Chapter Fifteen
Gideon remained watchful until Angel’s carriage rounded the bend in the road, the darkness of the night all but swallowing any further sign of her.
Turning his attention back to his nemesis, he observed Dawkes’s smirk in the light of the street lantern.
The man was completely preoccupied with watching the disappearing conveyance.
His expression spoke silent volumes of plans for a possible conquest. Gideon’s heart sank.
It was clear that he wasn’t about to leave the lady alone.
This left Gideon in a conundrum. He could dismiss this whole thing as none of his business or he could continue to insert himself in the role of a protective hero, much like the name she had given him implied.
He didn’t think the lady would mind if he chose the latter, considering the strange connection happening between them that he yet to admit aloud.
His decision made, he turned away to leave Dawkes to his own plans for the remainder of his evening.
He had only taken one step forward in his determination to seek out Mrs. Dove-Lyon when his arm was roughly taken in a firm hold.
Dawkes’s grip tightened painfully but Gideon refused to give the man the satisfaction by admitting that he was being hurt.
“We’re not finished here, Tyler,” Dawkes sneered. Apparently, this conversation would continue whether Gideon wished it or not. “You best stay away from that woman. She’s mine.”
Gideon finally yanked his arm away. “I believe it’s already been established that the lady and I are forming a relationship. One that certainly doesn’t include you.”
A sharp laugh escaped Dawkes. “Do you really think so? I could change that with a snap of my fingers.”
Gideon lifted a brow at this man’s audacity. “Your overconfidence has always been your weak point, Dawkes. How many times did you show your true character while we were in France?”
The man’s face contorted with hatred and disgust. “You’ve been a pain in my arse way since before we ever crossed paths in France. Too bad you didn’t die there like you should have. It would have solved most of my problems,” Dawkes replied bitterly before quickly drawing back his arm.
The fist that immediately followed Dawkes’s words hit Gideon square in the eye wearing the patch, but he wouldn’t allow his sworn enemy to get the best of him and he struck back.
In moments, an all-out brawl caused both men to end up on the hard, cold pavement.
They continued to land punches on one other and Gideon felt a fair amount of satisfaction when one of his fists landed in Dawkes’s stomach.
He heard him grunt out in pain but Gideon’s triumph was short-lived.
Dawkes twisted and pushed Gideon down onto his back then took Gideon’s head with both hands, slamming it on the sidewalk.
Stars swam before his eyes. Thankfully, Dawkes couldn’t do more because he was lifted off Gideon by both elbows.
Bouncers had arrived to stop their fight.
With his vision now blurry and any movement causing his head to ache, Gideon was helped to his feet by one of the guards.
He heard and felt one of them ripping fabric from his shirt and then pressure to the back of his head as the linen was pressed against his bleeding wound.
Gideon heard Mrs. Dove-Lyon’s voice ringing out in the cool night air from the doorway.
“Bring Captain Tyler to my office and call for a doctor to look at his head wound. I won’t have him bleeding all over my floors.”
As the bouncers helped Gideon inside, he heard the widow say, “You, Major, are banned from my establishment. I do not tolerate any sort of brawling inside or outside of my business.”
At this, Gideon lifted his head to squint at Dawkes, struggling against the grip of the guards.
Though the dark-haired man was hardly more than a blur, his strident protests were clear to hear.
“We’re not through with this, Tyler. That woman will be mine just so I can thwart you from having her.
What we started in France will be finished when we meet again! ”
Gideon frowned at his words but his head was too clouded to figure out what the devil Dawkes was talking about.
He had always been a pain in his side ever since he’d been promoted before Dawkes.
But was there more to it? Was Dawkes somehow responsible for his injuries on the battlefield and his loss of memory from his time at Waterloo?
If his head hadn’t been throbbing so much, he would have tried to piece it all together.
Now he could only focus on holding the linen to his head wound, as the bouncers began to help him toward the men’s entrance of the Lyon’s Den.
Mrs. Dove-Lyon continued, “See that the major is on his way in his carriage and doesn’t step foot on my property again!” Then she said, “Help Captain Tyler to my office.”
The bouncers assisted him in climbing the stairs; his head throbbed with each step.
He could only just make out the widow’s black attire just ahead of him.
As soon as they reached her office, she said, “Please take a seat, captain. Lysander, please hurry and get some water and ice for Captain Tyler’s head. ”
Gideon fell into the chair by the hearth while Mrs. Dove-Lyon went to a sideboard. He heard a splash of liquor hitting a glass across the room and then a crystal glass holding whiskey was thrust into his hand. “Here. Drink this,” she told him.
“Thank you,” he quietly said before gulping down the amber liquid. The heat as it slid down his throat was welcome and he closed his eyes in an attempt to get his bearings.
“Apparently you were correct in your assumption where Major Dawkes was concerned. I must offer my apologies that you were injured while on my property,” Mrs. Dove-Lyon said. He squinted and only just could see her shake her veiled head. “These things do happen from time to time, unfortunately.”
Gideon nodded, although the motion caused his stomach to revolt.
He closed his eyes and clamped his hand over his lips until he felt it safe to voice his thoughts aloud.
“My brother can attest to that,” he declared finally, remembering the severity of Asher’s injury when attempting to leave the Lyon’s Den one night.
“Yes. Another unfortunate accident that I regret. Thankfully, he survived the altercation, as will you.”
He made an attempt to peer through the veil without any success, not that he expected to identify this woman.
She kept such secrets to herself for a reason.
“Which brings me to the matter at hand—the lady you don’t wish to be matched with is apparently the focus of Dawkes’s interest.” He swore he heard a short smug sound of satisfaction coming from the woman and she cocked her veiled head to one side.
“So… you are coming around as to the matter of furthering your situation with her?”
“She needs protecting. I don’t trust Dawkes and I am assuming the lady wouldn’t mind if I escorted her to certain events or that I watch over her.
” Gideon took the linen from his head, before refolding the material to put it back into place.
Head wounds were an awful mess and it would take some time for the bleeding to stop.
He wondered where that water and ice were and how long the doctor would take to arrive.
At the very least, he could have used some more linen.
“I am glad to hear that you wish to further your relationship with her,” Mrs. Dove-Lyon exclaimed, clapping her hands together. “I will make all the arrangements once you are feeling up to the task and a doctor has given you leave to resume your normal activities.”
“I don’t think we have the time to wait around for some doctor’s approval regarding my activities.
The lady will be in danger as long as Dawkes has some unknown vendetta against me,” Gideon replied.
“Perhaps we can start by you informing me of her name and where I can call upon her.” Once again he swallowed his need to vomit and he groaned as the room appeared to tilt.
Although his words of confidence that he would be well were hopeful, based on how he was feeling, he knew the injury to his head was not going to make it easy. In fact, he worried that perhaps this, on top of his previous injury, was going to make it far more difficult to protect his Angel.
“You don’t appear at all well, Captain. I think it best if perhaps we get you to your own physician.”
He spoke through gritted teeth. “Yes… I believe that might be wise. I was leaving the carriage for Mr. Ford but if you could get me to Dr. Thornberry’s residence before I pass out, I would be most grateful.”
He barely got his words out of his mouth before his world began to once more spin out of control. He heard Mrs. Dove-Lyon calling for someone; it sounded as if she was a thousand miles away instead of in the same room. It was the last thing he was aware of before he passed out cold.