Awakened By The Lord’s Kiss by Meghan Sloan
Chapter 20
Caroline couldn’t focus on the words in the book. They were swirling around and looking like a jumbled mess. Sighing, she put the book aside and rubbed her eyes. She hadn’t slept, and she was exhausted. Her body was beginning to shut down.
But she couldn’t go to sleep. Not until she knew that Henry was going to be all right.
He lay in the bed beside her, his face as pale as the bandages that had been wrapped around his belly. He had barely stirred as they carried him upstairs, the servants almost sagging under his weight. Caroline had felt useless as she hovered around, wishing she knew what she could do. But instead, Sarah had pulled her back and made her wait, allowing the household staff to focus on their master.
She was surprised at how efficient they were. The housekeeper had Henry’s shirt stripped off once they had the dagger out – Caroline hadn’t been able to look as that was taken out – and they managed to bind the wound and wrap the bandages around his belly. The servants barely batted an eyelid as they moved him back and forth to secure the dressing. Nobody spoke except for the housekeeper. They just got on with it.
For people Henry had said didn’t care about him, they really cared about him now.
It didn’t take long before Henry was undressed, cleaned up, and in bed. All through this, Caroline kept pacing around in a panic. She didn’t know what to do, and each time she offered to help, she was ushered up into the corner again. Sarah had told her to step back and calm down, to trust the staff, but Caroline couldn’t calm down. She had seen Henry’s eyes roll back in his head, and they had scared her.
Had she completely lost him?
He needed a doctor badly, but with the weather outside, they had no hope of the doctor coming until the morning or when the storm stopped. Nevertheless, Klaus had headed off while half of the staff went to look for James and the other half focused on Henry. If he managed to find the doctor in this weather, it would be nothing short of a miracle.
He still hadn’t come back, but it was not quite dawn yet. There was a chance he was still on his way back to the house with Doctor Preston in tow. Caroline could only hope; the housekeeper had done really well with Henry, and he was still breathing, but they didn’t know how bad it was going to be. Doctor Preston could properly treat him.
And James, if they could find him. After Caroline had hit him with a poker across the head, he had fallen to the floor and curled into a ball. Then, while everyone was focused on Henry, he had managed to get up and out the door into the night. He had left a trail of blood behind him. Had he ended up stabbed himself?
Caroline didn’t really care right now. If she saw James again, she was going to hit him again. He could have killed Henry. All for what? A drunken rage was no excuse.
She would like to see James try and talk his way out of this.
There was a gentle knock on the door. Caroline looked around as the door opened, and Sarah stuck her head around the door.
“How is he?” she asked.
“Still not woken up.” Caroline swallowed. “What if he doesn’t wake up? The wound could be deeper than we think.”
“Oh, Caroline.” Sarah came into the room and joined her at the bed, squeezing Caroline’s outstretched hand. “Henry’s going to be fine. He’s tougher than both of us. He’s been through wars at sea and has had worse than this.”
“That doesn’t make me feel any better, Sarah.” Caroline looked at Henry, who hadn’t moved. “I can’t believe James did that. And I wish I hadn’t had to see it.”
“I know, dear. I know.” Sarah’s voice was soft and gentle. “Look, why don’t you go and get some sleep? You haven’t slept at all.”
“I can’t leave Henry.”
“I’ll be here with him. You go and rest.”
“But what about your sleep? I’m sure you haven’t slept, either.”
Sarah’s mouth twitched.
“I’m used to being up all night. You’re not. And I’m sure Henry would want to see that you don’t look like death yourself when he wakes up.”
Caroline didn’t want to leave Henry. Not while he was still unconscious. She wanted to be there when he woke up. But she was starting to flag, and then she heard her stomach growling. Frowning, she pressed her hand to her belly. How was she hungry at a time like this?
“Caroline.” Sarah tugged her friend to her feet. “Go and have something to drink to keep your strength up, and then get some sleep. The cook has this delicious tea that she says makes you nice and drowsy in the right setting. I’m sure she could fix you a cup. To relax you, if it won’t help you sleep.”
Her mouth was feeling quite dry. Maybe a quick drink would make her feel a little less tense and more alert. Caroline sighed.
“All right. But I’m coming straight back.”
“If that’s what you want to do.” Sarah nudged her towards the door. “Go. I’ll be here when you get back. Henry isn’t going anywhere.”
Caroline hoped that was the case. She leaned over Henry and kissed his forehead.
“I’ll be right back, darling. And I want to see you open your eyes when I return.”
