Page 49 of A Virgin for the Cruel Duke

“Isaw the whole thing,” the Duke of Seymour was saying in his serious, calm voice as Stephen finally reached the party surrounding where Elizabeth had fallen.

His calm tones made Stephen’s heart ease a little, surely he would not be standing there speaking so calmly if Elizabeth were dying. As he approached he could see Herbert bent over Elizabeth, who was propped against a tree and made comfortable with coats bundled into pillows, listening to the Duke as he carefully fed Elizabeth small sips of brandy from a flask to strengthen her.

“I lost track of Lord Barnes shortly after we set out,” Seymour continued, severely. He was speaking loud enough to be heard by the whole company who had gathered, the women and the arriving gentry who had been intended to join them for the later shoot. Stephen thought that this was planned, it was well known how little love there was lost between the Barnes and Wilkins family and Seymour was ensuring that a neutral party was beingheard to throw his support behind Stephen and his family so there could be no doubt about what had happened.

He felt a sharp twist of gratitude for his political rival. He had always known that Seymour was an inherently frank man, someone who did what he did because he earnestly believed it, but he had never before appreciated how his sense of justice would drive him to do what he thought wasrightbefore.

“He had been acting strangely all morning,” Seymour was saying as Stephen slowed his pace on approach. “Quite unlike himself, quiet and distracted. He left me in the woods, but I had an uneasy feeling about what was going on so I attempted to find him. I am sorry I was not in time to stop him, Westall,” he said to Stephen sincerely.

“Not at all, Seymour,” he said, knowing that he was a picture of dishevelment, his clothes muddied and bruises on his face. “It is not your responsibility to police the behavior of Lord Barnes. I am grateful you were able to see enough of what happened to be able to assist the magistrate when he arrives.”

“I shall be glad to,” Seymour said. “I arrived in time to see him trying to shoot you without provocation, and I will openly swear to it before any court of law.”

Stephen nodded to him and offered his hand, which Seymour took and shook firmly.

“Your brother is an evil of the kind that not even I had imagined,” Herbert was saying to Elizabeth, who was a littlemore aware now and holding her arm tightly. “I cannot imagine it was easy to grow up in the same house as him.”

“No,” she said softly, her eyes seeking out Stephen’s own. He saw something there that made his heart swell, something of warmth and - more. “No, it was not easy.”

“I have also not been easy to get along with,” Herbert said softly. “I know I have been cold and distant and suspicious, Your Grace. I cannot express my regret to you. You saved my brother. I will owe you my gratitude for all my life.”

“I am glad he has a brother who will protect him as well as you do,” Elizabeth said, a kindness from her that Herbert had clearly not expected for he was speechless in response.

It was something they had needed but now that what they needed to say was said, Stephen strode forwards and scooped Elizabeth into his arms. “Pardon my intrusion, brother, but my wife needs her bed and a doctor.”

“She has been scored in her shoulder, Stephen,” Herbert said, standing up. “It is not deep, but it has bled most profoundly.”

Stephen nodded, relief surging through him. It was not the kind of wound that might sweep her from him with a fever in the night. “Send for the physician and I leave you in charge of Lord Barnes. Men have gone to summon the magistrate, but he may want to send the matter on to London, no doubt the royal family will want answers.”

Herbert nodded and Stephen turned, and not caring for the party or the onlooking eyes, strode off towards the estate with Elizabeth’s head pillowed on his breast.

It was his room he took her to in the end. His room where she should have been all this time, near his heart and in his arms. As he placed her on the bed she whimpered a little and he hurried to put pillows under her shoulders, propping her up.

“I don’t want you to ever do that again,” he said softly.

“I promise I shall never go hunting with you and protect you from my brother’s shotgun again,” she said, her voice a little weak still but a smile on her face. “I do not think I shall have need to.”

“You know what I mean,” he growled, kneeling down beside the bed and pressing their foreheads together. “I nearly lost my mind, Elizabeth. I thought you had died.”

“And I thought you would be shot because you were next to me,” she said, voice wavering. “I thought that I had finally killed you with the bad luck I bring behind me wherever I go! I would never have recovered from it, Stephen, I could not let it happen!”

“What your family does is not your fault,” Stephen said, caressing her cheek with one hand. “I will never hold it against you, do you hear me?”

“But this all - it’s all happened because you married me!”

“No, it all happened because I wanted peace. Dudley would have aimed his shot at me no matter what you had done, and have you forgotten my wife how little choice you had in the matter? No, you are blameless here.”

“But you were poisoned instead of me,” she blurted, her cheeks flushing as he looked at her in surprise. “Oh I know I was not supposed to know it, but I have been lying to myself for long enough to be able to tell when I am doing it again. It was not your food that Annie was always trying to get access to.”

Stephen closed his eyes. “It is true,” he said softly. “But she did not know that the poison was lethal, my dear. And I would rather survive such a thing myself than have had you die of it.”

“No, I will not have you hurt for me,” Elizabeth caught at his hands, bringing them a little apart so she could look into his eyes. “You don’t understand, Stephen, Iachedwhen I thought I had lost you! It was -”

“It was like dying myself,” Stephen finished. “I felt the same when I thought I had lost you. It made me feel -”

“Hollow?” she offered.

“Feral,” he said. “Alone. Angry. Lost. Grieved.”

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