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She tried not to let those in the park, staring and whispering without shame, bother her.

She straightened her back and nodded acknowledgment to anyone who met her eyes.

Many of the ladies, walking or riding, did, their gazes full of judgment.

Those in the carriages were just as forward in their glares.

“No wonder we received more attention than I expected,” Andrew said as he indicated riders up ahead.

“Is that Caldwell with Lady Beatrice?”

Andrew burst out laughing. “I knew he was sweet on her. Let’s say hello.”

“This is quite a shock seeing you two together. And in public, no less,” Andrew said with a crooked grin as they rode up.

“I had no idea we would cause such a stir,” Caldwell said with a cunning grin.

“You did this on purpose?” Emmeline said, shocked.

“We did.” Caldwell glanced at Lady Beatrice, his brown eyes alight with mischief.

“I mentioned the other night that I would help Lady Beatrice in any way she needed me, and to my utter surprise, I received a missive this morning from her asking for my help. Lord Hartford refused to send word to the press about breaking the betrothal. But I believed that if Lady Beatrice accompanied me to the park it would give the gossips something else to spread, including the dissolution of your engagement.”

“Please accept my apologies for my parents’ behavior of late,” Lady Beatrice said, looking pale. “My mother should never have gone to the gossip rag and supplied them false information, and for that I am very sorry.”

“I accept your apology even if you did nothing to warrant censure,” Emmeline said with Andrew agreeing.

Caldwell glanced at Lady Beatrice and smiled. Emmeline could never remember seeing Caldwell look as besotted as he did now. “I asked Lady Beatrice if I could court her—for real—right before you joined us, and she said yes.”

“Congratulations,” Andrew said. “I’m very happy for you both. I knew there was a mutual attraction between you two the other night.”

Hearing the conversation, Emmeline experienced a sudden lightness in her chest, and for the first time in days, air flowed freely through her lungs.

Lady Beatrice blushed. “Caldwell caught my eye at the first ball of the Season. However, many people told me he would never settle down, so I concentrated on Baron Godfrey. I even believed myself in love with Godfrey. What a fool I was. Then when the scandal happened, I thought my chances with Caldwell had ended.”

“Do your parents know?” Andrew queried.

Lady Beatrice squirmed in her saddle. “No, but they will soon, as gossip flies faster than a honey bee. And I don’t care what they say. My father will be pleased that I’m courting James, but Mother... well, needless to say, my relationship with her has suffered, and I no longer listen to her.”

“Speaking of Lord and Lady Hartford,” Caldwell said, “I shall accompany you home and speak to your father. He dipped his hat. “Good day, Andrew, Emmeline. Try to stay out of trouble.”

Before either Andrew or Emmeline could respond, Caldwell, Lady Beatrice, and her groomsman returned the way they’d come. “Shall we continue?” Andrew asked with a genuine smile—the first she had seen on him in a while.

“Yes. I will enjoy our ride much more now that our lives can return to normal.”

He laughed. “Since when were our lives ever normal?”

She laughed along with him. “True. Although what constitutes normal?”

The deeper they traveled into the park, the thinner the crowd became.

Suddenly a loud blast rang out as they approached an outcropping of dense shrubs and trees.

Marigold froze in place, but to Emmeline’s horror, Andrew’s horse went up on his hind legs, came down, and took off with Andrew barely holding onto the reins.

She watched, her eyes wide, her heart constricting inside her chest as she urged Marigold forward. Then Storm suddenly stopped, throwing Andrew over his head.

“No, no, no!” Emmeline screamed while jumping off her horse and landing on her knees. She stood, pulled up her skirts, and ran. More screams penetrated her ears. The animal-like sound came from her. “Dear God, please don’t take him from me.”

Several gentlemen had circled around Andrew before she reached him. She shoved one gentleman aside and dropped to the ground beside him. She kept her eyes on his chest, afraid to see his empty eyes wide open in death. Sobs escaped her.

“Please stay back. He’s been shot. I was a surgeon’s assistant with the army. Let me help.”

“He’s... he’s alive?” Her eyes fell on Andrew properly, lying on his back, his eyes closed and blood spreading on his upper arm. “His neck... is not broken?”

