Rules for Reforming a Rake (28 page)

Had he fired those shots?

 “I PROMISED
to take you home,” Lumley insisted when Daisy stopped in front of Laurel’s townhouse. “Lord Dayne will have my guts for garters if I disobey.”

“And I promised Laurel I’d visit her today,” she retorted, her heart pounding through her ears. Gabriel’s blood coated her fingers and some had dripped onto her riding habit. Not that she cared a whit. He was hurt and there was nothing she could do about it, but Graelem could help. He had to know what was going on. “Amos will remain with me. I’ll be safe with him.”

“Do as you please,” Julia said, her gaze darting up and down the street, as though fearing the assailants were still after them, “but my nerves are frayed and I wish to go now.”

“I’m certain the danger has passed. Those shots could not have been intended for us,” Daisy assured her. “Who’d want to harm us?”

“I’m sure I don’t know.” Julia continued to gaze up and down the street.

Daisy turned to Lumley. “I’ll be fine here. You had better take my aunt home.”

He gave a sober nod. “Very well, but we’ll wait until you’re safely inside.”

She handed Bessie’s reins to Amos and then hurried into the house in search of Laurel, now feeling some remorse for almost breaking Lumley’s nose. He seemed genuinely concerned for her and Julia.

Daisy found her sister curled in an oversized chair in the parlor, quietly reading beside the fireplace. “Laurel! Do you know why Lord Malinor is in a rage about Gabriel? And have you heard the latest rumors?”

Laurel glanced up, startled. She was about to reproach her for bursting into the room, then noticed the red stains on her palms and riding habit, and gasped. “Daisy! What’s happened?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.” She glanced at Laurel’s swollen belly.

“My baby’s fine.” Laurel slammed her book shut, tossed it onto a nearby table, and awkwardly attempted to rise. “But you’re not, you have blood on your hands!”

“It isn’t mine.” Daisy motioned her sister to remain in her chair. Laurel, who was the size of a small whale and quite ungainly in her condition, sank back without protest. Daisy took full advantage. “Where’s Graelem? I need to speak to him.”

“He isn’t home. But I’m right here and you had better tell me everything. Now.”

Daisy nodded and crossed to the bell pull to tug on it. “First let me ring for tea and a damp cloth to wipe my hands.”

“And freshly made scones. You can eat while we talk. It will help to calm you down. You’re as jumpy as a toad.”

“You would be too if someone had taken a shot at you.”

“What?” Laurel once again struggled to rise and Daisy once again motioned her back in her chair.

“Those fiends weren’t trying to harm me.” She quickly related all that had happened, starting with little Harry’s climbing the tree, then their visit to the regimental headquarters, and finally her ride in the park with Julia and the shooting. As she finished, she pursed her lips and frowned. “In truth, I’m not quite certain who the fiends were aiming for. It could have been Lord Malinor. He’s the most obvious target considering his rank and position in government.”

Laurel nodded.

“But they shot Gabriel, grazed his arm as far as I can tell. He can’t have been too badly wounded because he took off after Lord Malinor’s phaeton... well, perhaps he took off after him. I can’t be sure about that either. Amos, the big ox, blocked my view.” She let out a resigned sigh. “That’s why I need to know more about the ill feelings between Gabriel and Lord Malinor.”

Laurel held her response as Billings, her elderly butler, scuttled in. She asked for refreshments and the damp cloth, then waited for him to bustle out before returning her attention to Daisy. She pursed her lips and frowned. “I wish I had answers to give you, but I haven’t heard anything about bad blood between them.” She glanced at Daisy’s hands. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have mentioned that word. Where is Billings with that cloth?”

It didn’t take long for the efficient butler to return. Daisy quickly wiped her hands clean while Laurel poured a cup of tea for each of them. “Go on,” Laurel urged when they were once more alone. “Tell me everything else that happened.”

“There isn’t much more to tell.” Daisy’s hands were cold and trembling, so she wrapped them around the teacup to warm them. “We were all in the park. Gabriel joined us. Someone took a shot—several, I think—possibly aimed at Lord Malinor, but Gabriel was hit.”

Suddenly, there was a commotion at the door and on cue, as though she were in a sensational stage play, Gabriel strode in. His gaze instantly went to hers. “Damn it, Daisy. What are you doing here?”

