He heard none of the voices calling out to him, nor was he aware of what was happening. All he knew was that he would give up his own life for Lily.
Strong arms dragged him backward, and the blade clattered to the stone terrace. His blood pumped wildly through his veins,and he saw the fallen body of Nisha. Lily was doubled over, blood all over her gown.
“No!” the hoarse cry tore from his throat, when he saw her sobbing.
Two men pulled him away, and he saw James kneeling beside his sister. There was a pounding echo in Matthew’s ears, and he fought to free himself from the men grasping his shoulders.
“My lord, you must leave now,” a servant was saying. “Go with your men back to your carriage. The duchess has demanded it.”
“Lily—” He needed to know if she was all right, but dizziness washed over him and he dropped to his knees. The two men hauled him upright, and he grew aware of a searing pain in his side.
“We must go.” The footmen should not have been able to overpower him, but Matthew realized that Nisha had indeed wounded him with her blade. His hands were covered in blood, and it seemed he’d been stabbed in the ribs.
He tried to break free of the men, but dizziness washed over him, and he stumbled. “I need to see if Lily is hurt.”
“Her brother is looking after her,” the footman insisted. “But my lord, you are bleeding. You should go home and order your servants to summon a doctor.”
The servant’s words made little sense. He could have sworn Dr. Fraser was among the guests, but the men were pulling him back inside the house.
“Send the doctor to…Lady Lily,” he gasped. He fought to remain conscious, but the loss of blood made it impossible. His vision wavered, and his last image was of Lily cradled in her brother’s arms beside the fallen body of his torturer.
“I must go to him,” Lily told James. “I-I need to see if he is all right.” Her hands were trembling, and she hardly knew what had happened. When Nisha had pulled the blade on her, Lily had not been afraid for herself—she had known the threat was meant to drive Matthew over the brink.
And so it had. Everyone had witnessed him diving at the woman, his hands closing over her throat.
Everything had happened so fast, yet for Lily, time had seemed to slow down. All she remembered was being pushed away while Nisha staggered forward with the blade in her hand. The woman had slashed Matthew deeply, but he didn’t seem to feel the pain at all. Instead, he gripped her by the shoulders to keep her away from Lily. Then he tried to force her to the ground.
Lily didn’t know what she could do to help, but she kicked Nisha’s leg hard. The woman lost her balance, and when she stumbled forward, she fell upon her own blade.
God help her, Lily had only been trying to save Matthew. Others were already saying that he had killed Nisha for her sake, but that wasn’t true at all. The blood and the guilt lay upon Lily’s shoulders. And the very thought made her sick.
Her brother had guided her into their carriage, and she hoped they were following Matthew. But within minutes, she realized he had taken them home. “James, I need to see him. Take me to his townhouse.”
“Give it a little time, Lily. They are investigating the cause of death, and I don’t want you there.”
She knew full well what the cause of death was. “I will not stay at home. I need to know that Matthew is all right. He was injured by the blade.”
Because of me.
She now understood the terrible guilt he had suffered when she had dislocated her arm. He had never meant to harmher, just as she would gladly have sliced her own skin before wounding Matthew.
“Lily, there was an uproar after he left. It’s not a good idea to go and see him so soon.” Her brother reached for her hand and squeezed it before he opened the carriage door.
“I will go, with or without your approval.” In this, she would not be swayed.
His mouth tightened as if he didn’t want to, but at last he nodded. “Then I will take you there myself. Unless you…want to change first?”
She realized that her ball gown was covered in blood. James was right—she could not visit Matthew looking like this. It looked as if she had been wounded herself, and that might cause him even more distress. “All right, but quickly.”
She followed her brother into the house and rang for Hattie to help her change into a demure gray gown. Her hands trembled as she donned her gloves once more, and James waited to escort her.
“You don’t have to come with me,” she argued. “I can take a footman.”
But in this, he was adamant. “After all that has happened, I am not leaving your side.” He guided her outside to the waiting carriage, and she admitted to herself that she was grateful for his protection.
Lily needed to see how badly Matthew had been wounded. Although his cousin had tried to provoke him, she knew within her heart that he had not fallen into madness. He had reacted out of rage and the desire to protect her. Afterward, she’d heard him calling out to her. It made her believe that he’d known what was happening and had done everything he could to keep her safe.
Lily felt a dark sense of satisfaction that the woman was gone. Though she had never wanted to cause anyone’s death, she wasgrateful that Nisha could not harm either of them again. She only prayed that they would not be blamed for her death. Surely enough witnesses had seen the attack and would know the truth.
