Page 56 of The Make-Believe Marriage
Not ready to believe him, she ran her hands up and down his body. His arms, his chest, his legs. His face. She felt no blood. Maybe she had missed something. “Did he hit you, Octavian? Please, tell me the truth. I need to tend to you right away if he did.”
“Love, I’m fine. The same cannot be said of Sir Henry.”
She peered over Octavian’s shoulder and caught a glimpse of the evil man lying motionless on the floor. “Is he dead? He looks dead.”
The inn’s patrons were now starting to gather around the body, obscuring her view.
“Yes, he is,” Octavian said. “But I didn’t shoot him.”
“You didn’t? Then who did?”
The proprietor, who had been standing over Sir Henry’s body along with his fellow countrymen, now came toward them. “The man attacked one of my sons and left him for dead in the stable. My ten-year-old was doing nothing but tending the horses, his nightly chore before retiring to bed, and that beast bludgeoned him.”
Syd emitted a soft cry.
“My eldest found him and his ma’s tending him now. Are ye all right, Mrs. Thorne? Did he harm ye? Och, yer hands are all cut up. Did he take a knife to ye?”
“No, Mr. Douglas. I struck him with this,” she said, glancing at the fire iron Octavian had just taken out of her hands, “and escaped by climbing out the window.”
“Then that beast followed ye down here? And pointed his pistol at ye, Mrs. Thorne? Well, he’ll never do that in my place again, will he?”
“Mr. Douglas, I’m so sorry,” Syd said with unmistakable anguish. “This is all my fault.”
“Syd,” Octavian said with a wrenching ache, wrapping his arms around her. “He was mad and determined to hurt you. None of this is your fault.”
She was not convinced, but Mr. Douglas seemed to side with Octavian and not blame her. Still, she felt the need to apologize to him. “I am truly sorry. I never thought he would follow us here. Will you let me look at your son? I have some medical knowledge.”
He shook his head. “My wife is a healer. She’ll look after him. Besides, ye’re a bit of a mess yerself, if ye pardon my saying.”
Syd laughed. “I was shaken, but I will be all right.”
Octavian gave her a heartfelt hug. “Love, one of the maids will take you back to our room. I’ll have her stay with you untilthis ugly business is finished down here. The authorities must be called in and told what happened.”
“All right, but I’ll get dressed and come back down to join you.”
“Syd, you’re trembling and overset. Can you not let me handle it?”
“No, he came afterme. He tried to attackme. And what of Mr. Douglas’s poor boy? I need to see him, too.”
Octavian sighed. “All right. I’m so sorry, Syd. I should have realized he was not going to give up even after we were married. I should have stayed upstairs with you and protected you.”
“Don’t you dare blame yourself for Sir Henry’s evildoing.” She placed a hand on his cheek to stroke it lightly, but Octavian caught her hand in his and then held up the other, too. “These cuts and scratches on your hands, did he do this to you?”
“No, those happened while I escaped. They’re from climbing down the rose trestle, that’s all. You know how good I am with scampering up and down roofs and such.”
“A veritable little squirrel,” he remarked affectionately and hugged her again.
“The cuts aren’t serious. A little bit of good Scottish whiskey will cleanse them adequately.”
“I’ll fetch a bottle at once. My wife can tend to–”
“No, she’s busy with your son. I’ll see to these myself. My medical training, you know.”
Octavian let out a breath. “I’ll take you upstairs and make sure there’s no one lurking nearby. He might have an accomplice.”
“I doubt he did. He would have had the man hold me down while…never mind.” She emitted a ragged breath and gave silent thanks that he did have no one with him or else she would not have escaped the fate he had intended for her. “But he was on his own.”
“I’ll search anyway.” He swept her up in his arms.
