Diana turned and her gaze flitted over him. She didn’t reveal what she thought, but she did move toward him, fearless and seemingly without guile.
“I hope sheisat ease,” she said. “I can only imagine the terror she has endured these past few weeks, seeing what she did, running as she had to. I can imagine you didn’t fare much better, Mr. Fitzhugh. It is difficult to see someone we’ve come to care about…hurt. To want to help them and know we aren’t fully equipped.”
He shifted beneath the careful words, meant to have an effect—and succeeding. “I’ve kept her alive.”
Diana nodded. “You have, and I’m glad of it. But now you are not alone in that goal. In the desire to save Imogen’s life and perhaps even put a stop to the horrific acts committed by the people responsible for the threats against her. We’re on the same side, Fitzhugh.”
“I hope that is true,” he said softly, and this time it was he who meant to have an effect. “I have watchedmanya titled person of power only protect the others who share his…orherstatus.”
Diana shook her head. “Then you have not dealt with me, nor with my husband. That is not who we are, not as people, not as spies. You don’t have to believe that, for we’ll prove it to you, and hopefully sooner rather than later.” She smiled and then stepped closer, setting her kit on the table beside him and opening it. He could see all matter of tools and wraps and potions inside. “Now let me look at that wound, will you?”
He wrinkled his brow. “Look at the wound?”
“Yes. Mr. Huntington did an admirable job with field dressing.” Diana motioned him to sit and remove his jacket as she spoke. “I would assume he had some experience due to his time in the army. But I’m a trained healer, and I want to get a closer look now that we’re not being actively shot at.”
Oscar glanced at Imogen, who had come closer, as well. The color had left her cheeks as he pulled his jacket away and then untied his cravat. He unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it over his head, trying not to react to the sharp pain of the bullet wound he had been ignoring as much as possible.
While he sat down in the chair before her, Diana looked back at Imogen with a knowing smile. “Bring the candle a bit closer if you would, my dear.”
She did so, and when Diana unwrapped the field dressing, Imogen winced. “Oh, Oscar. It looks terrible. You must be in so much pain.”
He glanced down. There was a decidedly ugly hole that went in one side of his arm and out the other. He moved it slightly and a slash of pain rushed through him, but not the kind that indicated broken bones. He was lucky at that.
“It’s not comfortable,” he admitted as dismissively as he could manage so as not to worry Imogen even more. “But I’ve felt worse.”
Diana fussed with the wound a moment, using the light as she cleaned it with a fluid that made the injury sting. She looked up at him. “This isn’t going to be comfortable.”
“It hasn’t been so far,” Oscar grumbled.
She laughed as a response. “My husband will like you. He groused when I took care of him a long time ago, as well. You can compare notes later about what a dreadful fiend I am.”
“Judging from the way the man looked at you after the gunfire, I would assume he doesn’t think that of you at all,” Oscar said.
She smiled as she brought out a needle and heavy thread and swiftly stitched the wound on either side of his arm. Then she placed a soothing salve on both and carefully rewrapped it, this time with a bandage rather than the bloody cravat she tossed into her kit to be destroyed.
“I’ll leave some materials here,” Diana said as she tied off the wound with an expert flair. “Along with written instructions. Imogen, you’ll need to apply more of that salve and rewrap it tomorrow morning. Then I’ll look at it again tomorrow when Lucas…er, Willowby…and I return to speak to you tomorrow afternoon.”
“Tomorrow afternoon?” Imogen repeated. “Oh, Your Grace—”
“Diana,” Diana interrupted gently.
“Diana, surely you must have something to tell us later tonight. Or tomorrow morning.”
Diana stepped away from him and reached out, grasping both of Imogen’s hands gently. Oscar watched as Imogen’s shoulders relaxed a little. The duchess was a balm herself. A healer in spirit, as well as body.
“Imogen, I know you’ve had a very long day. A long few weeks. And you’re anxious for an answer. But you must allow Lucas and me to have time to pursue everything we’ve discovered today.” Diana glanced back at Oscar. “Speaking of which, you said you knew who attacked us at your club. Would you mind sharing that information? It will very likely fill in some blanks in our knowledge.”
Imogen stepped away from her and moved a little closer to Oscar. He held out a hand and she took it, her fingers lacing through his and seeking comfort.
“You may not believe me,” she whispered. “But it was the Earl of Roddenbury who was with the body I saw. He admitted he killed that poor girl, whoever she was. And it didn’t sound like it was the first time he’d…he’d hurt someone.”
Diana’s eyes squeezed shut. “Roddenbury. Of course. We’d had some suspicions about him, but…well, this confirms it.” She let out her breath slowly. “He has a great deal of power—it will be complicated. But I’ll pass this information on to Lucas. We’ll all talk about it tomorrow, once he and I have had a chance to discuss this update with each other and with Mr. Barber and Mr. Huntington. They’ve been invaluable resources since they began their search for you and our purposes crossed paths.”
There was something in her tone, in her face, that made Oscar’s worries about her fade, at least a little. “We have no choice,” he said, but with no heat to his tone. “I suppose we must trust you.”
“You must,” Diana agreed with another of those warming smiles. “And now I’ll go and join my husband so we may eventually prove to you that trust is well placed. Tonight try to relax, try to enjoy the very good food the cook here will provide.” She moved forward and smiled at them both. “Try to take care of one another. Today was a terrifying experience for both of you. Don’t discount its effect.”
“Thank you again, for your help,” Imogen said.
