Ruined by the Ton by Royal Emily
Author:Royal, Emily
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Historical
Publisher: Dragonblade Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2023-01-12T00:00:00+00:00
Chapter Seventeen
Beatrice hadnât expected the recoil to be so strong. Her arm jerked back, and she dropped the pistol, which clattered to the floor. Through the puff of smoke that made her eyes sting, she saw her husband crumple to the floor.
Dear God, what had she done?
She leaped out of the bed and kneeled beside him. âAugustus,â she said. âAugustus!â
He let out a groan and opened his eyes. âWhat the devil?â He lifted his head, then groaned again. âGood grief, woman, you shot me!â
âWhere did I hit you?â She forced the tremor from her voice, fighting the terror that swelled in the back of her mind.
âMy arm,â he said. He moved his left arm, then cried out. âFuck! That hurts.â
âThen Iâd advise you to keep it still.â
She rose to her feet, and he reached for her ankle.
âI saidâdonât move!â she hissed. âI must light a candle so I can check your wound. Though, judging by your complaining, Iâd say youâve not been hurt too badly. Those who complain the loudest are almost always the better off.â
âWhatâs happened to you, Beatrice?â he asked. âSince when did you become so hard?â
Since the day you abandoned me.
Choosing not to respond, she reached for the silver tinder box she kept on the mantelshelf and struck it twice, until a spark ignited its contents. Then she blew on the embers until a small flame appeared, and held a candle to it. Once lit, she placed the candle in a holder and returned to her husband.
âCan you stand?â she asked. âI need to look at your arm.â
He looked up at her, his silver eyes glittering in the candlelight.
She should have recognized those eyes as soon as she saw them tonight, behind his mask. Lord Julian Stilesâthe mysterious man Edward Pennington had brought as his guestâdid not exist.
She held the candle up and gave a sigh of relief as she caught sight of a bullet hole in the door. It must have passed cleanly through the flesh. Some of her fear receded, though her heart still thudded at the notion of what might have beenâ¦
He struggled to his feet, and she caught his uninjured arm to steady him, then led him to the armchair by the fireplace.
âThank you.â
His quiet words threatened to release the tears pooling in her eyes. But now was not the time for sentiment. Sentiment led to weaknessâthe past two years had taught her that. Action was the only way to survive.
She placed the candle beside the chair, then took hold of his left wrist.
âStay still,â she said, âso I can look at the wound.â
He sat back, like an obedient child, while she peeled back his sleeve until the wound came into view.
A shallow groove ran along the flesh of his arm, but, though the sleeve was soaked with blood, the bleeding seemed to be stopping.
She rose and approached the dressing table where she kept a decanter of brandy, then she opened the drawer and pulled out a petticoat. Grasping it between her teeth, she tore off several strips, then returned to the chair.
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