The Lady and the Earl (33 page)

He burst through Allana’s doors ready to fight.  Relief shot through him as he spotted Allana lying safely on her bed with Lilly tending to her wounds
and
his father pacing worriedly
to the side
. 

The lamps in the room were lit, revealing how badly Allana truly looked.  Her entire face was swollen beyond recognition, her nose looked like it was broken, and her eyes were both black and blue, one swollen completely shut
and the other partially shut
.  Cuts covered her lips, and bruises surrounded her neck.

Connor swallowed the lump that formed in his throat. 
“I sent Fredric for the doctor,” he informed the room
, yet his eyes never left Allana’s swollen face
.
 

His father nodded. 
“That relieves me.  I was about to have Jennings roused to do it.  Now we just wait.”

Connor
stared at Allana with pity and anger.
  His heart ached for his sister and the pain she was going through both physically and emotionally.  It angered him that someone could be so cruel.  If he could only find out who had done this, he could avenge his sister.  “Allana, I have to know.  Who did this to you?”  Fear spread across her face.  “Allana, you have nothing to fear.  We will protect you.  Tell us who did this, and we will bring him to justice.” 

He could tell crying pained her, but more tear
s slipped from her eyes. 

“I can
no
t,” she said
, barely audible.
 

“Wh
y?  Did you not see his face?”
Connor asked desperately.  How could she not tell him who had done this horrible thing to her and to her beloved Lancelot?

“I…
,
” she turned her head away and
moaned in pain.  “Hurt
s
…so
….”

“Allana, please tell me,” Connor pleaded.

“
C
an’t,”
came
the
raspy
answer.  

“We can protect you, Allana.  Please.”  He had to know.  She had to tell him.  Just seeing the pain on her tear-stained face caused his blood to boil with rage.

“Allana, Connor is
right. 
If you know, y
ou need to tell us,”
their
father said softly.

“I
…
do
not…
know.
”  It was such a struggle for her to speak
.  H
er voice was hoarse and unrecognizable.

“But
—
”

“Connor,” his father said
,
placing his hand upon Connor’s shoulder.  “That’s enough, Son.  She needs to rest.”

Connor sighed in frustration.  

Nobody talked for the next half hour as they waited for
the doctor to be
fetch
ed
.  Allana slipped in and out of a fitful consciousness as Connor watched over her helplessly.  Lilly and Martha had finished cleaning her and had placed a clean nightdress upon her broken body by the time Dr. Ivan
Kernet
finally arrived. 

The doctor ushered Connor and
Lord
Tananguard out of the room while he examined Allana, leaving Lilly and Martha to assist him.  When he was finished
, he allowed
the men
to
enter as he spoke to everyone.

“She has several broken ribs and some very deep bruises that will take time and rest to heal.  Her nose is broken
.  I adjusted it to heal straight
or as straight as possible
.  She will be in pain for
some time
, but I can give you something to help
ease i
t.  She will heal, and the damage to her face does not look permanent.  Give her
time
and she will look as
lovely
as ever.  The more rest she receives, the better, though” Dr.
Kernet
said
solemnly. 

Connor felt slightly relieved, but he still had something on his mind. 
“
Her
maidenhood
, Doctor,
w
hat about her
maidenhood
?
  Did he defile her
?” he
asked bluntly.  He had to know. 

“No, he did not.  I believe everything is still intact, Connor.  Your sister is very lucky.”

Everyone in the room seemed to sigh in relief.  This question had apparently been on all of their minds. 

Connor ran his hand through his hair, exhaling
slowly
.  Would Declan still want Allana if
she’d
been…he couldn’t finish the thought.  She was still innocent.  Thinking of Declan brought a knot to Connor’s stomach.  How would they explain to Declan what had happened to Allana?  Connor was certain Declan would be understanding, probably even as furious as Connor with this injustice.  But there was always the chance Declan would reject her now. 

He listened absently as the doctor gave
instructions for Allana’s care
. 

“Thank you,” Lilly responded.  “Is there anything else, Doctor?”

“Just time and patience,” was the reply.  “But if you need me for anything else, do
not
hesitate to call on me.  And
please,
my
L
ady,
get some rest yourself
,” he
said
,
pointedly looking at her engorged stomach.

“Thank you,
Kernet
,”
Lord
Tananguard began.  “You are a good man to come so late in the night.  Please come with me downstairs, and I will reimburse you for your troubles.”

Connor followed his father and Dr.
Kernet
down the stairs to his father’s study.  He waited in the hall while the two men had a drink and discussed the events of the evening.  Connor
didn’t want to hear any of it.  He just needed a chance to breathe and
gain some semblance of control before he made his way back to Allana’s side. 
He leaned up against the wall and slowly slid to the floor.  He placed his head in his hands and tried not to see his sister’s broken body lying o
n the floor as he’d found her, y
e
t every time he closed his eyes that was
what
he saw.  He could have prevented this.  If he had just listened to his instincts, he could have prevented this.