“I might ask the same of you.” But she rose and hurried to him, for he was clutching his arm and blood was running down his fingers. “Sit over here.” She pointed to a footstool beside the fireplace. She then hurried out and ordered Billings to fetch a basin of water, more clean cloths, and a bottle of whiskey. “Not Lord Graelem’s finest. Any will do. It isn’t for drinking purposes. And send a footman off to fetch Uncle George. He’ll need his medical bag. Send another to find Lord Graelem.”

Daisy hurried back to Gabriel’s side, surprised but pleased that he’d followed her instructions and settled onto the stool. She thought it odd that Laurel had remained in her chair, doing nothing more than eyeing her and Gabriel curiously. Laurel was as meddlesome as any Farthingale in existence. So why was she sitting there silently, doing nothing to assist Gabriel?

She turned her attention back to him. He wore a prideful, stubborn glower on his face that warned he would not obey any more of her commands.

Stubborn dolt! She was going to fix him up whether he wanted it or not, and he was sadly mistaken if he believed that she gave a fig about his strong, silent, I’ve-been-shot-but-will-bear-it-with-manly-grace look. She knelt beside him, for the footstool was low and she could better treat his wounded arm in this position. “Can you remove your jacket? Here, let me help you.”

“I don’t need your help,” he said, pain punctuating every word. “It’s just a flesh wound.”

“All the more reason to stop acting like a little boy in knee pants and do as I say.” She reached for his good arm first and helped him to shrug out of the sleeve. Then she eased the jacket off his injured arm. There was a hole in the fabric, just below his shoulder where the bullet had struck. The blood around the hole was still wet, not dry and caked, which meant his wound was deeper than he had let on and still oozing.

The shock of dark red against the stark white of his Savile Row shirt sent a shiver up her spine. “Now for your shirt,” she said, swallowing hard.

He glanced between her and Laurel, his gaze coming to rest on her. “No.”

Since he wasn’t the modest sort, she realized that he was thinking of her modesty, which was ridiculous since he’d already seen her breasts and explored them... well, now was not the time to think about that wondrous experience. By the sudden, hot smolder in his eyes, she knew his mind had wandered along the same path. Heat rushed into her cheeks. “Don’t be ridiculous. You’re still bleeding.”

“I don’t care. What does Lady Forsythia’s rule book say about sipping tea in your cousin’s salon with a shirtless man? I’m sure it is written in big, bold letters, DON’T.”

“First of all, I’m not sipping tea. Second, this is my
sister’s
salon. Third, you aren’t shirtless yet, but you will be in another moment, and I’m sure the rule book would say to do whatever one must to save an injured man, even if said man is an arrogant and infuriating rakehell.
Especially
if that rakehell just saved one’s little cousin,” she added, letting out a soft breath.

“Well said, Daisy.” Laurel smirked as she turned to Gabriel. “You may as well give up. She’s clearly won this battle. And before you tell me to mind my own business, which I can tell by your expression, you are about to say, keep in mind that if she doesn’t tend to your wound, I will. However, I won’t be anywhere near as gentle as Daisy. I’ll take a hot poker to your shoulder and simply burn that wound shut. And if you dare say another word about your delicate sensibilities—of which you have none—or of my sister’s delicate sensibilities—apparently, when it comes to you, she has none either—I will take that hot poker and stick it somewhere up your body that will really hurt.”

Laurel then smiled sweetly and popped a scone into her mouth.

Daisy struggled to suppress her laughter, but that struggle ended with her emitting a string of very unladylike snorts. Gabriel shook his head and grumbled, but ultimately cast her an endearing grin. “Very well, I surrender. You may have your wicked way with me, Daisy Farthingale.” He paused a moment and then his grin broadened. “I beg you, be gentle.”

She managed a hesitant smile back, understanding that he was teasing her. “I’ll do my best.”

In truth, she was shamefully eager to put her hands on him, to cleanse his wound, first and foremost. But she also wanted to feel his warm skin against her fingers, to touch him and make him feel as exquisite as she’d felt with his hands and mouth on her breasts the other night.

“We’ll compromise,” Gabriel said, clearing his throat and seeming to wince as she began to unbutton his shirt. “Leave it. Just tear off the sleeve.”

