urgently. 'I'm quite well, sir, but there's a murderer behind your curtains. He threw a knife at me.'
He moved his head to indicate he'd understood. 'Let me assist you to the chaise longue .' The room smelled of burnt cloth and fear.
He pulled her to her feet and under the pretence of helping her was able to slip the poker under his jacket. She understood perfectly and made a great fuss of feeling faint.
'I fear the shock has made me unwell, my lord, would you kindly open a window for me?'
Once she was seated he moved smoothly towards the windows at the far end of the library but kept his head turned towards the girl as if unaware of the intruder. 'I'll do so immediately, my lady. What a dreadful thing to happen, it's hardly surprising you're feeling faint.'
His instincts warned him that whoever was hiding behind him was about to attack. In one swift movement he swung round using his momentum to propel the iron poker sideways and his blow found its mark. The intruder screamed and collapsed taking the curtain down with him. Grey used the material to his advantage and rolled the man inside, then picked the flailing body up and banged the man's head hard against the floorboards. The struggle ceased and the bastard went limp.
'Have you killed him? Do I need to find some cord to tie him up?' The plucky girl was beside him apparently unbothered by the violence.
'No thank you; the man's unconscious. I'll get my men to take him somewhere so I can interrogate him when he recovers his senses.' She was standing by his side and her ruined skirts were revealing far too much of her slender legs. He was about to suggest she retire and allow Humphries to find her something to wear when she gasped and swayed.
His arm shot out and he caught her as she swooned. What had caused her sudden collapse after being so stalwart throughout the past five minutes? Then he saw a growing pool of blood spreading across the boards. His blow with the poker must have done more damage than he'd realised.
With the girl senseless in his arms he strode down the room and shouldered his way out. He shouted for attention and two footmen appeared at a run. 'Here, take Lady Madeline, she has fainted. Put her in a guest room and let Lady Carshalton know she's needed. Her gown caught fire, but she's unhurt apart from the shock.' He passed her across to the more robust of the two and rushed back into the library shouting over his shoulder as he did so. 'Send his grace to me immediately.'
He could apologise to the girl later for handing her over to his staff like an unwanted parcel, but now he had to do what he could to save the life of the assassin – he needed him alive if he was to find out who was behind these attacks.
*
Madeline recovered from her swoon as she was being carried along a passageway and for a moment was unable to focus her mind. Then shock at her position in the arms of a servant restored her. 'Put me down. I am perfectly well and able to walk on my own.' She was almost dropped such was the relief of the unwilling footmen given the task of conveying her away from the horrible scene in the library. 'I want to speak to the duke. Where is he?'
The men exchanged worried glances and she was about to speak sharply when one of them looked at her skirts. Her cheeks suffused and she nodded. 'Direct me to a bedroom, but I still need to speak to the duke.'
'I'll conduct you to a chamber, my lady, whilst Sid here fetches his grace.' The speaker pointed to a hidden stairwell. 'Up here, my lady, it will save going through the main part of the house.'
She followed him in silence. Her thoughts were in turmoil. Someone had tried to kill her, she had almost been incinerated and then Lord Carshalton had grievously injured her attacker. What was going on at Heatherfield? First the gamekeeper had been shot and now this. The footman led her to a guest chamber and opened the door with a bow.
'I shall fetch Mrs Humphries to you as soon as she's free.'
He
He moved his head to indicate he'd understood. 'Let me assist you to the chaise longue .' The room smelled of burnt cloth and fear.
He pulled her to her feet and under the pretence of helping her was able to slip the poker under his jacket. She understood perfectly and made a great fuss of feeling faint.
'I fear the shock has made me unwell, my lord, would you kindly open a window for me?'
Once she was seated he moved smoothly towards the windows at the far end of the library but kept his head turned towards the girl as if unaware of the intruder. 'I'll do so immediately, my lady. What a dreadful thing to happen, it's hardly surprising you're feeling faint.'
His instincts warned him that whoever was hiding behind him was about to attack. In one swift movement he swung round using his momentum to propel the iron poker sideways and his blow found its mark. The intruder screamed and collapsed taking the curtain down with him. Grey used the material to his advantage and rolled the man inside, then picked the flailing body up and banged the man's head hard against the floorboards. The struggle ceased and the bastard went limp.
'Have you killed him? Do I need to find some cord to tie him up?' The plucky girl was beside him apparently unbothered by the violence.
'No thank you; the man's unconscious. I'll get my men to take him somewhere so I can interrogate him when he recovers his senses.' She was standing by his side and her ruined skirts were revealing far too much of her slender legs. He was about to suggest she retire and allow Humphries to find her something to wear when she gasped and swayed.
His arm shot out and he caught her as she swooned. What had caused her sudden collapse after being so stalwart throughout the past five minutes? Then he saw a growing pool of blood spreading across the boards. His blow with the poker must have done more damage than he'd realised.
With the girl senseless in his arms he strode down the room and shouldered his way out. He shouted for attention and two footmen appeared at a run. 'Here, take Lady Madeline, she has fainted. Put her in a guest room and let Lady Carshalton know she's needed. Her gown caught fire, but she's unhurt apart from the shock.' He passed her across to the more robust of the two and rushed back into the library shouting over his shoulder as he did so. 'Send his grace to me immediately.'
He could apologise to the girl later for handing her over to his staff like an unwanted parcel, but now he had to do what he could to save the life of the assassin – he needed him alive if he was to find out who was behind these attacks.
*
Madeline recovered from her swoon as she was being carried along a passageway and for a moment was unable to focus her mind. Then shock at her position in the arms of a servant restored her. 'Put me down. I am perfectly well and able to walk on my own.' She was almost dropped such was the relief of the unwilling footmen given the task of conveying her away from the horrible scene in the library. 'I want to speak to the duke. Where is he?'
The men exchanged worried glances and she was about to speak sharply when one of them looked at her skirts. Her cheeks suffused and she nodded. 'Direct me to a bedroom, but I still need to speak to the duke.'
'I'll conduct you to a chamber, my lady, whilst Sid here fetches his grace.' The speaker pointed to a hidden stairwell. 'Up here, my lady, it will save going through the main part of the house.'
She followed him in silence. Her thoughts were in turmoil. Someone had tried to kill her, she had almost been incinerated and then Lord Carshalton had grievously injured her attacker. What was going on at Heatherfield? First the gamekeeper had been shot and now this. The footman led her to a guest chamber and opened the door with a bow.
'I shall fetch Mrs Humphries to you as soon as she's free.'
He