A Dangerous Love (26 page)

Margery screamed for her.

She went down. Briefly, panic blinded her, but she heard the whip cracking.
Tollman would kill him if he was not stopped.
She felt many hands on her, and she clawed at them, desperate to get up, to save Emilian. But they were steadying her, lifting her, not thwarting her, as the brutal whip cracked again. She surged to her feet, pushed past them, now running to the coach. Her coachman stood by the horses, his face a mask of horror.

“The gun, Jackson, the gun Father keeps beneath the seat!” she screamed.

He whirled, leaping onto his box. As he came off it, she took the gun. “Is it loaded?”

“Yes, Miss de Warenne,” he began. She was already behind the excited mob. She fired into the air and the crowd parted like the Red Sea. Ariella ran through it and saw Tollman, whip in hand, and Emilian, who lay prone and bloody, facedown in the grass. She pointed the gun at Tollman's chest. “Enough,” she warned. Dear God, she was ready to kill him for what he had done.

Tollman turned to her. His stare widened. “Don't shoot.”

Her vision blurred and the gun danced uncontrollably in her hands. “Is he alive?” she managed.
If Emilian was dead, she was going to commit murder. She was going to gun this bastard down.

“Put the gun down,” Emilian said hoarsely, sitting up.

Stevan, Djordi and several other Romany men reached him, kneeling by him, supporting him as he sat. Jaelle appeared, crying and crouching beside him, taking his hand.

Tears gathering, Ariella stared at Tollman.
Emilian was alive.
But look at what they had done to him. She hated them—she hated Tollman.

Tollman stared back, his eyes filling with fear.

“Ariella, don't do it,” Margery whispered, having come to stand directly behind her.

She blinked furiously at the tears. The gun wouldn't stay still. She looked at Emilian, into his gray eyes. Pain was etched into every line of his face. Although the wounds were on his back, blood was dripping down his chest, the cat having snaked over his left shoulder.

“Don't,” he gasped.

Ariella felt her mind come to life. He was right. She could not murder anyone in cold blood. She lowered the gun.

Tollman strode past her, but as he did so, he hissed at her. It was a threat, but she couldn't distinguish his words. She dropped the gun and ran to Emilian.

Stevan held him up. He looked at her briefly, but his face was so weary and filled with pain, she could not decipher anything else. Then his eyes closed and he slumped backward, fainting in his uncle's arms.

She knelt, taking his hands. The horror vanished. There was only resolve.

Suddenly Robert stood over them. “I'll take him back to Woodland.”

She looked up, enraged. “Get away from him!”

He stiffened and then, with a shrug, he walked away.

She fought for composure, looked up at Emilian's uncle. “Stevan, please carry him to my carriage.”

Stevan looked at her in surprise. “We will take him now.”

She stared back. “No. I will take care of him at Rose Hill.”

 

A
RIELLA STOOD BREATHLESSLY
in the front hall as Stevan and another man helped Emilian inside. Jaelle stood beside her, trembling and trying not to cry. Ariella put her arm around her. Emilian was conscious and trying to walk, but he was in such pain that Ariella knew he wasn't aware of where he was or what was happening. He was still bleeding, and leaving a trail on the parquet floors. “Can you get him up the stairs and to the first bedroom on the right?” she asked, surprised at how calm she sounded.

She was so afraid for his life.

Neither man answered. As they started for the staircase, Ariella saw Emilian's eyes close, but she felt him fighting to stay conscious. Jaelle ran up the stairs behind them.

Light footsteps sounded. Ariella turned as her stepmother rushed into the hall just in time to see the Romany men half-carrying Emilian up the stairs. Amanda's eyes widened, going from his mangled back to the bloody floors. “What happened?”

“St Xavier chose to take a flogging for a Romany boy,” Ariella said, facing her stepmother grimly. “He has been flogged to within an inch of his life. I am taking care of him here.”

Her stepmother stared. It was not a request and they both knew it. Nothing had ever been this important to Ariella.

Amanda nodded. “I'll send word to your father to fetch Dr. Finney and Rob Marriot, who is a fine surgeon.”

“Thank you,” Ariella said, relieved. The family doctor and the surgeon resided in London. “Can you send me a maid with soap, water, rags and whiskey?”

“Of course.”

Ariella ran up the stairs to the closest bedroom, normally used by Alexi. Emilian lay on his stomach, breathing hard, his eyes screwed shut, his face damp with sweat. His back was raw. Ariella could not believe what had been done to him. Had Tollman deliberately tried to murder him?

Stevan said quietly, “His wounds need to be cleaned.”

“I know. I will do it.” She could not coddle herself now. She shoved her ill feelings aside.

“Do you know how to take care of man who has been whipped?” Stevan asked.

“You can tell me how.” He was not going to interfere and neither would he take Emilian away.

He looked at her. “I will bring a potion for him to drink. It will help with the pain and the swelling. I will bring poultices for the wounds.”

Ariella nodded, going to the bed and pulling up a chair. “We have sent for a surgeon and a doctor from town.”

“They won't come.”

Ariella gave him a dark look. That kind of thinking would get them nowhere. She knew her family doctor, at least, would come to Rose Hill. She pushed Emilian's long hair away from his face and froze. A white brand was on his right ear, and there was no mistaking the letter
T.
“What is that?” she gasped.

“He was branded,” Stevan said grimly. “I did not know. It must have happened long ago. He must have been caught stealing.”

She was appalled. Another terrible injustice…. Would it ever end? She took Emilian's fisted hand in hers. “Can you send for Hoode?” she asked Stevan. “Not only does he serve Emilian well, I think he cares about him. He can help.”

Stevan nodded but did not move.

