“Oh do be careful with him,” she said as he took the first step up toward what would be his bedroom for a while.
Why the devil had he not just told them all no?No, he was not joining them for Christmas. No, he did not need tending to. No, he most certainly would not welcome Violet watching his every move.
No, he did not wish to bring them into the middle of all of this...
With any luck, the men who had beaten him were done with him. The damned fools had left him rather incapacitated anyway. He might be a rake and a scoundrel, but he had some morals, and a few broken ribs was not going to persuade him to be lawyer to their boss. Duke didn’t much like the idea of such criminals anywhere near the Musgraves. He could look after himself. These women, however...
Their young brother Basil was taking the Grand Tour and their father was an excellent man but was either reading or travelling for business. They were defenseless. And he was, well, practically incapacitated. For now, anyway.
He winced as he took another step.
“I told you we should have set up a bedroom in the circle room,” Lilly muttered. “These stairs are too much.”
“I can manage a few stairs.” He glanced upward and eyed the endless loop of carpeted stairs. He grimaced. Hopefully.
There was no chance he was going to tell them the real reason behind the beating of course. Knowing the Musgraves they would take it upon themselves to wage war against the men responsible. He had to assume when he did not respond to the threats that the Moor Road Gang, as they were known, would leave him be and try to find some other lawyer with far less morals than he. There was no chance he was going to defend a criminal and a murderer.
The women crowded around Duke’s bedside after what seemed an eternity of stairs and arguments as to how best to maneuver him. He might as well be the new bull on the farm, being ordered about by his harem of cows. Except of course, these ladies were far lovelier than any cow he’d ever seen.
If he wasn’t in so much pain, he might enjoy this side to her. He’d witnessed the care with which she dealt with her younger sisters but never been on the receiving end of it himself. Were it not for the circumstances, he might well be tempted to lie back and enjoy the attention.
Eight women in total filled a room that was generous in size, yet quickly filled with the flapping of hands and disagreements as to how he should lie. He swung a look around at Violet’s sisters, her mother, her Aunt Sarah who had come to stay before returning to London for Christmas and the two maids lingering in the back of the room who showed no surprise at the noise and bustle. He might enjoy female attention, but this was getting ridiculous.
“I think he needs Violet,” Aunt Sarah bellowed.
The room stilled into silence. Even Duke held his breath. He met Violet’s gaze and she looked away. He didn’t want to think about any kind of need he might have for Violet. It wasn’t appropriate.
“She is his dearest friend, and we all know she has a kind touch,” Aunt Sarah added softly. “I’m certain Marmaduke could do without the rest of us fussing over him.”
He replied to Aunt Sarah’s knowing look with what he hoped was a grateful smile of his own. Hard to know what his swollen face was doing really.
The women filtered out and he allowed himself the chance to ease out a breath and sink onto the many pillows behind his head. Violet laced her hands in front of her.
“They mean well.”
“Oh I know.”
“I’ll ensure they do not bother you too much during your stay.” She stepped closer to the bed. “Can I get you anything?”
He glanced at the lemonade already laid out upon a gilt table and shook his head. “It looks like my arrival was all prepared for.”
“Shall I leave you to rest?”
Part of him wanted to say no. He fancied proper conversation over the constant questions after his health or inquiries as to why these men had done such a thing. But Violet already gave enough in terms of her time to this household and her family. He’d observed her giving nature, sometimes hidden under a bright smile and a quick laugh that many people might think revealed her as nothing more than an insipid society lady focused only on enjoying herself. He knew better.
“That sounds like a fine idea,” he lied.
With a brief nod, Violet backed out of the door. She paused and motioned to the bell sitting near the lemonade. “If you need anything, just ring the bell.”
“Of course.”
Once she’d shut the door, Duke spent a few moments studying the golden canopy encircling the bed, and the country landscapes dotted about the walls. This was not how he’d intended to spend his Christmas to be certain, though with any luck he’d heal swiftly and perhaps even leave Portchester House before the celebrations began.
Doyle’s gang of men had to be done with him surely? He wasn’t going to change his mind due to a beating and there wasn’t much more they could do to him. Regardless, he needed to get out of here sooner rather than later. He’d never forgive himself if he brought danger to the Musgraves.
Chapter Five
There was something a little strange about having Duke stay with them. Violet’s family rarely hosted guests or month-long parties like many of the great houses did—after all, who would want to stay with such a scandalous family? A purchased title—even if it was purchased long before Violet’s birth alongside the anger from the Prince Regent at their accidental thievery of his dog meant they seldom received visitors or hosted dinner parties.