The Bareknuckle Groom - Holly Bush Page 0,47
just yet, though. I’d like to go to the Thompson home.” She looked at Mr. Pendergast. “What is his address? Do you know it?”
“Number 75 Locust Street,” he said after some hesitation.
“I know the area, miss,” Michael said and helped her climb into the carriage. He pulled a blanket out from under the seat and handed it to her.
Chapter 11
Lucinda stepped out of the carriage near the Thompson home and turned to Michael. “Will you wait again?”
“Of course. My cousin would never speak to me again if I did not make sure you arrived home safely.”
She walked down the street to the steps of 75 Locust Street, the light from inside the house flooding the stoop and the gas streetlights shining on several women in the doorway and carriages in front of the house. Muireall, the eldest, was directing everyone. Elspeth, Mr. Pendergast’s wife, was wringing her hands and calling to her husband.
“I will tell you the whole story, but please come outside and escort Miss Vermeal into the house. She must be freezing.”
“Miss Vermeal?” Mrs. Pendergast searched the street. “There you are,” she said and hurried past the men. “Come inside out of the weather. Where is your coat?”
“What is this around him, MacAvoy?” Lucinda heard the old aunt say. “It looks like a woman’s cape.”
“It is, Aunt Murdoch,” Mr. Pendergast said. “I’ll tell you everything, but James needs attention now.”
The aunt hurried away from the door, shouting to someone in the hall to bring toweling, hot water, and her medicine box.
Lucinda climbed the steps holding onto Mrs. Pendergast’s arm. She was led into a large well-furnished room where one young man carried in a tea tray and the other, James’s brother, carried in a tray of sandwiches and cake. He walked over to her when he realized who she was.
“Were you there, Miss Vermeal? What happened?”
She swallowed and looked away, suddenly overcome with emotion and chilled to the bone. The younger sister, Kirsty, hurried to her.
“You’ve had a fright, haven’t you? Sit down. I will pour you tea. Payden, get Muireall’s shawl laying there by the bookshelf.”
“It was awful,” she said and looked up at them. “They wouldn’t stop fighting. It went over thirty minutes.”
“Thirty minutes?” the brother whispered. “That’s not possible.”
“Do you think she’s making this up?” Miss Thompson said and smacked her brother on the arm. “Look at her. Her face is pure white.”
Lucinda took the cup and saucer, the china rattling in her hands. She managed a sip and sighed. She turned when she heard her name.
“You must come with me, Miss Vermeal,” MacAvoy said from the doorway.
“Come where?”
“James will not settle down. He wants to see you.”
“Oh.” She quickly stood, setting her tea on a side table and hurrying to the door. “Oh. I must go, then.”
She followed MacAvoy up the staircase, down a wide hallway, and past closed doors to one standing open. Those already inside backed away when she entered. James was shouting, although it was unintelligible as she hurried to the four-poster bed.
“James,” she said and picked up his hand. “James. It’s me. Lucinda.”
He took a breath and smiled as much as he could with one side of his face. “Can smell you.”
She pulled a chair close to his bed. “You must allow your aunt and sisters to tend you, James. You must stop fighting. You are home in your own room.”
He turned his head and faced her, though his eyes were nearly swollen shut. “Lucinda.”
“Yes. I am here. Now let the ladies do their work.”
He nodded and accepted the liquid his aunt gave to him from a small cup. She laid his head back on the pillow and began giving brisk orders. “You must leave, Miss Vermeal. MacAvoy and I are going to peel off his pants. Out. Muireall and Elspeth too. It’s unseemly to see your brother in his drawers.”
Everyone left but MacAvoy, Lucinda, and the aunt. “I’m not leaving, Mrs. Murdoch. I’ll turn my head, but I’m not leaving until you’ve made him comfortable.”
Mrs. Murdoch eyed her. “Is that so? You’re a society miss. What’s your interest in my nephew?”
Lucinda tilted her chin. “My interest . . . my interest is none of your concern.”
The aunt harrumphed and shook her head. “I always knew he would fall hard when he fell.”
Once James had been stripped of his pants and covered with a sheet from his waist down, Lucinda reseated herself beside him.
“May I use this water to clean off the blood, Mrs. Murdoch?” she asked.
“Yes. I’ll get more