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“Devil take it!” Theodore rushed forward, but he did not make it to Deerhurst's side before the viscount crumbled to the ground.

Witnessing the blood starting to pool beneath Deerhurst transported Theodore's thoughts back to the horrific scenes of the battlefields he had endured.

Frantically pushing those thoughts of screaming and death to the side, he tried to assist the man that he could not help but hate with all that he was.

“He must have nicked something when he pulled out the knife.”

Catherine hurried to where Theodore was kneeling. “What can I do to help?”

Theodore’s hands were clasped tightly on the man’s leg, trying to keep as much blood as possible inside his corrupt body.

Ignoring the man’s moans as he came back around Theodore said, “Untie my cravat. We need to see if we can stop this bleeding. He is a fool. There was a reason I told him to leave the knife alone.”

From behind them, they heard Mr. Burgess say that he was going for help followed by the sound of receding footsteps. Theodore did not have the time or inclination to wonder who might be able to get there in time to help the swiftly fading Lord Deerhurst.

Catherine’s fingers hurriedly began to unwind his cravat, careful to avoid strangling him in the process. “This is not what I intended when I stabbed him. I only wanted to be able to get away.”

Taking the folded cravat Catherine had handed to him, he pressed the bandage on the wound. “Do not take this onto yourself. He would have been fine had he not gotten the bright idea to pull out the knife. It is always better to pull out a knife with a physician present.”

“Your mother is not paying me enough for all this.” Deerhurst’s words were slow and slurred.

Theodore’s world stilled. The breeze running through the trees quieted down, along with the bubbling from the brook. “My mother?”

“Five thousand pounds. It seemed like a good idea.” Deerhurst paused to breathe for a moment. “Could pay off the creditors in town.”

Theodore forced his mind to stay focused on the life slipping out between his fingers and not his mother’s betrayal. “We need a strip of cloth to tie a tourniquet. I think it is the only option we have to stop all this bleeding.“

The sound of ripping cloth had Theodore turning to spot Catherine ripping a strip from her petticoat. “Where do you want me to tie it?” she asked without hesitation.

“Above where my hands are.” Theodore fell in love with Catherine all over again watching her put everything aside to help him save a life.

Despite the grim circumstances, he couldn’t help but marvel at her desire to always help others.

He kept his hands pressing hard on the wound, feeling the warm, sticky blood seeping through his fingers.

His eyes remained fixed on Catherine as she tightly wound the strip of cloth around the viscount’s thigh in attempt to stop the bleeding. “Make it as tight as you can.”

“That is duce painful,” Deerhurst complained but refrained from struggling against their efforts. “Are you certain you are not just trying to make me suffer?”

Theodore's lip curled into a sneer as he fixed a piercing glare on Deerhurst. Despite the heroic act of saving his life, he was resolute in ensuring the man faced justice for his despicable activities.

“If you do not want to bleed to death before help can get here, then you will be grateful for our efforts. I would let you bleed to death, but I do not want Catherine to have to carry your miserable life on her conscious as I know she would.”

Looking at Catherine, he noted her grim determination.

Her hair was mussed and her bonnet was missing and still she was glorious.

What better woman could there be? Not only had she been able to defend herself against Deerhurst, but she was willing to save his life after he so stupidly endangered it.

Her fingers deftly created a slip knot that she pulled tight before doing something to twist it into place.

Grunting in pain, Deerhurst complained once more. “Isn’t there a better way to stop the bleeding?”

“As you decided to accost Miss Catherine in a park, we do not have a lot of options. If we were on the battlefield, I might be able to cauterize your wound with a hot iron. That normally works, and only sometimes festers. But like I said, you haven’t left us with a lot of options.

” Theodore growled and wondered where Mr. Burgess was with the physician and possibly the magistrate.

Needing to focus on something besides his desire to rend the man lying in the grass to pieces Theodore looked around the small clearing.

Theodore spotted Lambert standing to the side with the little boy Timmy at her side.

