Page 32 of The Dandy Lyon

Lord Longford put his arm around her, turning them both toward the alley’s entrance.

Marcus whirled back to dispatch Bartlow once and for all, only to see the crazed man lunge at Joanna’s retreating figure, a long, thin knife raised in his hand.

“Longford!”

The earl’s reflexes were superb. In an instant, he’d covered Joanna with his body just as Marcus threw himself into the path of the blow, now aimed squarely at the earl’s back. The keen blade sliced through his waistcoat and shirt as though they hadn’t been there, broke the skin and skittered along his ribs. For a moment Marcus thought he was home free. He’d suffered such wounds before. They never did much damage and healed reasonably quickly with the attention of a competent surgeon.

This time, however, the knife slid off the bone and plunged deep into his abdomen. The pain was intense, but his mind still focused on protecting Joanna and her brother. He twisted his body and Bartlow let go of him. With all his remaining strength, Marcus threw a wide punch with his right arm that connected spectacularly with Bartlow’s jaw. The man flew backward, his head hitting the wall behind him with a sickening splat.

Marcus slipped to his knees, then his back was on the hard, cold pavement. Joanna’s beautiful face hovered over his and she was speaking, though he couldn’t make out the words. The world began to turn gray and he fought to get the last words out—“I love you”—before the darkness took him.

Joanna had been pacing outside the blue bedchamber—the Knight’s Solar it was called—ever since they’d had Marcus brought to the house after that horrible confrontation in the alleyway. She’d only just stopped shaking, even though Geoffrey had been kind enough to give her a tumbler of brandy against the shock. Not the way she’d have wanted to finally get to taste it, but he’d been right. She’d needed something to fortify her against this long wait for news. Geoffrey had taken the surgeon in as soon as the man arrived, and they’d been in there with Marcus for what seemed like days. If only Geoffrey would come out and tell her if Marcus was still alive, she’d be indebted to him for the rest of her life. Not knowing if he’d died was worse than any punishment the devil himself could devise. And there had been so much blood in the alleyway…

The door opened and she bolted toward it, almost running into Geoffrey and the doctor as they exited the room.

Her heart twisting, Joanna clutched her brother’s arm in a death grip. “Is he alive?” She glanced from Geoffrey’s face to the surgeon, trying to read something, anything in the impassive visages. “Tell me, Geoffrey? Is he dead?”

“He’s alive, Joanna, and if you’ll release my arm,” Geoffrey winced and pried her fingers from his sleeve, “I’ll have Mr. Carroll inform you of Dandridge’s condition.”

Geoffrey made a show of shaking his arm, but Joanna had ceased to pay him any mind and turned instead toward the elderly surgeon. “Please tell me Mr. Dandridge’s condition, Mr. Carroll.”

“He’s resting at the moment, my lady.” Mr. Carroll sounded kindly and not terribly worried, which gave Joanna a good bit of relief. “It took some time, but I managed to get the bleeding to stop. The wound’s very deep and we’ll have to wait and see if any vital organs were involved, but I’ve cleaned it with vinegar and dressed it with honey and bandages that will need to be changed regularly, as the wound will seep before it begins to draw.”

“I’ll hire a sick nurse to take care of that, if you can recommend one.” Geoffrey sounded too cavalier concerning Marcus’s wellbeing for Joanna’s taste.

“If you show me how, doctor, I’ll tend to him.” She glanced into her brother’s face, as if to dare him to naysay her offer, but other than a puckering about his lips, he said nothing.

Mr. Carroll peered at her curiously but simply shrugged and nodded. “I’ll return in the morning to check on him. I can show you what to do then.”

Joanna nodded, although she didn’t intend to wait until the morning to see Marcus.

“My butler will show you the way out, doctor.” Geoffrey indicated the staircase and Mr. Carroll bowed and left.

Joanna took that moment of distraction to hurry to the door of the bedchamber.

“Do you really think disturbing him is in his best interests, my dear?” Geoffrey’s voice arrested her with her and on the latch.

“I’ll be quiet. He won’t even know I’m in the room.” She had to see for herself that he was alive or she might very well go mad. Geoffrey didn’t have any idea how worried she’d been all this time since Marcus had been stabbed.

“The moment you set foot in that room, he will know you are there.” Geoffrey shook his head. “He’d barely regained consciousness and the doctor was doing some rather unpleasant things to his wound, but Dandridge insisted on asking if you were safe.”

“He asked about me?” Even when Marcus was so horribly injured and in pain, his thoughts were for her wellbeing. How could her brother not see how honorable the man was? How much he cared for her?

“Do you doubt it? He wouldn’t lie still and let the doctor attend him until I told him you were fine and just outside the door.” Geoffrey came toward her and she feared he would try to stop her from going to see Marcus. Her hand tightened on the latch, but to her astonishment her brother merely kissed her forehead. “The man gives new meaning to the word tenacious.”

“Then may I go see him?” She raised hopeful eyes to her brother.

“I could scarcely stop you short of locking you in your room.” Her brother raised an eyebrow. “And even that seems to be a useless endeavor.” Geoffrey put his hand over hers and depressed the lever. “But do not stay overlong. The doctor said he needs rest.”

Nodding, Joanna sped inside the dim room, the only light a small lamp on the bedside table.

Eyes closed, Marcus lay in the middle of the bed, looking small for once, the blue silk cover pulled up to his chin, his hands resting on top of the bedclothes. His face was pale, making his dark hair an even starker contrast than usual. Her heart ached to see him thus, knowing he was hurt on her account. Had she not been so stubborn and hell bent on defying Geoffrey, Marcus would not be here, gravely wounded. If he should die, it would be all her fault.

Stealthily, Joanna crept toward the bed, afraid she’d wake him, yet wanting nothing more than to take his hand and sit by his bed, willing him to recover. She made it as far as the side of the bed and stood gazing down at him, memorizing every inch of his face from the thick, dark hair and brows to his straight narrow nose, to his deep-red sensuous mouth. Instinctively, she licked her lips, remembering the warmth of his mouth pressed to hers. Had it only been hours ago? It seemed a lifetime. As she lost herself in that delicious memory, his eyes fluttered open.

“Joanna.”

She gasped and immediately moved next to the bed. “Oh, Marcus. You’re awake.” Carefully, she took his hand in hers, her heart filling with joy when he squeezed it. “I can only stay a few minutes, but Geoffrey has said I can come tomorrow to act as your nurse.”