Scoundrel (32 page)

“The curse,” Sophie whispered. Her good hand fluttered on Lily’s sleeve then dropped to the bed. There was a distracted look to her eyes already, the first sign that the laudanum was taking effect. “The crystal knife.” Her head turned restlessly on the pillow. “I can’t remember that part. Read it to me again.”

“Hush,” Lily murmured. “That isn’t important now.”

“You have to tell me! I have a right to know what will happen.”

“Nothing else will happen.” Lily’s gaze slid away. “Not to you, anyway.”

“Dr. Alexander?” Sophie whispered.

Lily nodded.

“Stop it, both of you,” Remmington ordered. “This has nothing to do with a curse.”

The two women looked up at him. He could tell they didn’t believe him.

Lily shook her head. “You didn’t read the message on those seals.”

He frowned at her. “I forbid you to speak another word on that subject. At the moment, Sophie does not need a fit of hysterics over superstitious nonsense.”

“I can assure you that—”

“That’s all right, Lily.” Sophie closed her eyes. “As you said, it isn’t important right now.”

Lily glared at Remmington across the bed. She mouthed the words, “You’ve upset her.” Remmington gave her an exaggerated look of disbelief, then rolled his eyes heavenward.

“Lily?” Sophie’s voice sounded slower and her lids opened only a fraction.

“Yes, Sophie?”

“I’m afraid you won’t be able to lean on my shoulder for awhile.”

A glimmer of tears appeared in Lily’s eyes, but she smiled and patted her friend’s good hand. “Then you’ll just have to lean on mine.”

The physician arrived a quarter of an hour later.

Sophie remained in her drug-induced sleep as the doctor stitched the wound on her arm. The physician worked cautiously around the more serious injury to her shoulder.

“This needs to be sealed,” the physician said, when the wound began to bleed again.

Remmington wiped away the blood and shook his head. “You are almost done. I am sure this young lady would prefer to forego that cure. I will keep pressure on her shoulder when you are done to stop the bleeding.”

The physician looked doubtful for a moment, then he nodded. “The bleeding is not as bad as when I started. Perhaps this is for the best after all.”

The trio fell silent as the physician set about his work. Remmington noticed that Lily wouldn’t look at the deep stitches the doctor made, but neither did she move from Sophie’s side. When he finished the stitching, she helped wrap a bandage around Sophie’s shoulder.

“The bleeding stopped,” the physician said. “Give her more laudanum when she awakens. I’ll return in a few hours to see how she’s doing.”

“At least she could sleep through the stitching,” Lily whispered, after the physician left. “A hot iron would have been more painful than the injury itself.”

“That thought did occur to me.”

“I want to thank you for both of us.” She nodded toward Sophie. “If you hadn’t pulled us away from that window…” She looked up at him, her heart in her eyes. “I owe you my life.”

The simple statement set his teeth on edge. He didn’t deserve her thanks. He’d failed to protect her reputation, nearly failed to protect her life. Both their lives would be easier if she would only recognize his flaws and turn away from him. Her gratitude only made him more determined to do what they would both live to regret.

The Bainbridges and Lily’s father arrived early the next day. Lady Bainbridge joined Lily and Sophie in the Queen’s Chamber while the men met downstairs. An hour later, Lily heard a soft knock at the door. Lady Bainbridge read quietly to Sophie from a chair she’d pulled up next to the bed while Sophie dozed in and out of her laudanum-induced sleep. Lily left her place near the bed to answer the door.

A maid with a starched white cap bobbed a curtsy. “Your father would like to see you in the Blue Room, m’lady.”

Lily wasn’t certain she wanted to see her father. She hadn’t had an opportunity to speak with Remmington alone since the shooting. Now it was too late. She looked over her shoulder at Lady Bainbridge. Without a break in her soft flow of words, Lady Bainbridge glanced up and motioned for Lily to go with the maid.

As Lily followed the girl down the long staircase, she practiced the speech she would give her father. It sounded ridiculous. He would never believe her.

The maid pushed open the door to the Blue Room, and Lily stepped inside. Remmington sat near the fireplace in a chair that looked too delicate to support his large frame. His legs were stretched out in front of him, his elbows propped on the spindly arms of the chair. He appeared to be contemplating his steepled fingers. Her father paced the floor nearby.

She swallowed down a fresh surge of anxiety. “It’s good to see you, Papa.”

Both men turned at the sound of her voice. Remmington rose to meet her halfway across the room, an unfathomable expression in his eyes. He led her to the seat he’d just vacated, then stood behind her. The weight of his hands on her shoulders calmed a portion of her fears. She wondered if it was his intent to show her his support, or if the gesture meant nothing at all.