As he stepped out of his home that morning, the little scamp's concerned face caught his attention, clueing him in on the potential for trouble.

A rushed conversation about a dangerous man following Catherine into the park had sent him running.

The little boy had hurried to keep up with him.

Undeterred by the curious gazes, he reached the park with ease, quickly locating Catherine amidst its sprawling grounds.

Anger churned in his gut as he noted that despite her calm facade, she must be distressed by the events of the morning.

She might have done what she had to in order to protect herself, but that did not mean she was not affected.

It was not easy to harm someone else, despite how necessary it might be to protect yourself or others.

“I say! I was uncertain of what I would find when the gentleman said I was needed, but this was far from what I expected.” A man with a bag had arrived and rushed to Theodore’s side. “What happened?”

“That is a longer story than we have time for. Long story short, this cur has a knife wound in his thigh. I have been applying pressure, and we tied a tourniquet to attempt to stem the flow of blood.”

“It sounds, and looks, as if an artery may have been cut. It might require some more care than we can provide here, but it looks like you managed to save his life.” Opening his bag, the unknown man began looking for something within its contents.

“I will have you know I am Viscount Deerhurst!” The complaint was feeble, yet Theodore was sure it grated on the nerves of everyone secretly hoping he would lose consciousness.

“That does not prevent you from being a cur! Be glad I did not let you bleed to death,” he said, his voice dripping with menace, “after what you were attempting to do to a lady in broad daylight in public.”

“It sounds like we have a wrong‘un then.” A new voice commented and Theodore looked up to spot Mr. Burgess approaching with three rather burly men.

The one in front seemed to be in charge.

“I am Justin Wright. My men and I are Bow Street Runners. Mr. Burgess said you were needing help with a villain.”

“Thank you for coming,” Theodore greeted quickly before returning his attention to Deerhurst’s leg.

“You may move your hands, sir. I will take care of the wound now.” The physician moved his hands into place as Theodore took his away.

The moment he could move away from the miscreant, Theodore moved to check on Catherine.

He was uncertain of how his attention would be received, but he could not force himself to stay away from her.

“Are you truly well?” He wanted to cup her face in his hands but did not for more than the fact that his hands were covered in blood.

“I am well enough, though I fear the penknife you gifted me is rather soiled now.” Catherine wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Looking over at the blood covered weapon in the grass, Theodore was ever more grateful he had found the beautiful blade and gifted it to her.

“I would never have imagined you would have to use it in such a way, but I am glad it was there for your protection in my absence.” Shoulders suddenly slumping, he lowered his gaze with a contrite expression.

“I cannot apologize enough for my stupidity.”

“While I am happy that you appear to have come to your senses, I do not think this is the time nor the place to have the conversation that we need to have. I will be fine. Speak with the increasingly frustrated looking gentlemen over there. It is time to take care of the matter at hand.”

“As you wish, my lovely Artemis.” Giving Catherine a smile and a nod, he turned to the men behind him. He considered shaking the men's hands, but decided against it due to the blood that coated his hands.

Justin Wright nodded in thanks before saying, “I can see that the current situation is under control. I will need something to put in my report.” Looking down at the moaning man, he made a face of disgust. “From your conversation, I am assuming we are not here to hunt down the person who stabbed the cove?”

“No, I stabbed him,” Catherine spoke up as she stood with Miss Burgess’s help.

Rushing forward, a shaken Lambert stood in front of Miss Catherine as if to protect her from arrest. “He was threatening her. She was only trying to protect herself. It was only right that she do so with what he was trying to do.”

“Yeah, he said he was given five thousand pounds to hurt her. He deserves to be stabbed. Miss Catherine is a good lady,” Timmy added, approaching the men.

“Do not either of you worry. We are not going to take the young miss away.” The gentleman at the front of the group tousled Timmy’s hair before turning back to Theodore. “We will need to get everyone’s names and an idea of what happened.”