“He’ll open them once his body decides he’s ready to wake up.” Sarah sighed and pushed her. “Just go. You need to have some nourishment if you don’t have sleep; otherwise, you’ll be keeling over yourself.”
Caroline reluctantly left the room and made her way through the winding hallways. It felt strange; only a few hours ago, she had been sneaking out of Henry’s bedchamber after a passionate encounter, and now she was leaving at a more sedate pace after he had been stabbed.
Things changed so suddenly in just a few short hours, and Caroline wished it hadn’t.
Her thoughts now wandered back to James. She had come to terms that he was capable of harming others for his own enjoyment, but to actually stab his brother? Did he mean to kill him, or was that the drink making him act out and go after Henry with a knife?
She remembered the brief moment when she saw the look in James’ eyes, right before she hit him. He was staring at Henry in alarm. It was like realisation had dawned that he had done something really wrong.
There was still a part of him that didn’t want to hurt Henry. He had felt some remorse. Caroline could only hope he was still remorseful when he returned and found out his brother was near death.
He’s not near death. He’s going to live, and he’s going to be fine.
I hope so. I couldn’t bear it if he died.
Caroline headed downstairs, reaching the foyer, when there came shouts from the drawing room. Curious, she headed towards the closed door, only to have it flung open and almost hit her. Caroline squeaked and jumped back before she was hit.
“Apologies, Lady Caroline.” Creek entered the foyer first. “But you’re going to need to step back a moment. We’re bringing Lord Beaufort through.”
“What ... you actually found him?”
Before Klaus could answer, four footmen came staggering through the door, carrying an unconscious James between them. His face was grey, and he was soaking wet. It looked like he had been sleeping out in the rain. Then Caroline saw the blood on his shirt. And it looked like he was barely breathing.
Dear God, what on earth had he done?
Caroline stared as the servants headed towards the stairs. She grabbed Creek’s arm as he went past.
“Where did you find him? What happened?”
“He was under a tree deep in the forest just outside the grounds.” Creek ran a hand through his wet hair. His clothes were wet and covered in mud. “Somehow, he managed to get that far before he collapsed. It took us a while to find him. Not very easy to access the part of the forest he had taken up refuge.”
“There ... there’s blood on him.” Caroline frowned at the footman. “Did someone attack him?”
“He was bleeding when we reached him, My Lady. Lipscomb reckons he stabbed himself with the dagger during his drunken rampage before he stabbed Lord Bannock.”
“And ... do you think he’s going to die as well?”
Creek frowned.
“I’m not a doctor, My Lady. I can’t answer that.” He turned as the front doors were flung open. “But I think someone else can do that for me.”
Caroline looked past him and saw Klaus coming in, the tall, thin figure of Doctor Preston following him. He had managed to get the doctor; the rain had stopped a short while ago, so they must have managed to travel up here.
She touched Creek’s arm.
“Go to Lady Lakeford and tell her Doctor Preston is here. I’ll apprise him of the situation.”
“Yes, My Lady.”
Creek hurried off, and Caroline moved to meet the doctor, who was looking around in bemusement.
“Doctor Preston. Thank you for coming.”
“Lady Caroline?” The doctor raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing here at this hour?”
“My friend and I got stranded in the storm, so Lord Bannock allowed us to stay after dinner.” Caroline pointed towards the stairs. “He’s upstairs with a knife wound in his stomach. The servants have tended to him, but he still needs a doctor.”
Doctor Preston looked at Klaus, who looked wet and exhausted.
“Klaus here said that Lord Beaufort had gone mad with drink and had started attacking people with a knife. Did he stab Lord Bannock?”
“He did.” Caroline swallowed. “He also managed to stab himself. We don’t know how bad it is.”
“And where is Lord Beaufort?”
“He’s just been brought in. He was out in the rain for some time.” Caroline looked around. “I believe he was taken up to his room.”
“Then I’ll check on him first.” Doctor Preston paused. “I saw a carriage coming in through the gates at the bottom of the drive just now. I believe it’s the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall. They’re not going to like this.”
Caroline’s heart sank. She had hoped they would get both brothers looked at and tended to before the parents came home. Although what they were going to think about the situation, she had no idea.
They were going to blame Henry for it; Caroline was sure about that. That was not fair; Henry wouldn’t have harmed a fly. He tried to stop James from harming anyone else, and he got stabbed for his troubles.
Just then, they heard the clattering of horses’ hooves and carriage wheels on gravel. Doctor Preston shook his head and headed to the stairs.
“I’m going to check on the patients. That’s what I’m here for, isn’t it?”
