Conquering a Viscount (7 page)

             
Juliet’s mother held her daughters hand and with trembling lips kissed her brow.  She whispered words in her ears to try and calm her child. 
Jonathan
watched her with a lump in his throat.  He looked back down at Juliet’s face.  A world where she did not exist would be no world he could live in.  He squeezed her hand and tried to transfer his strength to her.

             
The doctor leaned back and gave an exasperated sigh.  He faced the duchess with sympathy in his eyes.  “I am sorry.  I am afraid there is nothing more I can do.  The bullet has lodged itself too deep.  To go any further I’m afraid I might kill her.  If she survives she will have limited use of this arm.”

             
Juliet’s mother quietly sobbed and buried her face next to her daughter.   “There is nothing else you can do?”
Jonathan
asked the doctor desperately.

             
The doctor shook his head.  “Her fate is in God’s hands now; the only thing you can do is pray.” 

             
Jonathan
was in a daze.  He held Juliet down so the doctor could cauterize the wound close.  She was so weak that she fainted when the heat was applied to her shoulder.  Long after the doctor left and Juliet’s mother retired to her room,
Jonathan
still sat at Juliet’s side, stroking her hair.  He watched every movement of her chest to make sure she still breathed.  It was shallow, but she was still breathing.

             
He said nothing as
Clinton
came in and sat at his sister’s side, crying and begging her to fight for her life.  Emily came in soon after and she fell to the floor beside the bed begging Juliet to forgive her. She had no idea her family was capable of such horror.  Juliet remained motionless.

             
Thomas
came in and tried to get him to leave the room and get some sleep, to which he refused.  He would not leave her side.  She could wake up at any moment and he didn’t want her to be alone.  God forbid she should be alone if she drew her last breath.

             
Clinton
came back in the room and sat across from him.  He finally looked up at his friend. 
Clinton
looked like hell.  He was sure he looked no better.  He felt as if he were in his own personal hell, watching the woman he loved fight for her life.

             
“You know it’s not really proper for you to be the one in Juliet’s room with her.”
Clinton
said after a moment.

             
“I intend to marry her, once she has recovered.  Surely, a fiancé should be allowed t
o sit at his loved ones bedside?
”
Jonathan
asked him.

             
“So you finally realized what the rest of us have known all along.”
Clinton
stood up and leaned down and placed a soft kiss upon her head.  “Let’s just pray she lives to hear those words from your lips.”

