Page 73 of Duke of Seduction

“I am here,” she whispered, tracing a delicate fingertip over his brow, “I am here.”

“Are you all right?” he croaked, willing his heavy limbs to reach for her. But before he could attempt to hold her, Helena’s hands were at his forearms, pushing him gently back into the bed.

“I am,” she promised, laying a soft kiss on the bruised knuckles of his right hand. “Try not to move, you will rip your stitches.” Her touch, words and tone were like a soothing rain over his hot skin, and he closed his eyes and let out a long breath. His heart finally beat in a steady rhythm, and the pain in his side lessened significantly.

“The doctor saw to me after he finished with you,” she went on, as if knowing he needed more detailed answers. “He gave me an antidote of sorts and I will be back to myself in no time.”

“Luke,” he muttered, his body jolting at the memory. Morgan opened his eyes and immediately saw the morbid answer in Helena’s regretful expression. Despite his fading consciousness, he had still heard the sickening thudof Luke’s head hitting something hard and known that his chances of getting back up were slim.

“She is not being charged with anything,” a familiar, masculine voice stated from the corner of the room. “He is alive, for now. Though by nature or by justice, it will not be for long. And no one but us and the authorities will ever know what actually happened. I have made certain of that.”

Morgan turned his head towards Ambrose with a wary look and gave him a nod of thanks. Though he was relieved to know his brother was by his side, he still had no idea where they stood.

“That is good to hear. And Reuben?”

“Very much like Luke, he may live,” Ambrose answered, his expression still grave, “Then again he may not. He lost a lot of blood before help arrived. Either way, he has been charged with murder and attempted murder. I have no doubt that, even if he survives his wounds, he will not survive the hangman.”

“I should have stabbed him in the heart,” Morgan said viciously, then winced as a fresh bolt of pain shot through him.

“You did well enough,” Ambrose said.

Morgan heard Ambrose’s familiar, “I-am-older-so-do-not-argue” tone, but unlike before, he felt a surge of anger well up in him. Yes, Ambrose was the oldest, and he had done very well keeping his sister and three adopted brothers in line. But this time he had failed. In the most awful way possible.

He turned back to Helena, reaching for her hand without remorse. Her eyes widened a little at the bold move, but when he looked up at her imploringly, her gaze softened and she slipped her fingers into his gracefully. Morgan pressed her warm palm into his and brought her hand to his mouth, placing a soft kiss upon it.

“Helena, I pray that you do not go far, but would you please give me a moment with Ambrose? There are some things we need to discuss.”

For a moment Helena looked unsure, but she nodded and squeezed his hand.

“We have things to discuss too, you know,” she told him, slipping her hand from his.

“Truly,” he agreed, “and we will address them with haste.”

Morgan’s pain eased a little when his answer drew a small smile from Helena’s lips. He watched her leave the room as a sense of duty washed over him. He had been a coward through all of this. In many ways. But that was now going to stop.

“We are all grateful that you are going to survive, brother…”

“This is your fault,” Morgan stated harshly, cutting Ambrose off with his sharp words and glare. “I told you something was wrong with Luke. I brought you the letter, and yet you did nothing.”

Ambrose’s tensed stature melted as he slumped forward in his chair and hung his head.

“I know.”

For a moment Morgan’s anger was stymied by surprise, but only for a moment.

“Luke had not only married Helena as a ruse, but he had been drugging her, Ambrose,” Morgan growled. “She is your sister! You are supposed to protect her…”

“Iknow!!!” Ambrose boomed, rising to his feet, his face twisted with fury. “Damn it! Do you not know that I will carry this mistake with me for the rest of my life?! I took her choice away because I thought I knew what was best for her, and what did I do? I nearly got her killed! I nearly got us all killed! Reuben’s plan had been to steal our money and murder us, or did you forget that?”

Morgan remained silent. He was no longer sure who he was more enraged with. Ambrose, or himself?

“I have not forgotten,” Morgan replied through gritted teeth. “But I care abouthermore thanus.”

Ambrose squeezed his eyes shut as he grimaced and shook his head.

“Donotspeak so emotionally about my sister,” he said, his tone steely.

For a moment, a sliver of guilt snaked through his heart. It was true that Ambrose had committed a sin out of ignorance. But Morgan had broken a cardinal rule of brotherhood by not only going behind Ambrose’s back, but falling in love with his little sister.

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