“Good.You stay here with that swine.”He jerked his chin at the inanimate heap that was Tessa’s villainous brother.“Don’t let him leave.Lock him in, if you must, but don’t lose him.I haven’t finished with Edgar Blaxland.But first I must tend to the lady.”
Marcus lifted Tessa into his arms.As he did there was a flurry of barking, and something happening in the vicinity of his boots.“What the—” He looked down, with some difficulty as her skirts were in the way, and saw a small, scrawny mongrel attacking his boots.One of his boots, to be precise.
“Get off me, you.”He tried to shake the creature off.Without success.Growling and snarling, the little dog continued to worry at Marcus’s boot.
“Somebody get this blasted dog off me.Get rid of it.”
Both Sims and Jackson tried to grab the little creature, but it wove and dodged and avoided them with ease.And returned to attacking Marcus’s boot.
“Want me to shoot it, milord?”Jackson produced a small deadly-looking pistol from a pocket.
“No, just—” Marcus began.
“You can’t shoot ‘im!‘E belongs to the lady!”A small ragged boy appeared as if from nowhere, shouting at Marcus and dragging at Jackson’s pistol arm.
Marcus hitched Tessa’s insensible body higher against his chest and looked down at the child.It was the urchin who’d brought him the note from Tessa.What the devil was the child doing here inside her house—and in these circumstances?
“Her dog?Are you sure?It looks like a street dog.”
“‘Course I’m sure,” the boy retorted.“I seen her walkin’ him.An’ look at that collar—does that look like a street dog’s?”
Marcus had no idea what street dogs were wearing this season, but he didn’t care about the dog.He had to get Tessa home and to immediate medical attention.The dog was back, dancing around him, barking and darting in to worry at his boots, which were undoubtedly ruined by now.“If you can catch the dog,” he told the boy.“Bring it to my house.There’s a tanner in it for you.”
“Cost yer a bob,” the child instantly responded.
Despite his worry for Tessa, Marcus couldn’t help but be amused.“Very well, a shilling, now out of my way.”
The child stepped in front of Marcus, grubby hands braced on his skinny hips.“Where are you takin’ her?”he asked belligerently.“I look after over her, I do.She’s a nice lady.”
“I know.And I’m taking her to safety, to my home.You know where that is,” Marcus said impatiently.He was touched by the child’s concern, but enough was enough.“Now, dammit, let me pass.”
Tightening his grip on Tessa, he strode from the house.She was barely conscious and, leaning her head against his shoulder, muttered something he couldn’t make out.He levered her onto the carriage seat, holding her steady all the time and then climbed in after her and took her in his arms again.He didn’t want to let her go.
“Home,” he told the coachman in a clipped voice.Sims and Jackson stood at the door of the carriage.“I can’t thank you enough,” he told them.“Sims, you watch Blaxland.Jackson, be so good as to summon Doctor Price to attend me at my home as soon as possible.I will see to your payment after I have seen to the lady.”
“Glad to help,” Jackson said.“I’ll call on you after the doctor has been, m’lord, if that would be convenient.”
“It would,” Marcus said as the coach moved off.
#
THE PHYSICIAN ARRIVEDat Alverleigh House within the hour.With a maidservant sitting in, he examined Tessa carefully.She was by then completely comatose—but still breathing, thank goodness.
After twenty minutes, the doctor emerged from her bedchamber.Marcus, who had taken the time to shave and dress hastily, was pacing back and forth in the hall.“Well?”he said.
“The lady appears to have been drugged.”
“I know that, but—”
“She is, in my opinion, in no immediate danger, my lord,” he said soothingly.“Her vital signs are good, and she seems a healthy young woman.I believe she will sleep off the effects and wake with, I hope, no further repercussions.”
In my opinion.I believe.I hope.Damned doctors, hedging their bets.But there was no point in arguing with the man.“How long will it take her to wake up?”
Dr.Price shook his head.“As I have no knowledge of the drug she took, or how much was ingested, I cannot say.”
“But—“
“Leave a maidservant in the room with her.There is little anyone can do but it will assuage some of your anxieties.As well, when the lady awakens, she will be no doubt be confused and possibly anxious.A female face might help reassure her.”