Caroline scowled at his retreating back. Coward. She had no idea what to say to them. Their interactions had been few and far between – the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall were a little too haughty for her – so how would she explain to them that their sons were both at death’s door due to one’s actions?
“Lady Caroline?” Klaus hovered near her. “Are you all right? You look like you’re about to faint.”
“I’m fine. I think.” Caroline smoothed her hands down her dress. “I will have to speak to them and explain what’s happened. Will you stay as a witness, Klaus? I don’t want to be on my own with them. I don’t know how they’ll react.”
“Of course, My Lady.”
That was something, at least. Caroline wasn’t really looking forward to being stuck in a room with Henry’s parents while they were demanding answers. She didn’t know if she could give them what they needed to know.
They would be trying to put the blame on Henry. Caroline was sure of that. She couldn’t let that happen. Even if she hated Henry, she couldn’t allow his reputation to be sullied by his selfish, manipulative younger brother.
She loved him too much to just stand by and let him get ruined by his own parents.
Love? Did you just say you loved him?
Yes, I did. And it’s not as scary as I thought it was going to be.
There were voices outside, and then the grand figures of the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall entered the house. The duke looked around in confusion.
“Where are the servants? What’s happening?”
“Oh, goodness!” The duchess was staring at Klaus. “What on earth have you been doing, Klaus? You look like you’ve been rolling around in the mud.”
“I got caught in the rain, Your Grace.” Klaus went into a low bow. “I had to fetch Doctor Preston.”
“Doctor Preston?” Lady Cornwall frowned. “What do you mean, you had to fetch Doctor Preston? Is James unwell?”
Klaus hesitated, and Caroline saw him glance at her. Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward and dropped into a curtsy.
“Your Grace, I’m Caroline Folton, Lord Bingham’s daughter.”
“I know who you are. You’re one of our neighbours.” Lady Cornwall’s frown deepened. “What are you doing here? I don’t recall us having guests.”
“It wasn’t planned.” Caroline gestured towards the morning room. “Shall we go and sit down? I’ll explain everything.”
#
Caroline was not looking forward to this. She would rather run the other way than face Henry’s parents. But they deserved to know what was going on. And Caroline wanted to get her word in before James came around and told them his own tale.
“Look, what is going on here, Lady Caroline?” Cornwall demanded as they followed her into the morning room. “We went away to Bath for a few days, and we’ve come back to find the house in chaos, the servants not doing their duties, mud and water all over the floor, and our neighbour present. That’s not what we expected to find upon our return home.”
“It’s probably Henry’s doing again.” Lady Cornwall huffed as she sat down, dusting down her skirts. “He’s always doing something outrageous. I bet he went for a wander out in the storm last night to meet a young lady, and things got out of hand.” She looked Caroline over. “It wasn’t you he went out to meet, was it?”
“No! He hasn’t stepped foot outside the house since before the storm came upon us.”
“Then why are you here?” Lady Cornwall arched an eyebrow. “I thought you didn’t care for our son at all. He did hurt you, as I recall.”
Caroline took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
“There is a lot to tell you, Your Grace, but your son and I are not at odds with each other.”
“That doesn’t explain why you’re here,” Cornwall snapped. “James wouldn’t have allowed you to be here without a chaperone. What was Henry thinking?”
Caroline gritted her teeth. How was she meant to keep her composure when this insufferable man was already deciding the worst?
“First, Your Grace, I am here because your son invited me to dinner. I had a chaperone with me, and he invited us to stay because the storm would have made the roads impassable. He was looking out for us. And second, why do you always assume that Henry’s the one who has to be causing trouble? You have two sons …”
“James would never do anything so ridiculous.” Lady Cornwall waved a hand. “He’s a good boy.”
“Good enough that he got a servant pregnant?”
That hadn’t meant to come out, but Caroline couldn’t stop herself. Lady Cornwall froze. By the door, Klaus shuffled from foot to foot, looking like he would rather be anywhere but where he was right now. Cornwall narrowed his eyes at Caroline.
“What did you say?”
“I’ve seen the child, Your Grace. There is no doubt that your younger son has fathered a child. But you’re willing to believe that he didn’t have anything to do with her because he said so.” Caroline snorted. “I only realised recently how good a liar he was, and believing he was a good man would have ended up with me in a similar position.”
Lady Cornwall’s face went white.
“How dare you?”