“I'll ask Djordi to go,” Jaelle whispered. She remained ashen, standing at the foot of the bed.

Ariella didn't care if Stevan wished to linger. The maid would arrive at any moment and Ariella would start wiping away the blood so she could inspect the extent of his wounds. She was afraid of what she would find. She was fairly certain some of his lacerations might need stitches. And she was so afraid of an infection.

It was three hours to town by rail. She desperately hoped both Finney and the surgeon would arrive by midnight.

She raised his fist to her mouth and kissed it. “You were so heroic…though I wish you hadn't been a hero today. But don't worry. You are safe now and I am taking care of you. My family will take care of you, Emilian.” She realized she was starting to cry. She was in so much pain, too. He hadn't deserved this. She wished she could miraculously heal his every wound, even those in his heart.

His lashes moved.

“And don't you even think of going to Woodland,” she choked. Then she leaned close to kiss his cheek. Her tears covered his face. “Today, I hate them, too.”

His eyes opened and he looked at her.

She forced a smile.

He blanched; his eyes closed instantly. She heard him choke off a moan. She whirled to see Stevan still standing there. “Please, hurry. He is in so much pain.”

Stevan said, “He is young and strong. It will take more than a whipping to kill him.”

She trembled violently. “That is what Tollman wanted, isn't it? He wanted to kill him! There was no call for this kind of brutality.”

“You were there,” he said. He walked out and Ariella met Jaelle's gaze.

“This is because of me,” she whispered. “The other day Emilian went after Tollman for what he tried to do. Tollman now hunts Emilian.”

“It isn't your fault,” Ariella said curtly. “Will you send for Hoode? You or Djordi can take the coach.”

Jaelle nodded, rushing past Amanda as she hurried in, a maid with her, her arms loaded with the items Ariella had asked for. Amanda was grim as she paused beside Ariella. “I brought laudanum. It would be best to dose him thoroughly before you attempt to attend those lashes.”

Ariella took the dropper, nodding. But even as she forced five drops into his mouth, her mind raced darkly. This had been more than a case of prejudice; this had been personal, too. Tollman had wanted to kill him.

She was afraid this wasn't the end, but a terrible beginning.

 

A
RIELLA SAT
in the chair beside Emilian's bed, watching him as he slept. She had left the draperies open, and the sky was studded with stars and a crescent moon. She guessed it was close to midnight. She had checked—the last trains would have arrived over an hour ago. It did not appear that either the doctor or the surgeon would arrive that night. She was beyond dismay.

She had thoroughly cleaned his wounds, Hoode arriving well before she was done, and a few hours ago, she had dosed him with more laudanum. Amanda, Margery, her aunt Lizzie and Dianna had been by time and again, to express their concern and see if they could help. Jaelle was asleep on the love seat in front of the fireplace.

He didn't appear to be in pain, but that was only because he was so heavily drugged. The skin that remained on his back was on fire, but he had yet to become feverish. Still, he desperately needed the doctor. She reminded herself that he was young and strong, as Stevan had said.

“Ariella?”

She turned at the sound of her father's voice. Cliff stood in the doorway, his attention going from her to Emilian. She ran into his arms.

He held her briefly. “Dr. Finney is in the hall, and so is Marriot.”

Her relief brought tears. “Thank God.”

“Apparently we all received your message simultaneously,” he said, his focus returning to Emilian. “How seriously is he hurt?”

“He was viciously flogged. If I hadn't stopped it, I believe he would have been whipped until he was dead,” she said in a harsh whisper.

Cliff put his arm around her. “I heard what you did. I am proud of you.”

Ariella couldn't smile. “I am still in shock. It is unbelievable that men could act so violently and cruelly,” she said tersely. “Jack Tollman did this while most of the village stood and watched—even the gentry.”

“You have led a sheltered life,” Cliff said. “I have always wanted to spare you this kind of hatred and tragedy.”

“My mother was treated this way, wasn't she?”

Her father stared back at her. “Yes. She suffered the same kind of bigotry.”

Ariella inhaled. “What will happen now?”

“Tollman broke the laws of this country,” Cliff said seriously. “He assaulted an innocent man.”

“He needs to be prosecuted for what he has done! What if Emilian dies?”

“I have every intention of seeing Tollman properly and lawfully punished for his actions.”

Gladdened by this last bit of information, Ariella turned. Dr. Finney stood there with another gentleman, whom she assumed was the surgeon. Her brother was with them, too. She left Cliff and went into Alexi's arms.

He hugged her. “I leave for one day and there is a crisis,” Alexi said tersely. He meant to tease, but he was sober.

“I am sure if you were here, none of this would have happened,” she said, low.

Alexi looked piercingly at her for one more moment, but Ariella did not care if he guessed her secrets now. Jaelle had awoken. Cliff gestured and they all went into the hall. Ariella seized Finney's hand before he and Marriot went into the sickroom. “Thank you, Dr. Finney. Thank you!”

He smiled kindly at her. “How could I possibly refuse you, Ariella?” He had been treating the family for over twenty years. He entered the sickroom, closing the door behind him.

Cliff said to Alexi, “Why don't you find Miss St Xavier a guest room? I imagine she will wish to stay here while her brother recovers.”

Ariella knew her father intended a private discussion. She tensed, certain he would begin to probe into the real, personal reasons for her defense of Emilian that day. When Alexi and Jaelle were gone, Ariella folded her arms, daring to look at Cliff.

He was staring very closely. “Are you in love with him?”

Her tension escalated. An honest answer could only lead to the truth of their affair, for her father was too astute. Cliff would be crushed and furious. Any compassion that he felt for Emilian would vanish. He might not even pursue justice. But how could she lie?