First Comes Scandal (Rokesbys #4)(36)

His eyes widened. “Did you say Mr. Oakes?”

“I did.”

Thamesly looked down at the man on the ground. “He appears to have broken his arm.”

Georgie nodded.

“It looks quite painful.”

“It is, you bloody idiot,” Freddie snapped from the ground, “and if you don’t—”

Thamesly took a small step forward and stepped on Freddie’s hand. “It’s rather late to seek medical attention,” he said to Georgie. “I hate to bother a doctor when the injuries are so clearly not life threatening.”

Georgie’s eyes welled with tears. She had never loved the family butler as much as she did right at that moment.

“He appears to have cut his face, as well,” Thamesly said. He glanced down, and then back up. “That’ll leave a scar.”

“Not if he gets it stitched properly,” Georgie said.

“Middle of the night,” Thamesly said with a patently false sigh of regret. “Alas.”

Georgie had to cover her mouth to choke down a nervous laugh. She reached out and took the butler by the arm, pulling him away from (and off of) Freddie. “I adore you for this,” she whispered, “but I do think we need to get him help. If he dies …”

“He won’t die.”

“But if he does, it will be on my conscience.”

“Surely you don’t take responsibility for this idiot climbing the—” Thamesly looked up. “I assume he fell from the tree.”

Georgie nodded. “He was trying to get into my room.”

Thamesly’s nostrils flared ominously. “I will kill him myself.”

It was almost funny, delivered as it was in Thamesly’s signature monotone. Almost.

“You will do nothing of the sort,” Georgie whispered urgently. “His father is a baron. I might be able to get away with injuring him, but you most assuredly will not.”

“He does not deserve your care, Miss Georgiana.”

“No, but you do.” Georgie looked up at him. She would not go so far as to say that Thamesly had been a second father to her, but he had been a calming, compassionate presence in her life for as long as she could remember, and she cared for him deeply.

“I will lose no sleep over him.” Georgie flicked her head toward Freddie, who was still seething on the ground. “But if you were punished because we did not see to his injuries properly, I would never forgive myself.”

Thamesly’s pale blue eyes turned watery.

“We need to get him help,” Georgie said, “and then we need to get him out of here.”

Thamesly nodded. “I will summon your parents.”

“No!” Georgie clutched his arm with surprising urgency. “It will be better if no one knows he was here.”

“He should pay for what he’s done.”

“I agree, but we both know I’m the one who will pay. There is no way we’ll be able to keep it quiet if anyone else becomes involved.” Georgie twisted her mouth into a frown, looking quickly to the house and then off toward the stables. “Can you hitch a cart?”

“What are you thinking?”

“Can you hitch a cart?” she repeated.

“Of course,” he replied. He sniffed, clearly offended that she’d questioned his skills.

“I’m going to run inside to get shoes and a coat and something we can use for bandages. You get a cart hitched and we’ll take him somewhere out of the way.”

“And then what?”

“And then we …” She thought, grimacing as she kicked a toe through the grass. “And then we …”

What was she going to do?

“My lady?”

She raised her head. There was really only one thing they could do.

“And then we get Nicholas.”





Chapter 10





“Sir.”

Nicholas batted away whatever insect was buzzing in his ear and rolled over.

“Sir! Sir!”

He came awake with a giant indrawn breath, shaking as he sat up straight. He never had woken well when his sleep was interrupted.

“What is it? What’s wrong?”

… was what he thought he said. The reality was probably a great deal more garbled. He blinked his eyes open. Wheelock was standing next to his bed, holding a candle.

“Wheelock? What the devil?”

“You’re needed,” Wheelock whispered. “Thamesly was here.”

If sleep was still fogging his brain, it was gone in an instant. “Thamesly? Why? What? Is someone hurt?”

“I was not able to obtain all the details,” Wheelock said. “But I thought you should know that he asked that I wake you and only you.”

“What the hell?” Nicholas mumbled to himself.

Wheelock held out a piece of paper. “He left this for you.”

“He’s no longer here?”

“No. He departed immediately. He said he could not leave Miss Georgiana alone for much longer.”

“Georgiana!” Nicholas flew out of bed, stumbling to the wardrobe for his clothes. Wheelock was already there, holding out a shirt, but Nicholas wanted to read Thamesly’s message first.