Page 28 of Only a Lyon Will Do
Patience nodded. “That would explain the wound you have. But what happened next? Dr. Thornberry told us you looked like someone had beaten you… prior to stabbing you with a knife, that is.”
“Us? Who else knows of what happened to me?” Asher struggled to sit up, frowning when he was unable to accomplish it. “I feel as weak as a newborn kitten,” Asher complained before he asked for some water. Patience helped him sit up and held the glass to his lips.
“Cassandra, of course. You’re at her house. Your friends the Marquis of Saxon and Wickes have both inquired here as to your health, along with the Earl of Blackthorn, your mother, and your brother,” Patience began but looked at him sheepishly trying to find the words to continue.
“Bloody Hell… what are you not telling me?” Asher asked and Patience knew he wasn’t going to like her answer.
Patience patted her hair into place before she blurted out the news. “The incident was reported in theTeatime Tattleron the front page, I’m afraid. Naturally I was seen helping get you into the carriage outside the Lyon’s Den. They reported you were too drunk to make it home. They didn’t bother to recount that Cassandra was also there, so we were chaperoned the whole time.”
A groan left him. “So basically, all of Society is talking about us over their morning tea,” he proclaimed in frustration.
“Yes, and since you haven’t been seen leaving, they are reporting the worst-case scenario,” Patience answered him softly.
“Let me guess… I’ve been taking advantage of you and your reputation is now in tatters,” Asher said with a worried frown.
“I’ve been through worse,” Patience said trying to reassure the man she loved that everything would be okay. “I don’t care about any of that, Asher. It’s not important.”
“It’s important to me,” Asher proclaimed squeezing her hand.
“We can worry about my reputation another day, darling,” Patience answered before addressing her true concerns. “The constable has been here daily hoping you would wake up so you can give him details of your attacker. Do you remember anything else?”
Asher rubbed his hands over his eyes and then leaned his head back on the pillows. “There were several who grabbed me and took me into the alleyway between the buildings… not the side with the entrance for the ladies,” he began as he appeared to concentrate on the past events.
“It’s very dark on that side of the house, isn’t it?” she asked with worry.
“Yes, but I barely noticed considering the beating they were giving me once they hauled me there.”
“Was one of those assailants the one who stuck you with the knife?”
He placed his hand on his forehead before he swore and then apologized for his outburst. “I’m sorry… I just can’t remember what happened after that or who stabbed me.”
She caressed his cheek. “Don’t fret over the details for now. It will come back to you.”
“You seem so certain,” he replied in a hushed whisper, and she could see that he had just about exhausted whatever energy he had to give.
“Iamcertain, just as I am certain that I’m not leaving your side,” Patience exclaimed giving him an encouraging smile.
“Considering Society will be saying a simple carriage ride is what made our marriage, I think it’s safe to say you’re now stuck with me, Persephone,” he teased giving her a taste of his old self.
“In this world or the next, I will always be happy to be with you, Hades,” she said placing another kiss on his lips. “Now, rest, my darling, and sleep well knowing I’m watching over you.”
He closed his weary eyes and Patience, true to her word, continued her vigilant care of the man she adored. She could only pray Asher would remember who tried to kill him. Until the assailant was apprehended, no one was safe.
Chapter Twenty
Florinda flinched asshe watched Oliver take hold of a vase sitting on her fireplace mantle and fling the fragile glass at the wall. It shattered into a million tiny shards and a curse filled the room. Blood ran from his hand, and he turned hostile eyes toward her as though the damage was all her fault.
“Be useful and get me something to stanch the blood, damn it,” he ordered as he shook his hand sending splatters of blood onto the rug beneath his feet.
She turned away trying to catch her breath and looked around for anything that would serve the purpose he demanded. A napkin left on the sideboard would do and she went across the room to retrieve it. She held the cloth before her waiting for him to take it. She dared not get any closer to his frightful man.
He had showed up three nights ago and hadn’t left since. No matter how she pleaded with him to leave her residence, she couldn’t convince the man to go away. In a drunken stupor, he had confessed what he had done. Stupid, really, on his part for what reason would she keep his secret that he had struck Asher with a knife? None. She held no sense of loyalty to this hotheaded and dangerous man. His need for revenge on Asher was completely out of control and, to her way ofthinking, unreasonable. A feud spanning years that would best be forgotten but not in Oliver’s case. For everyone’s safety, he needed to be sent away where he couldn’t harm anyone else. The only reason she hadn’t gone to the authorities straight away was because he hadn’t permitted her to leave the house.
She had tried pleading with him, even pouring him drink after drink hoping he might get drunk and pass out. But he seemed more interested in breaking everything within hand’s reach than consuming any alcohol tonight. She was running out of ideas and kept praying that he would eventually pass out from sheer exhaustion.
Oliver went to the sideboard and poured a generous shot of brandy into a glass. Finally… there might still be hope!
“I had hoped that bloody bastard was dead in that alleyway,” he muttered in frustration. “I should have stayed to see the job done…but no, it’s better this way. He should be alive to witness me get my revenge by bedding his woman. She’ll be easy enough to get hold of at that Vaughn woman’s townhouse and then I can finish what I started with Rowley.”
