Page 31 of In Need of a Duke
Not like this.
It was never meant to be like this.
“If we stay here, you may die,” he said, his voice shaking. “I need to fetch the surgeon, but I must bring you with me. Charlotte, don’t you dare die, do you hear me? We aren’t done yet. You can’t leave me. I forbid it.”
He draped his jacket over her and gently lifted her into his arms. Her head lolled against his shoulder. It had been years since he last held her, and he refused to let this be the last.
His mind raced ahead as he focused on returning to Stonehurst. He rode hard, yelling for help the entire way, even as the snow and ice turned to rain and soaked him to the bone.
“You are furious with me,” he said to her, talking to her as if she were awake. She must wake up. He wouldn’t accept otherwise. “So, wake up and yell at me as you wish. You’ve already burned my damn suits.”
He should be furious, but that wasn’t the startling truth settling in around him. Not as Stonehurst emerged in the distance and he cried for help while riding hard toward the stable.
“Your Grace?”
“Send someone for the surgeon now,” he yelled. And rode thehorse passed the stable to the house. A few of the footmen rushed outside.
“Gently, don’t hurt her,” he barked, handing down Charlotte to them so he could dismount. “Hurry, bring her to the bedchamber. Make sure someone fetches the surgeon.”
“Your Grace, come inside,” someone said to him, but he pushed everyone aside, his eyes locked on Charlotte as they carried her up the stairs.
“Which room, Your Grace?”
“Mine.” When the footman looked at one another, he nearly growled. “Now.”
“What happened?” another asked as he raced up the stairs, pushing around others to keep an eye on her.
“Don’t move her head,” Ian demanded. “Is she breathing?”
“Your Grace?”
If he heard one more question, he might lose his mind.
“What is it?” he snapped.
“You’re covered in blood. Are you sure you haven’t been injured as well?”
He briefly glanced down at his shirt and hands stained with blood.Herblood.
And all because of him. He hadn’t even heard her scream. It happened so fast.
“See that the doctor is summoned immediately,” he continued yelling, rushing into his room. He pulled down the bedsheets and saw her settled on the mattress.
She remained motionless.
“Your Grace, let’s help you clean up…”
“No!”
He spun around and gripped the wall, certain he would toss up his accounts. She wasn’t dead. He was far too stubborn to allow her to slip away that easily. But she…
“Don’t move her,” he growled again, his head bent. He had no choice but to ride her back to the estate, but if she had injured her back or her neck, it might be too serious of an injury to overcome.
Damn it. “I need clean bandages and warm water. We need to find the cut on her head and stop the bleeding.”
“They’ve been ordered, Your Grace,” the butler added. “And should be here shortly.”
The housekeeper, Mrs. Canfield, swept into the room next, gasped, and held her hands up to her mouth. “Oh,” she cried. “Oh, the duchess!”
