Darcy spoke then.
“No one knows of this but ourselves. Must it be delivered to the law? Manvers was a murderer. A life for a life. It is not for man to sit in judgment, but in this case, justice has been done. I would spare the boy if possible.”
Cooper spoke then. “The boy claims Lord Stafford was shot by accident. He was aiming for Manvers, but Stafford altered his course and was almost struck.”
The batman turned to the Colonel, bewildered. “Why did he fire at you, sir?”
Richard answered. “An accident. I saw movement in the woods and dismounted. I crept closer and found the boy with his musket, watching the carriages pass. I took him for nothing more than a lad out hunting for the day. He is very young.”
His voice tightened.
“I called out. He started, stepped back, and tripped. He fired as he went down. I saw the horror on his face as he scrambled up and fled. He was on his horse before I could even raise the alarm.”
He turned then to Lady Harrington.
“What say you, my lady? You say you know him well.”
“If he survives his injury and agrees to leave England, then let him go. He has done my family a kindness, yet he did plan to murder a man. I do not wish him near Abigail again.”
Darcy turned to Richard. “Well, cousin?”
“Let it be as Lady Harrington says.”
Meanwhile, Lady Abigail reached the fallen man and fell to the ground beside him, tears streaming down her face. Lady Anise fell at his other side, also weeping.
“Oh, Giles, what have you done? You have been shot. Oh, Giles, why did you do this?”
She buried her head against his chest.
The coachman spoke sharply. “My Lady, you will cause him more pain. Be careful. He is wounded.”
Lady Abigail lifted her head and looked at her friend. “How do you feel?”
His eyes were shut tight, his teeth clenched. When he did not answer, she turned anxiously to the coachman. “Is he bleeding to death?”
“No, my lady. The bleeding has stopped.”
Lady Abigail gazed down at the fallen man. “Do you hear that, Giles? It is not a serious injury. You will live.”
Her voice broke. “But what will they do to you?”
She began to weep again, but Lady Anise caught her arm. “Stop, Abigail. Giles will live, and Mother loves him too. She will stand by him, and together we shall see that he is not simply given up to the law.”
That evening, Cooper attended both the Colonel and his attacker. He removed the bullets, cleansed the open wounds, and stitched them.
In the morning, the Stanhope women and the two cousins removed to Hadden Hall. Cooper remained behind with the wounded boy. When they arrived, Lady Helen was seated in thedrawing room. She rushed to her son when she saw he was heavily bandaged, but Richard reassured her.
“Mamma, pray do not look so. It is a trifling wound. The roughness of the roads has caused it to bleed anew, but I am well.”
His mother blanched. “Bleeding? What has befallen you, Richard?”
“We found the man who shot at Phillip, and he has been dealt with. I was wounded in the fray, but it is not serious.”
“Richard,” she cried, “You have been shot?”
Darcy said, “Aunt Helen. It is a minor injury. Richard will recover soon.”
“Mamma, I have brought you three guests. The Dowager Countess of Harrington and her two daughters will remain with us for a time. They have been shown to their rooms.”
