“Of course, Your Grace.” She kept silent as the other maids brushed past them before the older woman leaned in closer to him. “I think you should also know, the woman has scars on her back.”
He narrowed his gaze on the housekeeper, and then to the woman lying on the bed. “Scars, you say?”
Her voice lowered. “Yes. Like she’s been… whipped.”
His stomach churned. “Someone whipped her? As small as she is?”
“That’s what I’m thinking, yes. And they are not new scars, either.”
“If I get my hands on whoever did that…”
Anger simmered within Trevor as he approached the bed, directed not at the unconscious woman but at the unknownperson responsible for her injuries. Yet, the moment he laid eyes on her, his breath caught. The girl he’d brought home earlier had transformed, as if by magic, into a striking woman. The maids had washed away the grime, revealing long waves of blonde hair that cascaded over her shoulders, still damp from the bath, resting against the soft curves of her fully grown figure. Her pale face, now clean, contrasted starkly with the thick, dark lashes that swept over her high cheekbones, casting delicate shadows across her face.
She was quite beautiful. He had to admit it, though the realization unsettled him. This woman, with her tattered clothes and air of mystery, was no one he knew. She belonged to a world far removed from his—someone of a class he wouldn’t have associated with under normal circumstances. Yet here she was, lying in his home, her vulnerability and beauty impossible to ignore.
Voices from the hallway snapped him from his thoughts. Stepping toward the door, Trevor peeked into the corridor to see Hobbs, his butler, leading the way for a familiar figure. Relief washed over him as he recognized the physician. Finally, someone who could help.
“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” Trevor told him.
An older man, Doctor Bryers’s white hair thinned on his head, showing more spots of baldness than not. His spectacles perched on a long, straight nose as he opened his black medical bag. “Your servant tells me there was an accident.”
“Indeed there was, doctor. I hit her with my curricle as I traveled home this evening. She’s still alive but has a faint heartbeat.”
Doctor Bryers walked to the bed. “Mrs. Smythe? I shall need your assistance while I check her.” He glanced at Trevor. “Your Grace, would you be so kind as to wait outside?”
“Certainly.” Trevor left the room and shut the door behind him.
For the next hour, he paced the length of the maroon carpet in the hallway, his impatience mounting with every step. He hadn’t felt this restless since the births of his son and daughter—or rather, he corrected himself bitterly, Gwen’s son and daughter. The nagging uncertainty over their parentage weighed heavily on him, as it had ever since that fateful discovery. He still didn’t know if the twins were truly his.
A groan escaped him as he rubbed his forehead, trying to banish the painful memory. Time would reveal the truth soon enough. Worthingtons were known for their dark hair, striking blue eyes, and tall stature—traits that ran through his family for generations. Even his mother towered over most of her childhood friends. But the twins… Their gray eyes and lighter hair unsettled him, never quite fitting the mold he expected. And then there was Gwen’s lover, a man with unmistakable red hair. If the children shared that trait, it would confirm his worst fears.
The thought gnawed at him, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. He would find out the truth soon enough, but until then, the doubt hung over him like a dark cloud, just as it had for years.
The bedroom door creaked open, bringing Trevor from his thoughts. Mrs. Smythe motioned him to enter. He hurried to the doctor, anxious to hear how the injured woman fared.
Doctor Bryers rolled down his shirt sleeves. “She’s most fortunate, Your Grace. I could not find any broken bones. She has a large wound on her shoulder, which I assume came from the impact of the horse slamming into her or when she hit the ground. She has a sizable goose egg on her head, which will disappear within time, as well as the scratches received from the fall.” He shrugged on his overcoat before meeting Trevor’s stare.“Until she awakens, I will not be able to tell if she received any internal injuries.”
“Internal?”
“Mainly head trauma.” He scratched his chin. “Please send for me when she comes to, and I shall check her again.”
“Certainly, doctor.”
“I request you not move her for a few days to give her time to heal. She will be stiff and sore from the accident and will have a few bruises.”
Trevor nodded. “I shall keep her here as long as necessary.”
The doctor patted his shoulder. “You are a good man, Your Grace. This woman fell into the right hands.”
Trevor wanted to believe anyone would have acted the same way and shown similar concern, but he didn’t speak his mind in front of the doctor. He managed a small smile and shook the older man’s hand.
“Thank you again for your hastiness into this matter.”
“You are most welcome, Your Grace. I’m only pleased to be of assistance.”
“Would you like Mrs. Smythe to get you a cup of tea and biscuits before you leave?”
“Thank you, but no. I was on my way to another call before I came. If you will excuse me.”
