Page 88 of Her Duke in Shining Armor
The man ran over, and Aaron handed the reins over to him. “Get the constables and do not let the man inside get away.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Oberton,” Aaron managed to murmur while clutching his wounded and throbbing arm. “Aaron Barvolt, Duke of Oberton. You get the constable, tell him to send a message to Constable Wilcox of the River Thames Police, tell him…” a shot pain lanced through Aaron and he grimaced. “Tell him to run, tell him to take her to M-Maria’s.”
With that, Aaron’s strength gave out and he slumped over, unconscious.
Chapter 24
The joy of finding Doctor Nithercott had quickly shattered in half when the grim explanation of her mother’s death was told. Her mother had died from poison.
“Poison mixed with wine from your father’s study,”Doctor Nithercott had explained.
Poison.
The word was swallowed like a bitter infusion and Eleanor felt sick to her stomach as they went back to London. Her father had killed her mother just as Elizabeth had feared he would.
She felt tears beading behind her eyes but swore to herself to not let one drop fall until she had avenged her mother. The second she got to Darcy’s she was going to send for Aaron so he could summon the chief justice and put her father on trial.
The victory felt hollow.
They arrived at Lady Darcy’s house seconds before the lady came out running. Tears marked her cheeks and Eleanor was instantly alarmed. She pushed the door open and hopped out in time to catch Darcy.
“Darcy—”
“You need to go!” Lady Darcy’s voice was frantic. “You need to leave my house!”
Pain lanced through Eleanor at her friend’s words. A part of her had expected a rejection all along but she had never expected it to come this way. Especially, not now. She twisted away in shame and confusion as Mr. Wilcox came out.
“Darcy, what on Earth is going on?”
“I’m sorry! I did not explain at all.” Lady Darcy was contrite as the back of her hand dabbed at her cheeks. Eleanor spied a crumpled piece of paper in her hand. “It’s Oberton, he got shot.”
Eleanor’s world began to swim. She staggered back and fell against the side of the carriage. Aaron was shot. Oh, God. After knowing that her mother had been poisoned and now knowing that her love was shot, her stomach revolted and she lurched forward with a hand clapped over her mouth. She barely rushed over to a bush when her chest heaved and the meager contents of her stomach were hacked up unto its roots.
It was too much. Strong hands were holding her arms and bracing her from crumbling to the ground. She recognized Mr. Wilcox’s hold and relaxed into it.
“Lady Eleanor,” he said. “It’s alright, Oberton is alive and well. It was mostly a flesh wound but he needs you to be safe and the men who are after him will not look where he’s sending you.”
She coughed up air, “I have to see him.”
“You can’t,” Mr. Wilcox’s words were heavy. “Not now, not until he can be free to come and get you.”
For once, her emotions overtook her common sense, “Please, I need to see him. I can’t…this is—please!”
“I’m sorry,” Mr. Wilcox was quiet. “But I promise you, he will come to find you. But we need to get you away.”
Numbly, Eleanor nodded. She had to trust Aaron’s judgment even as everything inside her rebelled against the very notion. Mr. Wilcox gently led her back to the carriage and helped her inside. Eleanor sank bonelessly into the seat and her eyes closed in pain. She was sure her father had something to do with that and it gutted her to her core.
Aaron…Aaron…I am so sorry.
* * *
The first thing that registered to Aaron’s nose was the smell of vinegar and soap. He shifted on starched sheets and felt a mirroring throb of pain in the middle of his head and in his left arm. He blinked his eyes and immediately shied away from the glaring light.
He inched up the bed. The dull throb pulsing throughout his arm when he sat up forced his eyes open. His arm was bound in a thick wrap of bandages and felt a bit dead.
Aaron flexed his fingers to check that his limb was not totally useless and smiled a little when his fingers curled into a small fist. Then, he remembered what had happened with the driver and how Barns was probably in a morgue by now. The man had nothing to do with his problems, but he was dead for it.
