Page 46 of The Seduction of Lord Sin
Did she? Where would Dharma go? She would likely come back to Ivy Close, but not until nightfall, when it would be too late to send her away. “I think I know where she’d go.” There was an empty cottage on the estate, which was having a new roof put on. She might hide there until dark. “There is a cottage at the edge of the estate down near the coast that had its roof lifted in the last storm. We are waiting for supplies to fix it.”
“Shall I fetch her?”
“I’ll come with you.” She was already in her riding gear, having decided to ride to the river to see what the men were up to. “Flora, and John will here. Stay inside until we get back. Burton send a couple of men to find Andy and help search, and also to escort the carriage home. Also, send a man to the river to alert the men in case we need them. I may not be right in my thinking. If we find Dharma, I’ll send Davie to alert Andy and the other men.”
“Are you sure you should go?”
“I have little choice. Can you imagine what Dharma will say to the men? They are hardly likely to want to physically drag her home if she refuses. She can’t, however, play her games with me.”
It took Charlotte and Davie just over half an hour to reach the empty cottage, and sure enough, Poppy was tied to the fence. The relief didn’t set aside the anger which had steadily grown as she had ridden out. She dismounted and headed toward the door.
The door flew open just as she reached it, and a defiant Dharma stood in the doorway. “Well, I didn’t hide carefully enough.”
Charlotte reached and hugged Dharma to her. “I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you. Why didn’t you go home to your brother like I asked?”
“You didn’t ask, you dictated. And I am not a little girl anymore. Besides, someone has to stay and ensure you don’t do something stupid. Flora is encouraging this madness.”
She was right, thought Charlotte. Nonetheless, because Dharma was a grown woman, she was in danger, too. Her dowry could fund a small principality. She squeezed her tighter. “I should throw you over my knee.”
Dharma hugged her back. “You’ve never spanked me in your life.”
Charlotte stepped back and shook her head. “What am I to do with you? Let’s get you back to the house and poor Davie is going to have to alert Andy and the other men that we’ve found you.”
Dharma stood her ground. “Are you going to send me home again tomorrow?”
She didn’t really know. Charlotte should, but for some reason Dharma wanted to stay and a little niggling voice in her head didn’t believe it was because her stepdaughter was worried about Charlotte’s safety. She had a house full of men to protect her. Could this be about Lord Devlin? But now was not the time to ask.
“We shall talk when we get home. Come, we need to let everyone know you’re safe.” She glanced up at the sky. Dark clouds were forming. “Besides, it looks as if a summer storm is rolling in off the sea. I’d like to get home before it rains.”
The horses were tiring from their gallop towards home when Charlotte shouted to Davie, “Ride and inform Andy and the rest of the men that we have found Lady Dharma and they can come home.”
“Shall I see you home first?” Davie asked.
She looked up to see a horseman riding towards them. “There is Lord Sinclair. He can see us safely home.” On that reply, Davie turned his horse and rode away. Suddenly, a shot sounded, and she watched with her heart in her mouth as Lord Sinclair tumbled from his horse.
ChapterFifteen
Hell, that hurt. Not the bullet, but the fall onto the sun baked earth. His head had hit the ground even as he tried to cradle it with his arm. Now Sin understood how hurt and sore Charlotte must have been from her fall. It wasn’t until he’d got his breath back that he remembered someone had shot at him. That and the throbbing pain in his arm. He glanced about, but could only see his horse grazing not far away and three riders racing towards him.
He rolled onto his back and looked up at the alarmingly darkening sky. His arm hung uselessly by his side and he looked down to see blood soaking his jacket sleeve. He pushed into a sitting position and saw a man with Dharma and Charlotte racing toward him. He yelled, “Ride for the house. The shooter could still be about.”
But, of course, Charlotte ignored him. She sent Dharma and Davie homeward, telling them to bring help, but slipped from her horse as she pulled it to a halt, running toward where he lay. Upon seeing blood, Charlotte froze, standing over him, holding Sir Galahad's bridle.
“For God's sake, get down. The shooter may still be lurking.”
She crouched down next to him, shielding them both with her horse, and gingerly lifted his arm. “We need to stop the bleeding. Can you get the jacket off?” She helped him disrobe, and then tore some linen strips from her petticoat, to bound around his arm.
“Are you hurt anywhere else?” She waited earnestly, gazing at him with loving concern. Somehow he forgot to answer, promptly falling instead into her crystal blue eyes. Those eyes were his weakness. How had he let himself fall into their depths? They haunted his dreams at night. A worried frown formed on her brow as she waited for him to speak. He shook himself free of her spell.
“My side and hip hurt from the fall. This ground is rock hard, as you well know.”
“Can you stand?” He nodded. She looked around them and bit her lip as she saw his steed over yonder by the trees..
“It’s not serious, only a graze. I can call my horse.” The tourniquet had stopped the blood flow to all but a trickle, but he was feeling a tad lightheaded, probably from where his head hit the ground.
She lifted one perfect brow, giving him a skeptical look. “Can you mount your horse?”
“There is only one way to find out.” As he tried to stand, his head swam, and he sunk back down. “I knocked my head.”
