Chapter Thirty-Nine
F inn frowned at the man standing opposite him. Flockton must not have had friends to stop him from drinking last night or to take on the duty of being a second. For all his apparent charm, he was without any real companionship.
How silly Finn had been a year ago when he’d felt so alone. He hadn’t been as alone as this man.
“When this is over, Flockton, there will be no more talk of blackmail. You’ll speak to no one of Lily or my son. Do you understand?”
He nodded, more a bob of agreement.
Both men were instructed to choose their weapons. Finn allowed Flockton to pick first as Finn knew neither pistol had been tampered with.
Turning his back on Flockton, Reese announced that each would step off ten paces and then turn and fire.
Finn had decided to aim skyward so Flockton would see there was no danger. He could only hope Flockton followed his plan and the two could leave with honor intact.
But it was as Reese called out the number eight that someone gasped, another yelled, “Watch out.”
However, it was too late. Flockton had fired and shot Finn in the back. Finn was most put out by this fact as he dropped to the ground on his stomach, his unfired pistol still in his hand.
“Finn!” Reese called, and he and Shay crowded around him.
“Bloody hell, the blighter cheated,” Shay said as if appalled by the man’s cowardice more so than the fact Finn had been shot.
Finn was forced to acknowledge that a man could die from a coward’s bullet as easily as from a man of honor. It almost seemed silly. Well, not almost. It was outright ridiculous.
If he died because of Reginald Flockton, he would miss out on watching Willie grow into a man. He would never have more children with Lily. He would never have the chance to touch his wife, or tell her he loved her.
That, at least, could be remedied.
“Reese,” Finn panted as he tried not to move because moving hurt like blazes.
“Yes. I’m here, Finn.”
“Tell Lily I love her. Take care of them.”
“Take care of your family yourself. And we’re not about to be delivering messages for stubborn dukes,” Shay said. Which was why he’d asked Reese to deliver the message.
He hoped his more reasonable friend would tell her. For if the fiery pain in his back was any indication, he feared he might not have the chance.
*
Lily and Martha were coming down for breakfast when there was an insistent knock at the door.
“What did I say?” Martha gloated with a warm smile. “Although it is too early for him to have bought flowers. Pity.”
The butler opened the door and Lily realized she had been hoping Finn had come for her only when it was Reese who entered and asked for her.
“Please I must speak to the Duchess of Granton. Is she here?”
Before the butler could answer, Lily did.
“I’m here, Reese,” she said even though she wanted to run far and fast from whatever news he brought.
“It is Finn. He’s been shot. Please. You must come home. You and William.”
All plans of running away were somehow forgotten when Reese looked at her with fear in his brown eyes.
She could not hide away here at Martha’s. Not when Finn needed her.
The house was in chaos when she entered the foyer. Sending Sara up to the nursery with William, Lily turned to take matters into hand.
“Where is the duke?” she asked the most important question.
“He’s in here. We didn’t want to risk moving him up the stairs so we put him in the parlor,” Shay said at her side. Lily entered to see the furniture had been pushed aside except for the chaise where her husband lay on his stomach, his face turned toward her.
She took in his pale skin and instead of crumbling into hysterics as she would have liked, she jumped into action.
“Where’s the surgeon?”
“Over there,” he pointed to a young man by the windows, opening the drapes. He was most likely assessing the best light with which to see to save her husband.
Lily nodded and called for the housekeeper to bring shears. They would need to cut away Finn’s clothing.
“Please tell the kitchen to bring hot water and linens.” Turning to the man who couldn’t be much older than she, she asked, “Do you need anything else, Doctor?”
“A table, right here.” He pointed to the place where the floor was bright with the morning sun.
Lily found two footmen to bring in a table from the library that would be sturdy enough to hold Finn while the man worked.
Soon enough they were moving Finn to the table.
Lily bent close to his head and stroked his light brown hair back from his damp face.
“I am here, love. I shouldn’t have left you. I am here,” she promised. She placed a kiss to his temple and turned to the doctor. “Please save my husband,” Lily begged.
“I will do my best, Your Grace.”
It was most difficult for Lily to turn and leave him there.
In the hall, she found Reese and Shay muttering to themselves.
“What happened?”
“Flockton shot him on eight paces instead of waiting until ten. Finn was planning to shoot wide. Had the coward seen that, he would have done the same and all would have been over without bloodshed, but he cheated.”
“I am not surprised,” Lily said. “He is a liar and a debaucher of innocents, why would cheating not be expected of such a weasel?”
“I do think you are maligning weasels by referring to him as one.”
“You’re right,” she agreed with Reese. “If his bullet ends my husband, he will be swinging from a rope.” Lily had not realized she was capable of such viciousness, but this was Finn and he had been hurt by the man who had betrayed her.
“That might be difficult, Your Grace. He’s run for America. His older brother said he put him on a ship. He was tired of the pup causing so much trouble and this was the last straw. You’ll never have to worry about seeing him again.”
“Good. I only wish Harold would have grown weary of Reggie before he shot my husband.” She paced in a tight circle. She knew she was expected to remain calm, for racing about the corridor was unladylike, especially for a duchess, but movement helped, for whatever reason.
“He told me to tell you he loved you,” Reese said quietly. “You and William.”
Shay smacked the man in the arm. “Ye were only supposed to tell her if he wasna able to. He’ll be awake soon enough and he’ll be able to tell her himself.”
“He didn’t say anything about the timing.”
“Only because he didn’t have the chance before he lost consciousness. He was only worried he might not wake up. But he will. His injury is not so bad. I’ve seen worse.”
Finn had told Lily how Shay was raised in the shady parts of Inverness as a boy and only found out he was the heir to a marquisate when he was eleven. She imagined Shay had seen plenty in those early years on the street.
She hated to think of a young boy being raised so roughly, but his experiences were helpful now for putting her mind at ease.
As were Reese’s words that Finn loved her. But hearing the words did not surprise her. Even for not having heard them from Finn before. Somehow, she already knew. Everything he’d done for them was proof of his affections.
He might have brushed it off as a gentleman’s actions or doing the proper thing, but she saw the way he’d looked at her when they made love and she’d seen the way his eyes lit up when William reached for Finn that first time.
He was a man who loved them.
And she’d walked away when he’d needed her.
“I thought I was doing the right thing,” she fretted.
“Pardon, Your Grace?” Reese said.
She shook her head. “Nothing. I need to speak to him. I need to tell him how sorry I am for leaving him like I did. I was afraid I would bring shame on his name and title.”
Shay shook his head. “He’d face a wagon full of shame with his head held high for the two of ye.”
Lily forced a smile and nodded. “He will wake up so I can tell him?”
“Aye, lass. He’ll wake up.”
Lily grasped onto Shay’s promise with both hands.
Eventually the surgeon came out looking a bit tired if not hopeful. He oversaw the moving of Finn to his bed so he’d be more comfortable.
“I was able to get the ball out. It didn’t hit any organs, but he’s lost a fair amount of blood. Give him beef broth to build up his energy, and laudanum for the pain. I’ll return later this evening.”
“Thank you, Doctor.”
With a nod, the man was gone and Lily was in the bed chamber she’d slept in with Finn since they’d arrived. With the exception of last night.
Reese and Shay took turns sitting with her until night came and she chased them off to their beds. The surgeon had returned and said Finn was not running a fever and that it was a good sign.
Lily had Sara bring William to her so she could hold her son for a while.
“I think he has grown in the few hours since I’ve seen him last,” she said as she stroked a finger down her son’s dimpled hand. His golden lashes lay across his cheek.
She looked at the man sleeping in the bed.
“I’m here, Finn. We’re both here. Please wake up.”