“No. The only injury I see is the gunshot wound to his arm and a nasty bump on the back of his head. He is unconscious but very much alive.”

Emmeline scooched forward and cradled Andrew’s head in her lap.

A moan broke from his lips, but his eyes remained shut.

It was enough of a sign of life that her fears diminished somewhat, at least for the time being.

But she would never be at ease until the person responsible for these actions was caught and punished.

Several minutes went by as the surgeon’s assistant attended to Andrew, examining his arm and putting pressure on the wound with a handkerchief.

“Luckily the bullet went straight through. Did anyone see where the shot came from?”

“Yes,” said a man Emmeline didn’t recognize. “They were apprehended.”

“Who?” she asked without taking her eyes off Andrew’s face, praying he would wake up soon.

“Let me through,” Caldwell said. “I just heard and came as fast as I could.” He dropped down to the ground on the other side of Andrew. “Someone shot him? What the bloody hell is going on?”

“It was awful. His horse took off and threw him,” Emmeline said, then hiccupped.

“All I could think of was Aiden. That Andrew would die the same way Aiden did. That the men I love were cursed to die tragically.” Tears rolled down her cheeks as she gently stroked Andrew’s handsome face.

A face she wanted to see every day as they grew old together.

“Christ,” Caldwell inhaled a shaky breath. “He’s fortunate to be alive.”

“We need to get His Grace home and call for his physician,” the surgeon’s assistant said. “You should commandeer the nearest carriage.”

Caldwell took off running.

“What is your name?” Emmeline asked.

“Lord Stonebrook. My father is the Duke of Allerton. I’m his second son.”

“Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Lord Stonebrook.”

He bowed, “I was glad to be helpful. Since I left the army, I’ve been floundering. Perhaps I should attend medical school.”

“You would make a fine doctor,” Emmeline said as Caldwell returned with a carriage and they loaded an unconscious Andrew. Gently, they placed him on the floor of the borrowed carriage.

Caldwell held out his hand to her. “You go with him. I’ll see to the horses and meet you at Blackstone House.”

“Thank you, Caldwell.”

She was left alone with Andrew and kept a fresh cloth pressed to his bullet wound.

No sooner had they left Hyde Park than it seemed they were in front of Blackstone House.

His household must have received word because many worried faces met them on the street, ready to help in any way.

His butler told them Doctor Higgins had been sent for and barked out orders as several strong footmen carried Andrew to the duke’s chambers.

Emmeline, her skirts raised, followed right along. She would not be kept from him.

Once he was on his bed and stripped of his clothing from the waist up, Emmeline faded into the corner. She didn’t want to attract undue attention in case someone remembered she was present and thought it was improper for an unmarried lady to be in the same room with a half-dressed unmarried man.

Her eyes were riveted on the doctor who flew in the door during the chaos and proceeded to clean, stitch, and bandage Andrew’s upper arm.

He placed a small brown vial on the nightstand.

Emmeline hated laudanum and hoped Andrew wouldn’t need it, that his pain would be tolerable.

By now, Caldwell stood beside her, his arm on her shoulder for support.

Doctor Higgins finally turned to them. “Barring infection, his arm should heal nicely. The muscles will be sore and need exercise to regain their previous strength, but I don’t foresee any problems. As for the bump on his head and his unconsciousness, we must pray he awakes soon.

The longer he’s unconscious, the more difficult it will become for him to awaken.

Keep him comfortable, and when he awakes, give him the laudanum for pain.

I will return tomorrow to check on him and rebandage his arm.

” He nodded his head. “I will see myself out. Send word if his condition worsens.”

After the doctor left, Caldwell had everyone else vacate the room, so the three of them were left alone.

Emmeline approached the side of the bed.

There was just enough room for her to sit on the edge.

Stroking Andrew’s sweaty hair back from his handsome, pale face, she swallowed the lump in her throat as tears trickled down her cheeks. “I pray he wakes up soon.”

Caldwell stood at the foot of the bed, his face drawn, his eyes worried. “As do I. I can’t believe this happened.”

“Someone caught them—whoever shot Andrew. I just remembered that. Can you go downstairs and have Winters send word to Mr. Whitcomb that we would like to see him as soon as possible? He must know about it. Also, send a note to Langford.”