Goddess of the Hunt (The Wanton Dairymaid Trilogy #1)(104)

Albert shook his head. “I’m not really a good shot with it.”

“You hit me well enough.” The throbbing in her shoulder attested to the veracity of that statement.

“Well, yes.” The boy paused, squinting up at her. “But I was aiming for your head.”

“Oh.” Lucy suddenly felt a bit dizzy. She folded her legs under her and sat on the ground. “What do you do then, take from the traps?”

Albert didn’t answer. She saw him flex one hand at his side, as though shaking off an ache or pain.

“That’s how you hurt your hand,” she said. “Before.”

He walked a few paces away and leaned against a tree.

“You ought to be more careful, you know,” she scolded. “A wound like that can fester easily. My father died from a wound like that.”

He shrugged. “Folks die for all sorts of stupid reasons.”

“True. But that’s not an excuse to go around acting stupid.”

The boy snorted.

It was a fortunate thing he had poor aim, Lucy decided, because her brain had just produced a rather brilliant idea. “Come to work at the Abbey.”

“What?”

“Come to work at the Abbey,” she repeated.

“Like hell I will.”

She frowned. “Why not? I’ll ask my husband—I’m sure there’s some work he can find for you. You’ll have steady income, and you won’t have to go wandering about the woods at night.”

“No!” Albert’s voice grew suddenly deep. He straightened and marched toward her where she sat on the ground. “Don’t you tell him anything about me. He’ll find me work, all right. In the poorhouse.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” The ground beneath her was icy cold, and Lucy hugged her legs to her chest. “He isn’t like that, I swear. He’s very understanding.”

Albert scoffed. “I heard how understanding he was at that party of yours.”

“That was … different. Just allow me to speak with him. Let me help you.”

“Thanks, your highness, but I don’t need your help.”

Her hands clenched in frustration. What would it take to get through to this boy? She wasn’t just trying to be superior. Shecared about him, the stubborn ingrate. “I will tell you what you need,” she said, her voice clipped. “You need to put your sister’s welfare before your own pride. You need to stop running about the woods at night, where who knows what peril could befall you. And you need to learn some propriety. In private, you can curse me however you wish, but to my face, you will address me asmy lady !”

There was a shocked silence. And the majority of the shock was on Lucy’s side. Albert might have been wondering where that rant had come from, but she knew its precise source. She was echoing Jeremy, of all people. Was this how he felt, too? Concerned for her safety, desperate to help, but frustrated beyond measure when she refused to let him?

And how many times had she refused him?

Lucy’s heart squeezed. He truly cared for her. He always had. And all this time,she had been the stubborn ingrate.

Albert was still looming over her, his hands balled into fists at his sides, looking rather uncertain as to what came next. She tried to make her tone soft and soothing. Motherly. “Albert, listen …”

But what they heard next was anything but soft or soothing.

“Lucy, don’t move.” Jeremy’s voice thundered from somewhere unseen.

Followed by the unmistakable click of a gun being cocked.

“Get down!” Lucy cried, lunging forward.

A shot cracked through the dark.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Lucy tackled Albert about the knees. He fell to the ground, and in the same instant a shot whistled overhead.

She released his legs. “Run!” she whispered. “Run all the way home, and don’t stop for anything!”

Albert scrambled to his feet and dashed off into the trees. A few seconds later, Jeremy thundered by in breathless pursuit.

“Stop!” Lucy struggled to her feet and grabbed her husband by the arm. “He’s gone. You’ll never catch him.”

Jeremy pulled his arm away and swung his gun over his shoulder. “Oh, I’ll catch him all right.” He moved in the direction Albert had fled, and she grabbed his arm again.

“Wait! You can’t just leave me here alone.” She could play the helpless lady, if necessary. She hugged herself and shivered, only partly for effect.

Jeremy pulled to a halt, staring off into the woods with frustration. Then he turned back to her reluctantly. “No, I won’t leave you.” He fixed her with a fierce look. “Damn it, Lucy. What the devil were you thinking?”

“I saw him from a distance. I thought he was Aunt Matilda, so I—” she gasped. “Aunt Matilda!”

“She’s fine,” Jeremy said impatiently. “I found her in the entrance hall. She may be old and senile, but at leastshe knows better than to go wandering out in the woods at midnight, dressed in …” His eyes swept over her silk-clad curves with a possessive gaze that mingled anger and desire. “You have to stop behaving in such an imbecilic fashion. I can’t always be around to save you.”

Lucy felt pride, hot and rebellious, surging within her.He cares for me , she reminded herself. She just needed to calm him down, let him know she was all right. “Jeremy, I’m sorry I alarmed you. But I didn’t need saving.” She wrapped her dressing gown tight across her chest. Bloody hell, it was cold. “It wasn’t how it looked. I had the situation in hand.”