The Rakehell Regency Romance Collection Volume 2(179)

The doctor had got the bleeding under control, but there was a great deal of swelling, and Elizabeth already had two black eyes.



She lay so still that Will did not dare let go of her wrist. He couldn't bear the thought of her precious life slipping away, and clung on as he had when she had been slipping from the trellis.



"How bad is it?" he asked the doctor flatly.



"Very serious. I've taken the liberty of sending to the other local doctors. I fear I will have to operate. I won't lie. I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you, son."



"No! No!" Will said wildly.



Vevina came in and pressed her brother back onto the pillows. The doctor moved to give him some laudnanum.



"No, nothing," he refused. "I'm not going to take anything. I can't fall asleep. I need to be with her. She wants me to stay, to tell her it will all be fine.



"Can you hear me, darling?" he said to his unconscious wife. "I'm not going to let you go, do you hear me? I've got you by the hand. You let go of me. But I won't let go of you."



Everyone's eyes were fixed on the ghastly face of the haggard-looking young man. Vevina and Stewart recalled what he had looked like when they had all first met almost three years before, when Will had been beaten and nearly crucified.



Vevina stroked his cheek. "It's all right. She knows you're there. She knows you love her. We won't make you sleep if you don't want to. But please let us at least check your injuries."



He gave one curt nod, and she began to strip off his coat and waistcoat as carefully as she could while he clung to his wife's limp hand.



Stewart offered to help his wife, while Thomas and Charlotte lapsed into a corner, sitting on a low bench, at the ready in case their help should be needed.



Vanessa looked at them all, and decided to take matters into her own hands. "We all mean well and want to help, but we need to be practical about this. We can't all exhaust ourselves by sitting on tenterhooks. Go get dressed, you two, and then come back. Move some of your things into the room next door so you can be close at hand. I shall do the same in the opposite one.



"Ah, Clifford, there you are. Can you get some of our clothes moved into the room on the left? We're going to take it in turns to nurse Will and Elizabeth."



Vevina said nothing, but Stewart poked his head around the door to speak to a servant, and ordered a trundle bed to be made up for his wife and himself over in the bay window.



Then he went over to his wife and brother-in-law, and stroked both their heads. "It will be all right, I promise. We just have to be patient, and let nature take its course. She's young and strong. I know it looks bad now, but we just have to have faith."



Stewart took out his handkerchief and began to dry the tears still flowing unheeded from Will's eyes. "It's all right, son. It's not your fault."



"But why?" he gasped.



"I don't know, lad. All I know is she loves you. It will be all right. Just hang on." He continued to pat his face dry, while Vevina ministered to his ragged arm.



The doctor had by this time organised some material for a leg splint. As soon as Dr. Davis arrived, he informed him of what had happened in a quick undertone, and then approached Will's side of the bed.



"So how are we, Will?" Doc asked with a grave smile.



"Never mind me. What about my wife?" he asked tearfully.



His kind creased face was grave. "She's doing as well as can be expected. But we need to get you fixed up. You need to let me look at your leg, son."



Vevina helped get his trousers off, until he sat naked save for his cotton drawers. As they had begun to undress him, Charlotte got up and with a final kiss for her husband, she and Vanessa left.



"I'm sorry, Will," Vevina said quietly. "This is going to hurt."



"Do what you like with me. I don't care. It can't possibly hurt compared to what my poor wife has been through."



They set and splinted the leg without a murmur from him. The shoulder was not going to be easy, however. It was not only dislocated, but the doctor could see the piece of shrapnel just under the skin.



"This might be my best chance to ever get it out. His arm might one day be back to normal. It's been improving every day. It must have worked its way out."



Will said, "Elizabeth cured me. She helped my shoulder. She helped me get my life back. I can't lose her. I lost Rosaria. I killed my own wife. Please don't tell me I've done it again."



Vevina shook her brother. "You know you had no choice! Is that what this was all about? You told her? And she was frightened?"



He shook his head. "I should have told her. I didn't dare. I didn't want to remember, don't you see? Elizabeth is everything good and pure and gentle in this world. I didn't want to tell her the things I had to do in the war. I didn't want her to be in danger. Now she is anyway."