“Do you think I care about a few bushes and flowers over the safety of my loved ones?”
“Ambrose, you are getting bent out of shape,” Adela said calmly. “The garden will be mostly bare by the end of the month and will remain that way until spring.”
“But it is not bare now and clearly provides cover for a killer.” Ambrose cast his wife a fiercely protective look. “I’m not taking any chances. Am I not responsible for the safety of my family?”
Adela sighed. “We could get a guard dog. That would be just as effective, if not more so. Do not harm those lovely flowers. I forbid you to rip them out.”
Ambrose turned to Leo. “Can you believe this?”
Leo shrugged. “Well, Adela has a point. A guard dog is a good idea. Even a little, yipping thing will do the trick. It does not have to be a monster of a hound. Marigold has her Mallow. He’s mostly spoiled and useless, but he’ll bark loudly whenever there is danger.”
Marigold grinned. “Yes, whenever a squirrel approaches.”
The moment of levity quickly passed because the fact remained that two assailants had gone after Gory today and they hadn’t caught either one of them.
Gory shuttled Julius upstairs and meant to take him to his bedchamber, but he held her back as they were about to start down the hallway. “No, I’ll wait for Dr. Farthingale in one of the guest bedrooms.”
“Absolutely not. You will be tended in your bedchamber, and I have no intention of waiting until he arrives to start treating that injury. I will hear no argument about it. Robbins does not need to be darting back and forth to fetch you a change of clothes or help you wash up. And should you not be comfortably settled, especially if the doctor prescribes bed rest for you? You must be in your own bed.”
“With you?” he asked, amusement glinting in his eyes.
She frowned, but inwardly little butterflies flitted in her stomach. She dreamed of the moment she might sleep in his arms. “We’ll switch. I’ll take the big chair and you’ll have the bed.”
He gave her cheek a light caress and whispered, “We’ll see. I just want you near me, Gory.”
“Always.” She emitted a ragged breath, willing to agree to anything so long as he took care of himself.
Ambrose soon followed her upstairs because this was his younger brother and he was worried about him even though he tried not to show it. Protective instincts and family affection ran strong in these Thornes. “How can I help? We cannot leave my brother dripping blood on my elegant carpets while waiting for the doctor to arrive.”
“First thing is to get his shirt off so I can assess the damage.” She nudged a reluctant Julius into his bedchamber and ordered him to sit on one of the wooden chairs that Ambrose now moved in front of the hearth.
“What next?” Ambrose knew she was the most trained among them in medical matters, so he voiced no objections when she took the lead in giving orders.
“Help me remove his jacket.” This was followed by their removing his cravat and waistcoat.
Gory stared at his shirt that was a bloody mess.
“I can do it myself,” Julius grumbled, wincing as he stubbornly took over the task and attempted to pull his injured arm out of the shirt sleeve.
Gory put a gentle hand on his shoulder, trying not to notice that his shirt was half off and his chest was on display. She was surprised by the warmth of his skin, somehow thinking it would feel cold to the touch.
But he was alive and vibrant.
Thank goodness.
“Stop, Julius. You will only make things worse. I am responsible for taking care of you until Dr. Farthingale arrives. You are bleeding and must be feeling a little lightheaded.”
“I am fine.”
But Gory could see the strain on his handsome face and knew he had to be in more pain than he was letting on. “Right, and I am the Queen of Sheba,” she muttered. “Do not dare move, you stubborn man.”
“Says the worst patient in the world now giving me orders,” he muttered. “Have you done a single thing the doctor has asked you?”
“I stayed in bed for an eternity, rotting like a vegetable.”
He laughed. “You hopped out of bed a day after you were almost killed, and refused to remain resting until your vision became so blurred, you could not count the fingers in front of your face.”
“And then I dutifully did nothing for two entire days. Our situations are completely different. I had to get out of bed in order to solve the crime before those killers came after me, as they did today.”