“Connor?” h
is father’s voice said.  There was a hand on his shoulder.  “Son, this is not your fault.”

Connor realized he was shaking and repeating, “
My fault,”
over and over.  His eyes seemed to be leaking as well.  This was why he needed to leave Allana’s side.  He needed to get this senseless madness out.  He could not lose control around the women.

“Here,” the doctor said.  He nudged Connor’s shoulder.  “Have a drink.”

Connor looked up and found a shot of whiskey being offered.  “Thank you.”  He took the drink and downed it.
  It burned, and for a moment, Connor forgot his worries.

He
watched his father escort Dr.
Kernet
toward the front doors before pulling the man
aside to share a few more quiet words with him.
  Connor picked himself
up
off the floor
.  He ran his hand through his hair
again
and waited for the doctor to actually leave before approaching his father.

“Is there anything
you discussed I need to know?”
Connor asked.

“I asked him not
to mention this to anyone.  It has
been traumatic enough for Allana without wicked rumors being spread.  The way the truth gets twisted by society is dis
turbing
.  I do not want her to be the brunt of it,”
Lord
Tananguard said. 

Sometimes his father amazed him.  Connor wouldn’t have thought to ask for secrecy from the doctor, but his father had for Allana’s sake.  His father hadn’t crumbled under this event like Connor felt like doing.  Instead, he instructed Connor to call
Dalon
and
Jennings
to his study.
 
Jennings
had answered the door when the d
octor was fetched.  He and
Dalon
both knew too much.

“Both of you know there has been an attack on this household,”
Lord
Tananguard began.  The two men nodded.  “
There are only four of you
who
know the truth—Martha, the two of you, and young Fredric.
I would like to keep it that way.  No other servants are to know.  No other person outside of this family is to know the truth for that matter.  If you are asked, you are to say Allana had an accident.  She chose to go riding in the
early morning hours
because she was restless.  It was
still
dark, Lancelot was startled, and they both tumbled down a ravine.  Both are in bad shape but will make full recoveries.  Is that understood?”

The
men
nodded in reply
.

Lord
Tananguard turned his full attention to
Dalon
. 
“You will make certain Fredric
hears this and keeps the truth to himself
?” 

“
Of course
, my
Lord
.
  The boy would never wish to hurt Lady Allana in any way.
”

Lord
Tananguard nodded in understanding. 
“Good, now I will relay this same information to Martha and Lilly.  Not even
Lord
Cunningham is to know the truth unless Allana wishes him to know.  Do I have your word you will keep our secret e
ven from your fellow workers?”
Lord
Tananguard asked.

“Yes, my Lord,” both men said in unison.

Lord Tananguard heaved a sigh of relief.  “Thank you.  You may retire for the night now.  I must see to the ladies.”

“Of course, my Lord.”

“Thank you, my Lord.”

The men bowed then turned and left the study.

Lord Tananguard sighed, shaking his head.  “I hope I am doing the right thing.”

“I believe you are, Father.  It was very wise,” Connor said.

“I
’
m not so certain it was.  Perhaps the truth would be wiser, but I cannot bare the pain she will suffer if the world knows the truth.  Who will believe she was not defiled?” he asked.

“I agree.  We must keep it secret, but do you not think Cunningham should know?” Connor asked.

“That is a decision I cannot make.  Only
Allana can decide.  Come, let’
s return to her.” 

Connor nodded and
followed his father back up to Allana’s room
.  He
listened
yet again
as
Lord
Tananguard
relayed
the same information
and story
to
Lilly and Martha.  He made Martha make the same promise
Jennings
and
Dalon
had made.

“I understand completely,
Master Tananguard
, and I swear to
keep
tonight’s events to
myself
,” Martha replied.
  “I shall not tell a soul.”

“
Thank you
.  Now, go
and
get some rest, Martha.  We will need your strength for the
following days.”

She nodded and
curtsied before turning to leave the room.

“Martha,”
Lord
Tananguard said before she could leave completely.

“Yes?”

“Thank you for your quick actions.  If
not
for you…
,
”
h
e trailed off as tears finally entered his eyes.  Lilly went to her husband and embraced him. 

Martha silently slipped out of the room and left the
Tananguards
to themselves to comfort each other.

The night went by slowly for Connor.  He volunteered to watch over Allana so Lilly and his father could get some rest.  He sat by her bedside in a high-backed rocking chair while she slept, falling asleep himself a few times only to be awakened by
her
frantic dreaming.