Christian Seaton_ Duke of Danger(37)
The other man grimaced. ‘In which case, he will have expected me to linger in Portsmouth until you do.’
Damnation.
‘Perhaps, Your Grace,’ Lisette was the one to put in softly, ‘you might tell this gentleman, of whom you both speak so respectfully, the truth? That Christian was injured whilst involved in the work for which the gentleman named Maystone no doubt sent him to Paris?’
Both men turned to look at her in astonishment. Rightly so; it might have been rude of them to do so, but their conversation had all taken place in English.
Lisette steadily returned their shocked gazes. ‘I said I did not speak English, Your Grace, not that I did not understand it.’
Hell and damnation!
Christian had been under the misapprehension all this time that Lisette did not understand any conversation spoken in English. To now learn that she had knowledge of the language made him question any and all of those conversations unguardedly spoken in front of her.
Could it be that she was indeed a spy for her mother, Helene Rousseau?
Until a few moments ago Christian would have staked his life on that not being the case. The revelation that Lisette understood English, even if she did not speak it, meant he was now less certain. A lot less certain. Especially as he and Marcus had not exactly been discreet in their own conversation.
Christian felt sick at the very thought of travelling to London today. But did he really have a choice? Marcus would return to London today regardless, and with Christian unable to move from his bed, Lisette would then be free to roam Portsmouth. With the idea of making contact with one of her mother’s cohorts? Christian knew that he could no longer trust his own judgement in regard to Lisette.
He breathed deeply in resignation. ‘If you will allow me to rest for a few hours, Marcus, Lisette and I will accompany you back to London later today—’
‘I am not going to London—’
‘I think that might be for the best, Christian.’
Lisette and the Duke of Worthing spoke at the same time, the one to protest the idea, the other to agree to it.
Lisette gave the Duke of Worthing a disapproving frown before stepping back into the bedchamber to glare at Christian Seaton. ‘I do not wish to go to London, and you cannot travel anywhere in your present condition!’
He gave a weary shrug. ‘I believe I must.’
‘You will undo all of my efforts to prevent your wound from becoming inflamed if you attempt to do so,’ Lisette maintained stubbornly as she came to stand beside the bed.
Christian looked up at her ruefully. ‘I would have thought such discomfort might please you, considering the names you called me a short time ago?’
Lisette blushed at the memory of some of the names she had called him in temper. Not wholly undeserved, but still...
She raised her chin. ‘You have deceived me,’ she stated. ‘Nor does your duplicity have anything to do with this present conversation.’
‘No?’
‘No!’ she snapped impatiently. ‘I have spent the past twenty-four hours ensuring that you have every opportunity to recover from your wound.’
‘And, if I am not mistaken, just minutes ago you consigned me to the devil—’
‘Much as I am enjoying this exchange,’ Marcus Wilding cut in drily, ‘I do not see that it is achieving much.’
‘Oh, do be quiet, Marcus!’
Lisette continued to glare at the Duke of Worthing. ‘Christian—His Grace, received a bullet wound to his thigh only two nights ago. The voyage to England was madness, this—travelling to London today—would be even more so.’
Christian felt Marcus’s gaze on him as Lisette spoke. ‘You really were shot...?’
He grimaced. ‘A trifle—’
‘The bullet passed straight through the flesh of your thigh,’ Lisette contradicted impatiently.
‘Julianna is going to be most displeased.’ Marcus gave a wince. ‘I assured her you would be in no danger during your visit to France.’
‘That was rather reckless of you, Marcus,’ Christian Seaton drawled.
The other man shrugged. ‘I did not want her to worry in her condition.’
‘Even so...’
‘When you two gentlemen have quite finished!’ Lisette frowned her frustration at them both. ‘Thank you,’ she bit out when she once again had the attention of both gentlemen. ‘You are not going anywhere today,’ she informed Christian. ‘And neither are you,’ she instructed the other man. ‘If Christian must go to London, then it will have to be tomorrow, after he has rested today and had a night’s sleep, and you will have to accompany him. I am sure, for the sake of her brother’s health, that your duchess will not mind your absence for one night.’