Page 43 of Kismet

Selene quickly intervened on behalf of her younger brother. “He was only trying to help her and prevent her from falling. Save your male aggression for the true villain in this situation.” She pointed to the injured Lord Deerhurst sniveling on the ground by the tree.

As Theodore approached Catherine, he took her into his arms. He clasped her to his chest for a long second before pushing her back and inspecting her face with concern. “Kitty! I know that I have so many apologies to make, but first, I must know, are you all right?” Theodore’s shaking hand ran through Catherine’s mussed tresses before moving to frame her face in both of his large hands.

“I will be fine. I stopped him before he managed to do what he wished.” Looking behind her, Catherine shuddered, seeing Deerhurst glare at her from the ground. Turning to Theodore, she gave a feeble grin. “Have I told you how grateful I am that you got me that pretty little penknife?”

Theodore glared at the miscreant. “What were you thinking trying to accost Miss Catherine, Deerhurst?”

Catherine may have found Deerhurst’s sneer more intimidating if she was not being held so comfortingly in Theodore’s embrace. With a toss of his head Deerhurst barked, “You may be an earl, but I do not have to answer your questions. Thanks to that wanton chit, I am in rather urgent need of assistance.”

Theodore gave Catherine one last squeeze before stepping back. “Kitty, my dear, would you mind going with Lambert and Miss Burgess? I think I must have a conversation with the idiot viscount.” The tone of voice he used made Catherine think the conversation might involve more than simple verbal communication.

“Do not think you must hold back on my account. He deserves much for his assumptions and ill-advised behavior. He believed that if I was compromised, you would abandon me without hesitation.” Glaring at the man, Catherine scoffed, “Apparently, he was under the impression that he could pay off his debts by ruining and then marrying me.”

“What?” A fierce growl escaped Theodore as he moved away from Catherine and toward the man who had intended to harm her.

Deerhurst, despite his inability to stand, mustered a snarl as he forced himself onto his knees. “She should not have crossed me. I told her she would regret it.”

“Such the gentleman,” Selene’s commented as she drew close to Catherine and put her arm around her friend.

Catherine leaned into her friend with gratitude for the emotions she had gone through were exhausting. It was as if she had walked through a maze of emotions, starting with depression, then fear and anger, only to now settle into contempt. “My choice to not dance with you remains unchanged. Are you beginning to regret your actions as you realize that trying to exploit me was a poor choice?”

“I would say so. If he has not, I am more than happy to explain how it is not wise of him to target you, or frankly, anyone else.” Theodore rolled his neck and squared his shoulders.

Deerhurst moved his hand to hover over the blade in his flesh. He curled his lip at it, as if it was the embodiment of all the ills in his life.

Watching the man's hand hover dangerously close to the small blade, Theodore spoke up. “I would not remove the knife if I were you. We need to summon a physician before we remove it. We also need to get a magistrate. There will be consequences for your actions.”

“You cannot tell me what to do!” Reaching down, Deerhurst yanked the blade out of his thigh. When blood started gushing from the wound, his eyes rolled back into his head.

Chapter Twenty

“Devil take it!” Theodore rushed forward, but he did not make it to Deerhurst's side before the viscount crumbled to the ground. Witnessing the blood starting to pool beneath Deerhurst transported Theodore's thoughts back to the horrific scenes of the battlefields he had endured. Frantically pushing those thoughts of screaming and death to the side, he tried to assist the man that he could not help but hate with all that he was. “He must have nicked something when he pulled out the knife.”

Catherine hurried to where Theodore was kneeling. “What can I do to help?”

Theodore’s hands were clasped tightly on the man’s leg, trying to keep as much blood as possible inside his corrupt body. Ignoring the man’s moans as he came back around Theodore said, “Untie my cravat. We need to see if we can stop this bleeding. He is a fool. There was a reason I told him to leave the knife alone.”

From behind them, they heard Mr. Burgess say that he was going for help followed by the sound of receding footsteps. Theodore did not have the time or inclination to wonder who might be able to get there in time to help the swiftly fading Lord Deerhurst.

Catherine’s fingers hurriedly began to unwind his cravat, careful to avoid strangling him in the process. “This is not what I intended when I stabbed him. I only wanted to be able to get away.”

Taking the folded cravat Catherine had handed to him, he pressed the bandage on the wound. “Do not take this onto yourself. He would have been fine had he not gotten the bright idea to pull out the knife. It is always better to pull out a knife with a physician present.”

“Your mother is not paying me enough for all this.” Deerhurst’s words were slow and slurred.

Theodore’s world stilled. The breeze running through the trees quieted down, along with the bubbling from the brook. “My mother?”

“Five thousand pounds. It seemed like a good idea.” Deerhurst paused to breathe for a moment. “Could pay off the creditors in town.”

Theodore forced his mind to stay focused on the life slipping out between his fingers and not his mother’s betrayal. “We need a strip of cloth to tie a tourniquet. I think it is the only option we have to stop all this bleeding.“

The sound of ripping cloth had Theodore turning to spot Catherine ripping a strip from her petticoat. “Where do you want me to tie it?” she asked without hesitation.

“Above where my hands are.” Theodore fell in love with Catherine all over again watching her put everything aside to help him save a life. Despite the grim circumstances, he couldn’t help but marvel at her desire to always help others. He kept his hands pressing hard on the wound, feeling the warm, sticky blood seeping through his fingers. His eyes remained fixed on Catherine as she tightly wound the strip of cloth around the viscount’s thigh in attempt to stop the bleeding. “Make it as tight as you can.”

“That is duce painful,” Deerhurst complained but refrained from struggling against their efforts. “Are you certain you are not just trying to make me suffer?”

Theodore's lip curled into a sneer as he fixed a piercing glare on Deerhurst. Despite the heroic act of saving his life, he was resolute in ensuring the man faced justice for his despicable activities. “If you do not want to bleed to death before help can get here, then you will be grateful for our efforts. I would let you bleed to death, but I do not want Catherine to have to carry your miserable life on her conscious as I know she would.”

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