“If you hold this in place, I’ll go take a look,” Haines said. He waited for Viola to place her hand on the compress before getting up. “I’ll be back in a moment.”
Viola stared down at Henry, the relief she felt at knowing he lived so profound it stole her breath. Her hands still trembled and her heart continued to throb with the pain she’d endured when she’d thought she’d lost him. “You silly man,” she choked while swiping a lock of his hair away from his eye. “Do you have any idea what you put me through just now?”
“It cannot be worse than what I put myself through,” he muttered.
She scowled at him even as she smiled in response to his lopsided grin. “I’m going to fix you up really well so I can throttle you for taking years off my life.”
“I cannot say I envy you, Lowell,” Yates murmured at Viola’s shoulder. “Facing death on the field of honor will likely have been a breeze by comparison.”
Viola swatted him away and leaned slightly forward, so close she could see just a hint of gold in Henry’s brown eyes. “Promise me you won’t ever do something like this again.”
“I did not expect Robert to hit me,” he said, not giving her the assurance she needed. “He’s never been a very good shot.”
Viola shook her head. “You are unbelievable.”
“Unbelievably handsome, I hope.” And then, as if he hadn’t annoyed her enough by getting shot and knocking himself unconscious, he waggled his eyebrows. And damn her if she didn’t smile just a little bit more because of how charming he was even when he was lying on his back with blood smeared across his forehead.
Viola sighed. “We should probably get you back to the hospital.”
“I agree,” Haines said as he returned. “Tremaine has a lead ball stuck in his shoulder that needs to be extracted, while you, Lowell, could do with a thorough evaluation.”
The grin on Henry’s face left no doubt in Viola’s mind about where his thoughts were straying. Of all the things to be contemplating in his current condition...
“And since Tremaine requires minor surgery and doesn’t want you within a hundred yards of him,” Haines said, addressing Viola, “I’m thinking that I’ll take care of him while you take care of Lowell.”
Viola wouldn’t have it any other way. “I’m happy to.”
Henry was starting to believe he had an uncanny ability to survive getting shot. When Elmwood had called him out last year, the earl had sprained his wrist on his way to the duel, then when Baron Highpool had tried to shoot him a little over two weeks earlier, he’d missed any vital organs, and now he was getting away with no more than an inconvenient headache.
“I think Tremaine might call me out again for refusing to die,” Henry mused. Viola, who’d cleaned his wound again and applied a poultice, went absolutely rigid. Grabbing her hand, he pressed it gently against his cheek. “Perhaps I should apologize to him for still being alive.”
She didn’t laugh as he’d hoped she would. Instead her lips trembled and she suddenly turned her head away so he could not see her face.
With aching heart he drew her to him, aware that he’d put her through more than she deserved. As had Robert. Between the two of them it was no wonder Viola wasn’t racing toward the altar, eager to speak her vows. In her experience, men were selfish, boorish and possibly stupid.
“I am sorry I wasn’t able to stop this from happening,” he told her sincerely while stroking his hand down her back.
He felt the rise and fall of her breasts as she inhaled and exhaled against him. “I’m just glad you’re not any worse off,” she said after a moment had passed. And then, “I was so scared I thought I might kill you myself when I saw what had happened. To be honest, it was as if the world collapsed around me and I... I just couldn’t breathe.”
She leaned back a little in his embrace, just enough to meet his gaze, and the turbulence there completely undid him. Unable to resist, he dragged her mouth to his and kissed her as he had been dreaming of kissing her again since last night. This morning, when he’d made his way to Hackney Meadows, he’d carried with him the knowledge that if he died today, at least he would do so knowing what it was to be kissed by Viola—incomparable.
Her lips moved carefully over his, her body relaxing against him. “We must be careful,” she murmured against his mouth.
“I’m fine,” he assured her, and nipped at her lips just to prove it. “More so now that you’re back in my arms.”
She opened her mouth to respond, and he swallowed her words with his own, kissing her deeply, passionately and with the joy of knowing he was still alive to experience her warmth. Her breath brushed his skin as she moved to place a soft kiss on his cheek. Her brow pressed against his and for a long moment she stayed there, just breathing him in.
Eventually she swallowed and pulled away, her shoulders setting as she started putting away her supplies. “You need to rest for a couple of days. Do not exert yourself and make sure you change your compress twice daily.” Her cheeks were flushed and her voice slightly breathless. “I will send instructions home with you so your servants will know what to buy and how to prepare the poultice.”
“Thank you, Viola.” He watched as she moved about, busying herself with seemingly inane tasks. “We’ve kissed each other twice now,” he felt compelled to point out just in case she hadn’t noticed.
“Yes,” she said as if responding to a mindless comment.
“This would suggest that you find me attractive.” He grinned when she tripped over her own two feet. “It would also suggest that you like me, which makes me wonder if you might be more willing to consider marriage now than—”
“When I first met you?”
He gave her his most serious frown. “Well yes.”