“How dare I? How dare you?” Caroline had told herself that she needed to maintain her composure, but she couldn’t. Her frustration at these people willing to believe James was a saint when he was anything but was bubbling fiercely. “You never gave your younger son any boundaries whatsoever, and now what’s happened? He’s stabbed your older son, and both of them are currently upstairs at death’s door because he was stupid enough to run away into the storm.”
Both duke and duchess looked stunned. Cornwall spluttered, “They ... they’re both …”
“Both of them could die because James Beaufort chose to be a selfish, jealous coward, and all you can say is what did Henry do this time?” Caroline pointed towards the door. “Your eldest son was trying to stop him from being a drunken fool around the house, and he got a knife in the stomach for his troubles. This wasn’t Henry’s doing; it was James’. Just like these scars I’m carrying are his doing.” She pointed at her forehead and then held up her hand, watching as the duchess flinched. “James is the one who hurt me all those years ago, but it was so convenient to blame Henry, wasn’t it? James is a golden boy; he can do no wrong. You did plenty wrong, the pair of you, by not actually being proper parents.”
Cornwall’s lips tightened.
“I know you’re distressed, Lady Caroline, but you do not speak to us like this. It’s not something we will tolerate.”
“And your refusal to believe that James is not a good man is not something I will tolerate!” Caroline shot back. She was aware that she was raising her voice, but she didn’t care. “Henry was trying to do the right thing. He was attempting to keep everyone safe while his brother was getting violent. Now he might die because nobody said to his brother that he shouldn’t behave in such a manner. And you don’t even care!”
Lady Cornwall drew herself to her feet, fixing Caroline with a haughty stare.
“I don’t know why you think you can talk to us like this, but our family dynamics are none of your business.”
“It is when the man I love is getting unfairly maligned.”
Caroline was sure she could hear a pin drop. Both the duke and duchess stared at her like she had just appeared out of thin air.
“You ... you love him?” the duchess murmured. “But ... what ... how …?”
“There is no how about it, Your Grace. I saw what you did in the beginning, and then I began to realise that everything had been a lie.” Caroline looked from the duchess to the duke, who looked like Caroline had just slapped him. “You two became so invested in James that you completely ignored Henry. You were prepared that a brother protecting the younger one from your punishments was the bad one. You never bothered to question it, and James took advantage of it. He could do whatever he wanted, and you would always blame Henry. For a while, so did I. But I was able to see the real man, the hero. And that’s what I fell in love with.”
She was shaking, and Caroline felt like her legs were going to give way. She could feel her stomach churning, and she decided this was the best time to go. Dropping a quick curtsy, Caroline headed towards the door.
“I’m going back to Henry. I want to be at his side when he wakes up. Hopefully, Doctor Preston can save both brothers, and I hope to God that he does because I want James to face his actions.” She paused by Klaus. “If you don’t believe me, you can always ask the servants. They were present when James returned home drunk and started waving a knife around. And they are the ones who found James after he ran away. You may not be willing to believe your precious child is a bad person, but maybe more than one account will change your mind.”
Cornwall strode towards her.
“I don’t know what Henry’s put into your head, but I …”
He stopped when there was a loud bang on the front door. Caroline opened the door and saw four burly men in uniform entering the foyer, looking very stiff and overbearing. Even Caroline felt a shiver down her back. These had to be the Cavalry Staff Corps that Henry had mentioned. She could see why they were not men to mess with.
“What’s going on now?” Cornwall snarled. He pushed past Caroline and entered the hall, glaring at the officers. “Why is everyone intruding in my house?”
The soldiers saluted. Then one of them stepped forward and bowed.
“Your Grace, we are here to apprehend your son, Lord Beaufort, to return him back to the army for his crimes.”
Cornwall’s eyes widened.
“You what? What crimes? My son hasn’t done anything.”
“He has shown cowardice in the face of the enemy and deserted. We did send a warning that we would be arriving.”
Lady Cornwall gasped, making Caroline jump. She hadn’t realised that the duchess had moved to stand behind her. Cornwall spluttered, turning to stare at Caroline. Caroline shook her head.
“If you won’t believe me or the servants, perhaps you’ll believe them? I’m sure they can fill you in on how much of a soldier your son really is.” She bowed her head and went towards the stairs. “I’m going to sit with Henry. If James has any luck left, his brother will recover. Otherwise, James will have more than desertion to worry about.”
A final jab that wasn’t needed, but Caroline had already had enough of Cornwall and his wife. The two of them had immediately launched into believing Henry had done something wrong, and he wasn’t there to defend himself. Caroline had no care for the parents right now.
She just wanted to get back to Henry. Hopefully, Doctor Preston could make sure he lived.