Page 11 of An Earl Unmasked
He shook his head. “You won’t be walking for at least a week.”
“Do you think it is broken?”
“I’m not a trained physician nor a surgeon. I’ve only assisted those injured on the battleground. The good news is that there is no bone protruding from your skin.”
“Well, I guess that is fortunate.” She didn’t want to imagine the gruesome sights he must have seen while fighting the French. The question of why Lord Chestwick had chosen to enlist and place his life in danger still plagued her. Mayhap if she gathered enough courage, she’d ask him.
*
Cartwright was right.Navigating the battlefield was a far easier task than dealing with the women under his roof. In battle, the goal was simple—don’t get yourself killed. It was quickly becoming apparent that his new goal would be to avoid ladies of thetonand especially those with a surname of Malbury. Lady Diana was a quandary. Part of his mind screamed to get rid of the chit, but the other half of his brain was rebelling against logic and wished to find out more about this rather intelligent and intriguing woman.
Capturing the trickle of melted ice that ran over her delicate skin with a clean, dry linen, Randall asked, “How many offers of marriage did you decline in order to attempt to solve my papa’s ridiculous puzzle?”
“What does it matter?”
It shouldn’t matter. At least not to him. What did he care if she had rejected the suit of one or ten men for a silly poem? He shrugged. “I was merely curious as to how many gentlemen failed to convince you a life with them would be more interesting than solving a riddle amongst dusty library shelves.”
“You best not let Mrs. Humbleworth catch you calling anything dusty under this roof on her watch.” Her lopsided grin almost evoked a rumbling in his chest.
Her quick wit and sense of humor were disarming. He had little to smile about for years, including those before he set foot upon a battlefield. “Why do I get the impression that your fear of Mrs. Humbleworth’s disapproval outweighs your trepidation of me?”
“Should I be scared of you?”
It was a simple question. And the answer was, sadly, yes. He was a heartless monster, responsible for hundreds of deaths. A beast devoid of emotion, capable of wiping out entire French encampments without hesitation. Had his ruthless reputation not reached her innocent ears. Was it possible she might not know his enemies referred to him, and quaked in fear at the mention of, the Beast of Chestwick?
He leaned in, crowding her. “Mayhap.”
He jumped to his feet at the symphony of voices, stomping of feet, and banging of doors. They were under attack. He reached for his sword that normally sat at his hip. Grasping air, he strode toward the door when a woman marched through the entrance to the room flanked by two men who shared the same familial features—the Malbury’s were all striking in appearance just like Diana. He froze, confronted by the three.
The young lady, who had to be Lady Minerva, turned to the younger of the two gentlemen and ordered, “Gregory, cease your glaring and see to our sister.” Like a well-trained soldier, the man obeyed the directive and made his way to Diana. Lady Minerva then arched an eyebrow in the direction of her other brother. If Randal’s recollection was correct, the man was heir to an earldom and currently held the honorary title of Viscount Kent, Lord Benedict Kent.
Lady Minerva’s lips didn’t move, but the meaning of her gaze was as clear as if she had spoken the words—Shall I, or would you prefer to handle matters?
After garnering the barest of nods from her brother, Lady Minerva turned and faced Randal. While she was at least a foot shorter, it was as if she was looking down her nose at him, not the other way around. “Lord Chestwick, I beg your pardon for our rude intrusion into your home. I’m fully aware of your request for privacy, of course, only a dullard would pay no mind to the litany of signs placed about your estate.” Lady Minerva had raised her voice, and although Diana sat behind him, he was certain the chit had winced. Without taking a breath, Lady Minerva continued, “I can assure you we shall be on our way shortly, as soon as…”
The woman’s monologue was interrupted by her brother Gregory. “Change of plans, Minerva.” He sat back on his heels and shifted slightly to his right.
The woman flew to her sister’s side and knelt down to examine the injury herself.
Diana swatted at her sister’s hands. “Ouch! Minerva, please.”
Ignoring Diana, Minerva turned to the brother and surmised, “Sprained not broken.”
The young Mr. Gregory Malbury nodded. “However, based on the amount of swelling and tenderness, ligaments have been torn. It will be at least three days before I can determine the exact extent of her injuries.”
“Three days!” Randal was not the only one to utter the two words; the rest of the Malbury clan, Diana, Minerva, and their eldest brother, Lord Kent, all echoed his sentiments.
Mr. Malbury tilted his head toward Lady Minerva and whispered, “Benedict can carry her to the carriage, but with the four of us, it will be cramped and rather painful for Diana.”
Minerva’s eyes narrowed at Diana for a second. The woman’s silent message that any pain endured by Diana would serve as punishment for her sneaking out was clear as if she had spoken the words out loud.
It was rather impressive that Lady Minerva was able to effectively communicate without sound. Her expressive features clearly portrayed her meaning. It was a skill he, too, had mastered over the years. He could issue orders to his men in a single glance. He was not on a battlefield, although, at the moment, he recognized there was a war waging about him. One he was unfamiliar with the rules of. It made him extremely uneasy.
To break the awkward silence, he said, “Diana may stay here for a few days.”
His offer provoked Diana’s oldest brother into action, who stepped forward and said, “Either we all stay, or we all leave.” Lord Kent slid a quick glance at Lady Minerva over his shoulder.
Both Randal and Lady Minerva replied, “Not possible.” It was rather unsettling that Diana’s sister’s thoughts were akin to his own. Although what was most surprising was that no one had corrected his error in failing to include the honorific ofLadybefore Diana’s name.