             
Jonathan
continued stroking her hair and leaned over to kiss her.  Tears pooled in his eyes as he took in her frailness.  If fever set in, she would more than likely die.  “I love you.” He whispered brokenly into her ear.  He brought his chair closer to her bed and laid his head next to hers.  “Please don’t leave me.” He begged before succumbing to sleep.

~~~*****~~~

Jonathan
was awoken by Juliet thrashing violently in the bed.  Her cheeks were flushed and her skin was hot to the touch.  He rushed to the door and yelled for the maid to get help.  Fever had set in sometime during the night.

             
“
Jonathan
!” she yelled out. “Help me please.” She whimpered in her delirium. 

             
He rushed back to her side. “Shush, love, I am here.  I would never leave you.”

             
She seemed to hear his words and calmed down.  He quickly checked her wound to see if her movement had reopened it and let out a sigh in relief that it was still closed. 
Clinton
came running into the room still in his night clothes.  “Fetch the doctor.”
Jonathan
told him. “Fever has set in.”

             
Several maids hurried in with pails of water and rags.  He allowed them to push him from the room as they made haste in wiping down her heated body with the cool water.  He slid down to the floor in the hallway and buried his head in his knees.  She had to survive.  He could not live without her.  If the man who shot her was not already dead he would shoot him again.

             
Someone sat down next to him, but he did not look up.  When a small hand grasped his he looked up to see Elisabeth looking at him.  “She will live
Jonathan
.” She whispered.  “Juliet loves you too much to leave you behind.  You have no idea how much she loves you.”  He squeezed her hand in gratitude.

             
Hours later when the doctor came out of the room,
Jonathan
was still sitting with his head between his knees. The doctor cleared his throat to gain his attention and he jumped up with his heart racing.

             
“The fever has broken.  I believe Lady Juliet will live, although she will do so without the use of a limb, she will be alive none the less.” The doctor shifted uncomfortably. “She is awake and asking for you.”

             
Jonathan
ran into the room and let out a huge sigh of relief as Juliet’s beautiful green eyes focused on his face.  She smiled weakly at him and lifted her hand for him to come to her.  He dropped to his knees at her bedside and kissed her hand tenderly.

             
“Why
Jonathan
Radcliffe, are those tears in your eyes for me?” her voice came out a hoarse whisper.

             
He kissed her lips forcefully full of emotion.  “Don’t ever scare me like that again.” He told her sternly.

             
She tried to laugh but the movement caused her pain and she let out a gasp.

             
“Don’t try to move love; we don’t want that wound to reopen.” He told her. “Juliet, I love you more than you could ever imagine.  I thought I lost you before I had the chance to tell you how much you mean to me.”

             
He looked up to see her eyes full of tears.  “No love, please don’t cry.  I couldn’t bear it if you were to be upset.  You have been through so much.”

             
She weakly hit his arm with a smile.  “They are tears of joy you buffoon.  I have waited so long to hear those words from you.”

             
She closed her eyes and
Jonathan
could tell she was losing her strength.  He kissed her head.  “Sleep now, Button.  I will return shortly.”  He opened the door but stopped when Juliet called his name.

             
He rushed back to her side and smoothed her hair back.  “What’s wrong? Do you need me to get you anything?” he asked her anxiously.

             
She smiled. “No, I just wanted to tell you, I love you too.”

Chapter 9

Juliet giggled as she watched
Jonathan
chase Olivia around the foyer.  Over the last three months things had returned to normal for her family.  She was almost fully recovered from her wound.  She had lost most use of her arm, but she was too blissfully happy to be upset by it. 
Jonathan
kissed her scars and assured her that she was as beautiful as ever.

             
He had not left her side, and was insisting they be married as soon as she was able.  Her mother argued with him that invitations must be ordered and sent out and Juliet must have a wedding trousseau before they could be married, which meant they should return to London.

             
Elisabeth had returned to London once she was sure that Juliet was well on her way to recovery. 
Thomas
had followed; although he said he had business to attend, Juliet felt he really wanted to see Elisabeth home safely.

             
Emily’s aunt and uncle were in prison for kidnapping.  Juliet had learned the man who shot her was the infamous Paul Maitland, a notorious murderer and robber. Thanks to her family and friends, he was six feet under and would not terrorize anyone ever again.

Juliet sighed in contentment. 
Tomorrow
they would leave for London and she would be one step closer to being the
Viscountess
Cornwell.

             
Jonathan
caught her eye and gave her a bright smile.  He had been visiting her room every night and loving her into exhaustion.  She hated to give that up, but the sooner they were in London, the sooner they could be married. 

             
She gave him a secretive smile in return that held promises of what was in store for him later tonight.  He was so handsome as he smiled and laughed with Olivia and she could picture him playing with
children of their own
one day.

             
She caught Emily’s eye and smiled lovingly at her sister in law.  Emily was rubbing her protruding belly that held her niece or nephew.  She held no ill will towards Emily; she was nothing like those wretched people who raised her.

             
Jonathan
made his way over to her and pulled her from the chair and started dancing around the room with her.  She laughed at his antics. “There is no music, my lord.”

             
“We
can
make our own music my lady!” He told her with a wink.  He placed a kiss upon her cheek.  “Happy?” he asked her, looking deep into her eyes.

             
“Immensely happ
ier than you could ever imagine.
I adore you.” She laughed as he twirled her around faster.

             
“I’m forever yours Juliet.” He whispered in her ear, and he meant it.

~~~*****~~~

Coming Fall 2012

Mastering the Marquis

I hope you enjoy the following preview of Thomas and Elisabeth’s story.

Happy Reading-Macy Ann

Centre London, 1815

The Carlton House

             
This had to be a nightmare.  There was no other way to explain how she felt at the moment.  All of her mother’s grooming for her debut into society could have never prepared her for what was going on at The Carlton House ball.  Lady Elisabeth Ellenburg searched the ballroom franticly for her best friend, Juliet Wells Radcliffe.  She could barely see over the heads of the dozen suitors who surrounded her.

Her feet ached from not only dancing, but from being trampled one too many times this very night.  She was no fool.  She knew the hoard of men who surrounded her knew she had a large dowry.  Her father was an astute business man and had built quite a fortune before he passed away when she was twelve.  His careful planning had allowed Elisabeth and her mother to live quite comfortably. 

She tried to squeeze past Lucas, Baron of Kinsland, but he mistook her move as an invitation for company.  He latched himself to her arm and lifted her dance card from her wrist.

“May I have the honor of a dance tonight, my lady?”  He didn’t wait for her reply and simply penciled himself in.  She snatched her arm back from him, feeling more than a little aggravated with his arrogance.

“Seems as I will, my lord since you took it upon yourself to pencil yourself in.  Now if you will excuse me, I must go to the ladies sitting room.  The heat in this room has become unbearable.”  Without another glance in his direction she turned on her heel and marched away.  The gentlemen in company at this ball were overstepping boundaries with her tonight.

Her face flushed as she remembered the Earl of Monastoe taking liberties upon her person on the dance floor.  Subtle touches to her waist and then more bolder touches below her breasts.  He had all but fondled her on the dance floor in front of polite society.  Still not seeing any sign of either of her friends, Emily Wells, the Duchess of Norchess, or Juliet Radcliffe, the Viscountess Cornwell, she made a path straight for the ladies room.

So focused was she on escape she almost ran head first into Jared Blake, Viscount  Dornay.  He was the most diligent suitor.  He called on her regularly all the while they would sit in awkward silence.  He was not bad looking by any means; they just had absolutely nothing in common.  Elisabeth wanted a marriage with love such as the marriages her two friends had found in the past year.  She darted left towards the doors that led out in the garden.  At least outside she could hide and take a moment to gather her wits.  She felt as if she might go mad.