Page 17 of Lady Gambit
Miss Chance gripped Dorian’s arm. “Please, Mr Flynn. You must save him. This is all my fault. He cannot die because of me.”
“I’ll do everything I can.” He hauled Theodore into his arms and stood, steadying himself under the strain of the man’s weight. Then he turned to their coachman. “Cross Blackfriars Bridge and head south past Walworth Common. I shall direct you from there.”
The coachman didn’t straighten or take up the reins. “In the event of trouble, I’ve instructions to return to Fortune’s Den, sir. It ain’t far to Aldgate Street. Mr Chance will send for his own physician.”
No doubt Aaron Chance would throttle Dorian for disobeying his orders, but protecting Miss Chance and saving her brother were his only concerns.
“Fortune’s Den may be under attack,” Dorian countered. The devils must have followed Miss Chance from the gaming hell or paid someone to search Miss Darrow’s diary. “We need to move out of the city until the threat can be determined. If it eases yourconscience, return to Aaron Chance and explain what happened. I shall contact him before the day’s end.”
Dorian considered treating Theodore’s wound in Miss Darrow’s shop, but instinct said it was a mistake. Only hardened criminals shot a man in broad daylight. The thugs were determined. It was only a matter of time before they returned to finish the task.
“Follow me, Miss Chance,” Dorian said, desperate to be on his way. “My carriage is waiting in Water Lane. We will tend to your brother en route.”
Miss Chance sniffed back tears and nodded before addressing her coachman. “Reassure my brothers. Tell them they can trust Mr Flynn. Mr Daventry will vouch for his character.”
Miss Darrow reappeared carrying a small wooden box, not an iron skillet. “I’m coming with you. I’ve brought needles and threads.” She locked the shop door and slipped the iron key into her pocket.
He didn’t waste time questioning her motives. “Hurry. There’s not a second to lose.”
They raced to Water Lane. Once the ladies were safely inside the vehicle, they helped Dorian lay Theodore on the leather seat.
“Home, Briggs.”
The coachman frowned. “To Walworth, sir?”
“Yes. Take the usual precautions.” While his associates knew of his lodgings above the Old Swan in Long Lane, only a privileged few knew of his private abode. “Drive like the devil.”
Dorian closed the door, and the carriage lurched forward. Despite the cramped conditions, he shrugged out of his coat and handed it to Miss Chance. “There’s a flask of brandy in the pocket. Find it.”
He drew Theodore’s arm from his coat with care, then unbuttoned his waistcoat and ripped open his bloodstainedshirt. The shot had missed his heart and a main vein and was embedded in the soft tissue beneath his shoulder.
“I have the flask.” Miss Chance’s eyes widened when Dorian pulled a small hunting knife from his boot.
“Remove the stopper and coat the tip of the blade.”
With a shaky hand, the lady obeyed, her eyes flicking between him and the sharp point. “Can you save him, Mr Flynn? Tell me you can. Save him, and I shall be forever in your debt. I shall do anything you ask of me. Anything.”
His mind would have run amok if not for their grave situation. “The next twenty-four hours are critical.” He refused to lie to her but was careful to soften his tone. “Let us pray he doesn’t take ill with a fever.”
Only a fool would allow a Chance brother to die on his watch. But this situation demanded a logical approach. Emotion clouded one’s ability to think, and the incident proved that the secrets hidden deep within Miss Chance’s memory might get her killed.
“Reach under the seat, Miss Darrow. You’ll find a wooden box. I need bandages, tweezers, a pair of clean gloves and a tincture of opium. Miss Chance, when I expose the damaged flesh, you’re to flood the wound with brandy. Then you must both hold him down firmly while I remove the lead ball.”
Thankfully, the ball was intact. Stray fragments would likely cause an infection. Theodore would need to rest and recuperate, not lead a charge to find the culprit.
“Hold him!”
Both ladies obliged and proved quite capable.
He wasn’t sure how Miss Chance occupied herself at home, but she was intelligent and had a backbone of steel. No wonder she felt trapped by her brother’s rigid rules.
The moment Dorian dug the tip of the blade into the torn flesh, Theodore regained consciousness. The man writhed andwinced in pain. All colour drained from his face, leaving him as pale as a ghost.
“Damn the devil!” He gritted his teeth as blood gushed from the wound. “Just get the blasted thing out.”
“Hold still. I’ll be as quick as I can.”
Miss Chance brushed her hand through her brother’s golden hair. “Can you ever forgive me? Please know I love you and never meant for this to happen. You might have died because of me.”
