She turned her head to look up. She did not recognize the young man who stood frozen beside her. Luckily, Aidan was the next person out the door. He pushed the man aside and crouched down beside her.
“He’s been shot in the chest! We need to stop the bleeding!” she cried frantically, as blood seeped around her gloved fingers. He was bleeding heavily. Bella’s heart constricted. She may despise the man and his machinations, but he did not deserve to die.
More people surged out the terrace doors to see what was going on. Servants shoved through them to bring linens and lanterns. Aidan grabbed a thick pad and put it under her blood-soaked gloved hand, where she pressed it down on the wound. It quickly turned bright red. Vaguely, Bella knew her dress carried bloodstains as well.
“Candelstone! Who shot you? Did you see them?” Aidan asked.
Candelstone’s eyelids fluttered a moment and a small, indecipherable sound came from his lips, then he lost consciousness.
“Get Merlin!” Aidan shouted at the servants.
“I’m coming!” he heard from in the house, on the other side of the crowd.
“William!” shrieked Lady Candelstone, pushing her way through people. “William!”
Aidan quickly rose to his feet. He grabbed his elder sister, stopping her from throwing herself across her husband. “He’s still alive. Lady Blessingame is pressing a pad tight against the wound.”
Dr. Merlin Nowlton dropped to his knees on the other side of Candelstone. “Can you keep the pressure on the wound a few moments longer, Lady Blessingame?” he asked her.
“Yes,” she replied, though her wrists and forearms had started to shake. She leaned in to press harder.
Dr. Nowlton yanked off his neckcloth. “Aidan, your neckcloth, please,” he said as he loosened Candelstone’s neckcloth to remove it as well. Aidan yanked his off and tossed it to his nephew. Dr. Nowlton tied them together. He jerked his head at the servant holding a lantern.
“Put the lantern down. We’re going to need your help as well. Good. Now, in a moment, I am going to have Lady Blessingame remove her hands. Aidan, you will grab one end of the neckcloths, while I the other. You, Stephen,” he said, addressing the servant, “will raise Lord Candelstone by his shoulders enough that Mr. Nowlton and I will pass the ends of the neckcloths around his back to bring it forward to bind it tightly in front over the pad. Does everyone understand?”
Aidan took his end of the tied neckcloths as they all saidyes.
“Now, Lady Blessingame.”
Swiftly, the men got the temporary bandage tied around Lord Candelstone’s barrel chest.
Bella rose shakily to her feet. Her hands, through the evening gloves, were wet with Lord Candelstone’s blood. Large blood drops dotted the front of her gown. She felt exhausted and suddenly light-headed. She swayed slightly.
Aidan saw her weakness and caught her before she could faint. He guided her to a stone bench along the terrace wall.
“Sit,” he said harshly. Then amended his tone, “I’ll send someone to you. You were amazing.”
“Thank you,” she murmured.
She slowly stripped off the ruined gloves and dropped them to the ground beside her. She wished she had a cloth to wipe her hands on, though they seemed to dry quickly to a sticky consistency in the evening air. With a sigh, she leaned down to clear her head and wipe her hands on the only cloth available to her, the hem of her ruined gown.
When she sat up again and looked around, it appeared all the ball’s guests were now on the terrace, milling about, chattering together. She saw Lady Malmsby making shooing motions to get their guests to return indoors. Ann and Ellinbourne crossed the terrace toward Bella.
“Bella!” Ann called out as they hurried toward her. "Bella! Are you okay?”
“Yes. I believe I just stood too fast and felt light-headed for a moment. I am quite recovered,” she assured her friend. “But you should not be by me, you should see to your guests,” Bella gently admonished.
“We had to make sure you were all right first,” Ellinbourne said.
Ann nodded vigorously. “It was wonderful what you did. I don’t think I could have.”
Bella shook her head. “In some moments, it is amazing what we are called upon to do and can do.” She took in a deep breath. “Though I’ll own, I am now exhausted by the event. And shaky, too, if I am honest. A plentitude of nerves, I fear. I need to retire to my room.”
“I’ll request a hot bath be drawn for you,” Ann said.
Bella smiled wanly. “That would be lovely. Thank you, but the servants are much too busy with the ball. If you could just send my maid with a pitcher of hot water—”
“Easily,” Ann said.
