingers slipped into my hair, then rested on my head, I knew all would be well and I knew what I needed to do.
After a couple of days, she was allowed out, and it’d been my turn to care for her. Nurses came in every day to change her dressings, and she’d chat with them, thanking them for taking such good care of her, but the moment they went, she’d sleep. It had taken so much out of her. She’d lost so much blood; it’d take time for her body to come back from that.
The apartment was full of flowers and fruit baskets, not to mention countless boxes of chocolates that tempted me daily. I resisted, but only just.
A parade of her friends visited: Oscar and Marco, and I finally met Lorenzo and Guy. She’d laugh and joke with them, but when she thought I wasn’t looking, I’dsee the terror and anxiety that gripped her.
The nightmares would return. How could they not with all she’d gone through? In time, we’d have to address them again.
Melinda had temporarily taken over the running of the business, and on the plus side, I’d gone up in her estimation by saving Naomi. She’d thanked me profusely, and when she brought coffee and pastries, she never forgot me.
When Rupert had arrived, he’d suggested we get away for a while, and I’d agreed wholeheartedly. He offered not only his villa, complete with housekeeper, but also the use of his private jet. We both agreed it was just what we needed, and we began to plan.
It’d be a couple of weeks before Naomi could fly. She still needed to heal, and there was no way the doctors would allow it until she’d had her stitches removed, so we waited.
Inthe meantime, I contemplated our relationship. She was so much more than a friend, and if I was reading things right, she felt the same way about me. I’d spoken with Lucy and told her what had happened.
I confided in her, telling her how I felt about Naomi, and it was like a weight had been lifted. I’d carried around the guilt about my and Kate’s relationship for so long it was hard to let go. I’d finally realised I wasn’t to blame, that Kate had likely been looking for an excuse to end things.
Butwith Naomi, the thought of her ending things between us tore me apart. That was when I knew I loved her.
“What are you going to do?” Lucy asked one evening. Naomi was sleeping, and I’d just finished a long shift and was about to shower.