She nodded, relieved that he’d made the suggestion, for her heart was already in palpitations and she was in grave danger of swooning. She’d drop to the floor like a stone the moment he removed his shirt. “Brilliant. Excellent idea. I should have thought of it.” Of course, she had and immediately dismissed it because a bare-chested Gabriel was a fantasy she’d hoped would come true... oh, dear. Her heart was palpitating again.

She shot to her feet as Billings walked in with the supplies she’d requested. “Ah, good man.” She took the bottle of whiskey and clean cloths from him, then motioned for him to set the basin and pitcher of water on a small table beside the fireplace.

She spared a glance at Gabriel. Blood still slowly dripped from his wound, fortunately landing on the polished stone surrounding the hearth and not on Laurel’s expensive Aubusson carpet. “Perhaps we ought to have done this in the kitchen,” Daisy mumbled.

“And scandalize my cook and scullery maids?” Laurel shook her head and laughed. “No, much safer here where I can properly chaperone the two of you. I have my eye on that poker and will not hesitate to use it on Gabriel if he steps out of line.”

What about me?
Daisy was in peril of ravaging Gabriel. She returned to his side, kneeling too close to him and reveling in the glorious heat radiating off his body and the subtle scent of musk and sweat along his throat.
Great balls of cheese!
She really wanted to do thoroughly inappropriate things to his body.

She placed her hand on his arm to tear away the sleeve and groaned softly as her knuckles grazed hard muscle. Truly, she was in serious danger of mauling the poor man. What was it about him that set her body off like fireworks?

Everything.

Silently berating herself, she tore off his sleeve, tossed it into the fire, and quickly rose to dunk a cloth into the basin. Laurel was on her feet and had already poured water into the basin. “Thank you,” she said.

She turned back to Gabriel and forced herself to ignore all but his wound. In truth, it wasn’t as bad as it had first appeared. The bleeding had now slowed, and she saw that the bullet had only grazed the fleshy part of his skin and torn through. She wrapped her hand around his arm just below the wound to hold it still while she cleansed it. In truth, Gabriel had no fleshy parts, for he was all hard, solid muscle.

She took a long breath, for her heart was furiously beating again. And wasn’t it awfully warm in here? She and Gabriel were close to the fire, which was the logical reason for her discomfort. However, the parts of her that were fiery hot and smoldering could not possibly feel heat from those flames. “This will sting quite a bit, Gabriel.”

She poured whiskey onto a fresh cloth and applied it to his now clean wound. He covered her hands with one of his as they began to shake. “You’re doing a fine job, Daisy.”

She let out a soft, quivering breath as his deep, gentle rumble washed over her. “I think you’ll need stitches. Where’s Uncle George? Why isn’t he here yet?” She wrapped one of the cloths around his wound now that it had been properly cleaned. In no time, a dark red stain spread across the white cloth. “You’re still bleeding.” She hastily unwrapped the cloth, tucked a thicker square of cloth beneath it, and bound the first cloth tightly about his arm once more. “How are you feeling? A little lightheaded?”

He cast her a tender gaze. “Only a little. You needn’t fret. I’ll survive.”

“I hope so.” She pursed her lips and cast him a scowl that quickly faded to a look of worry. “What happened in the park? Who shot at you? Or did they mean to hit Lord Malinor?”

“I don’t know, Daisy. Graelem will report the incident to the Prince Regent and he’ll order a royal investigation.”

She nodded. “It isn’t every day an attempt is made on the life of one of his ministers... or one of his rakehell friends. But why must you wait for Graelem to report it? I’ll ring for Billings to fetch you some notepaper, quill, and—”

“Prinny and I are on the outs at the moment,” Gabriel interjected. “That’s why I came in search of Graelem. I need him to pay a call on Prinny.”

Daisy shook her head, recalling her earlier conversation with Auguste Malinor. He’d indicated that very thing, but it still rang false to her. “You’re on the outs with him? When did this happen?”

He shrugged. “This afternoon.”

Her eyes narrowed, for she was angry and hurt that he sought to dismiss her so casually with yet another of his lies. “How is it possible? You were with me at sunrise, with your grandmother in the late morning, with me again at the regimental headquarters in the early afternoon, and not an hour later with me again in the park.”

Laurel quirked an eyebrow. “You’re spending quite a good deal of time with my sister.”

“Unintentional, I assure you.” He ran a hand roughly through his hair and scowled. “I don’t have to account to you for my precise movements.”