The earl clasped his hands behind his back and gazed down at her. “Remmington tells me that you survived yesterday’s incident with only a few scratches. I was sorry to hear that Sophie was not so fortunate.”

She nodded and waited for him to continue. This discussion would have little to do with her father’s concern over Sophie’s injuries, or her own minor scrapes. She tilted her head to look up at Remmington, but his expression remained unreadable. He looked so bored that she almost expected to see him yawn.

“Remmington also told me that Lord Holybrook intends to inform me of an incident that took place the night before last.”

Lily couldn’t look her father in the eye. She knew he wanted her denial, waited to hear her say it was some awful mistake. She bowed her head and remained silent.

“Remmington would not tell me anything more until you were present,” he added. “I would like an explanation, Lily.”

He didn’t know. Was this some awful test? Did Remmington want to see if she would indeed turn coward? She cleared her throat and hoped her voice wouldn’t fail her. “Yes, well, the whole thing started—”

Remrnington squeezed her shoulders. “I can explain, sir. I wanted Lily present because this affects her. Actually, I’d planned to meet with her to discuss the matter before your arrival, but Miss Stanhope’s injuries took precedence. What Lord Holybrook intends to tell you is that he discovered Lily in my bedchamber the night before the shooting.”

“What?”

The sound of stunned disbelief in the earl’s voice struck Lily like a knife. In his eyes she saw shock and denial. “It isn’t as bad as it sounds, Papa. Truly, I can—”

Remmington’s hands tightened again on her shoulders. “I asked Lily to meet me there. I wanted to be alone with her.”

“But that isn’t true! Well, not exactly true,” she qualified. “I asked to meet with him, Papa.”

“And I suggested my bedchamber as our meeting place,” Remmington cut in. “Lily suggested several reasonable locations where no one would think the worst if they happened to see us together. I insisted upon the more intimate setting.”

Crofford’s eyes narrowed. “Do you realize what you are saying, Remmington?”

“Yes, sir, I do. Lily’s reputation is in serious jeopardy. I once gave you my word that I would not behave in an improper manner toward your daughter, and I have broken my word. My actions are inexcusable. I hope you can accept my apology.”

The earl crossed his arms. “I hope you have something more to offer than an apology.”

Remmington nodded. “If you can accept my apology, I hope you will also come to accept me as your son-in-law.”

“
What
?” Lily all but shouted the question. Remmington continued as if hadn’t heard her.

“Yesterday I obtained a special license. With your permission, I would like to marry Lily as soon as possible.”

The earl appeared to contemplate the offer. “I do not approve of the events that led up to this, but I suppose you will make my daughter a suitable enough husband. The situation leaves little choice in the matter.”

“I will ask Lord Holybrook if the ceremony can take place here,” Remmington said. “The sooner we marry, the less chance there will be of unsavory rumors.”

Lily rose from her chair and whirled around to face Remmington. “I cannot believe you are doing this. You said—” She clamped her mouth shut, not about to remind him that he didn’t want to marry her. Not with her father standing next to her. She could see the grim determination in Remmington’s eyes. He didn’t want this marriage. She didn’t relish the thought of being looked upon as a sacrifice made for duty’s sake. The set line of his jaw boded no argument, so she tried to reason with her father. “Remmington has a noble nature and a natural tendency to protect those around him, Papa. He is deliberately taking the blame for this when he is not the one at fault. He should not be made to pay for my mistakes.”

Remmington settled his arm around her shoulders and drew her to his side. He took her hand in a firm yet gentle grip. “I’m afraid your daughter does not yet comprehend that I will not let her leave this house a ruined woman. Lord Holybrook might be persuaded to silence, but I’m afraid Lady Farnsworth saw Lily enter my room as well. If we marry immediately, that will put an end to any rumors Lady Farnsworth might spread. If we do not, Lily’s reputation will be in shreds by the time we return to London.”

“Is this true, Lily? Did Lady Farnsworth see you enter Remmington’s chamber?”

Lily could feel any favor she held in this argument slipping away. “Well, yes, but there is more to the story. No one is likely to believe anything Lady Farnsworth says about us. You see—” Remmington’s thumb brushed against the center of her palm, the sensitive place where she’d once felt his lips. He continued the seductive motion even after she stopped talking, the movement hidden between their hands. Her gaze dropped abruptly to the floor. She couldn’t look at her father while Remmington touched her so intimately. Neither could she summon the strength to pull her hand away. “You see…” What had she been talking about? Remmington kept caressing her palm, and she wanted to lean closer to him, press herself closer to his heat. She wanted him to wrap her in his arms, tell her that everything would be all right.