Page 33 of A Lady’s Dangerous Secret (Scandalous Secrets #1)

James’s stomach clenched when he realized this man was whom Lottie would wed. His Grace ushered James into an empty room. He seemed genuinely concerned. Servants followed them into the chamber, and the Duke ordered the staff to bring supplies for the wound.

James delicately placed her on a settee. His Grace continued to command the room.

A new, worried voice entered the fray. “Charlie!”

James turned to find a lean, young man rush toward Lottie, with light-brown hair and spectacles covering his hazel eyes.

“Who are you?” James demanded.

The man kneeled beside the settee and ran his arms up and down Lottie’s body to check for additional injuries. James was going to throttle this pup. He grabbed the young man’s shoulder. “I said, who are you?” James growled.

The man’s mouth dropped open, and he pushed up his spectacles in an affronted manner. He stood and James realized his lanky frame was taller than he thought. “I’m Arthur Tipton, Lady Charlotte’s brother. And who the hell are you?”

“I’m Captain Hughes. Your sister was shot in the garden.”

James looked back at Lottie lying there with the blood-soaked petticoat fabric. Servants dashed in and out of the room with items. A pile of linens suddenly appeared by the settee with alcohol. James stepped around Arthur and secured more fabric on her arm.

The Duke approached the settee. “What do you think you’re doing?” came his imperious voice.

“I’m an officer. I know how to handle gunshot wounds. The bleeding needs to be stopped.”

“We need to talk once you’re done,” the Duke ordered. James held pressure over Lottie’s upper arm. Once she was stabilized, they could talk as much as His Grace wanted. James had some questions of his own. He pushed firmly until finally the bleeding slowed, which felt like ages.

“Help me shift her so we can see if there are any more injuries,” James barked in his best officer voice. Now was not the time for formalities, and he did not care if he was speaking to a nob. The Duke and Arthur turned Lottie, while James held fabric over the wound.

He scanned her body. “I don’t see anything else. You can ease her down.” Surprisingly, the Duke and her brother lowered Lottie without a word.

She moaned from the movement.

An additional voice arose behind James. “I’m Dr. Stone, what’s happened?”

James turned to see a man similar in age to himself peering down at them.

“You’re the doctor?”

“I served in the war. I know a thing or two about bullet wounds,” Dr. Stone tartly replied.

James moved aside for the doctor, who carefully unwrapped the bandages.

“She’s lucky the bullet just grazed her arm.” The doctor’s voice softened. “You did a good job stopping the bleeding. Soldier?”

“Captain in the Royal Navy.”

The doctor nodded then rifled through his bag. “I need to clean the wound and stitch it up.” He pulled out a bottle of laudanum and eased some into Lottie’s mouth. Dr. Stone then instructed the men to hold her. He handed a piece of leather to James for her to bite.

“I can hold it,” Arthur said. “I’m her brother.”

“No, I’ll do it,” the Duke demanded in his most aristocratic voice. “We were to announce our betrothal today.”

“I don’t care who holds it, it just needs to be done. Now!” the doctor ordered the bickering men.

James, who was still holding the leather, eased Lottie’s mouth open and placed it between her teeth. The intrusion caused her eyes to flicker. Dr. Stone poured alcohol onto a piece of linen.

“Keep her still,” he instructed. The Duke and her brother positioned themselves while James manned the leather. The doctor wiped down Lottie’s bloody arm with the linen.

When the alcohol touched her wound, her eyes flew open, and she tried to sit up from the pain. His Grace and Arthur held her down, and James kept the leather in place.

“Shouldn’t the laudanum be working?” James growled.

“Shortly,” Dr. Stone answered. He poured more alcohol onto the linen.

“If you touch her again before the laudanum takes effect you will answer to me,” James threatened.

The doctor eyed James. “Captain, the wound needs to be cleaned quickly. I don’t tell you how to do your job, so don’t tell me how to do mine. Hold her still. The laudanum should be working soon,” Dr. Stone commanded.

Before James could speak the Duke cut in, “Be quick about it.”

Dr. Stone cleaned the arm once again. Lottie winced but did not bolt upright. Her teeth ground into the leather.

After the doctor finished, he threaded a needle. James waited with bated breath while the doctor inserted the needle into her skin. Lottie did not react, and James realized the tension in her body was gone. Her mouth had also become slack.

He let out a sigh of relief and removed the leather from her mouth while the doctor continued stitching. The Duke and Charlotte’s brother left their positions but hovered around the settee throughout the entire procedure.

Finally, the doctor finished and leaned back. “I can see you all care for Lady…”

“Charlotte,” His Grace said.

Dr. Stone continued, “I’ll leave laudanum for the pain, but she shouldn’t be moved right now. When she awakens, give her fluids, and I will come to check on her first thing in the morning.”

The three men murmured their acknowledgement of the instructions.

The doctor stood, packed his bag, and then left.

A woman rushed into the room. “I was waiting for the doctor to leave. I didn’t dare come in before then. We have kept all the guests’ prying eyes away. What happened?”

James realized it was Lady Rowley, the hostess of the ball.

“Yes, Captain Hughes ,” the Duke taunted, “tell us what happened.” The eyes of the Duke of Westcliffe, Arthur Tipton, and Lady Rowley all stared at him expectantly. If he did not answer their questions properly, he could ruin Charlotte’s future.

“I’m close friends with the Earl of Carrington and was introduced to Lady Charlotte at the beginning of the Season,” James began.

Start with a nob, always start with a nob, he told himself. This group of judgmental aristocrats could not balk at him becoming acquainted with a lady of the ton if it was through the Earl of Carrington.

“At tonight’s ball, I saw Lady Charlotte rush to the doors leading to the balcony, and she looked distressed. I went to check on her, and she was already in the gardens,” James paused for effect, “with a man pointing a gun at her.”

Lady Rowley gasped.

James continued, “I was armed myself, but I was too far for a good shot. Lady Charlotte kept the man talking, so I sneaked down into the gardens. I crept up and killed the man, but his gun released as he fell to the ground.”

“Oh, my heavens,” exclaimed Lady Rowley. James glanced over to ensure she did not need smelling salts. Lady Rowley was fanning herself, but she appeared rather stable for a lady of the ton.

“Is this man still in the gardens?” Tipton asked.

“His body is,” James answered.

“A dead body in my gardens? The magistrate must be called.” Lady Rowley whipped her head toward James then to the Duke. “Don’t you agree Westcliffe?”

“Yes. Immediately.” The Duke nodded to Lady Rowley, who turned to James.

The chignon holding her raven-colored hair streaked with gray did not jostle one bit.

Although she was quite short compared to him, she still managed to look down her aristocratic nose at him as if he were an errant schoolboy.

“Captain Hughes, come with me. I will need you to speak with the authorities.”

James nodded but took one more look at Lottie on the settee. With the laudanum, at least she appeared to be resting more comfortably.

He did not want to leave her for even a moment, but he had no choice.