Page 49 of Reforming the Rakish Marquess

The groom and the doctor entered the kitchen with Juliana’s butler, Drummond, fast on their heels.

“I hear we have a knife wound,” the doctor said, approaching Jude and setting his bag on the table.

The man shifted his focus to Juliana. “Could you light another candle and set it here? I must ensure I can see the wound.”

She did as he asked and set the candle beside the medical bag. The doctor shifted Jude’s arm closer to the now two lit candles on the table.

“Drummond, will you watch for the magistrate? He should arrive any moment.”

“Of course, my lady,” Drummond replied.

The man hurried off, and Jude focused on the doctor. The man pulled a liquid from his bag and poured some of it on a clean cloth before dabbing the wound with it. It stung, causing Jude to wince and suck in a breath of air.

“You are very lucky, my lord. The wound isn’t too deep and won’t require any stitches. You will just need to ensure that it remains clean. I will leave a solution for your valet to use to clean it twice a day until it has healed. If it turns red or swollen, summon me immediately.”

“Understood,” Jude said. “Thank you, sir.”

The doctor left a vial on the table for Jude and nodded to each of them before taking his leave, passing Drummond and the magistrate on his way out of the kitchen.

Jude answered all the magistrate’s questions, and the man looked at his coat and wound. Then Juliana’s grooms also gave their account of events.

“There isn’t much to go on to figure out who did this,” the magistrate said, “but an attack in Mayfair isn’t very common, so we will keep an eye on things. Hopefully, nothing like this occurs again. I might suggest not walking alone in the middle of the night, my lord, even in Mayfair.”

“Agreed, sir,” Jude replied. “It wasn’t my best idea, it seems.”

“I shall take my leave, but please let me know if you think of anything else that could be useful.”

Drummond escorted the man out. The grooms started to leave, but Jude stopped them. “Thank you both for coming to my aid. I will send a reward for both of you.”

“That isn’t necessary, my lord. Just glad nothing worse occurred,” one man said.

“I still appreciate it and will send the reward. You have earned it,” Jude insisted.

The men bowed and set off out the same door they brought Jude through, to return to the mews.

“I must send for Carter. I need a fresh shirt and jacket,” Jude said, waving towards his garments. His breath caught when Juliana turned towards him, still just as lovely with her gaze focused on his.

“That can wait,” she said, holding out her hand. “Come with me.”

Against his better judgment, he grabbed it. Her touch was too intense for him to continue to ignore. He let her pull him from his seat and followed her through the kitchens, to the staircase, and all the way to her bedchamber. Anyone in her household could have encountered him naked from the waist up. His heart thumped harder with each step they took together.

Once they were inside, she closed the door behind them and locked it. He supposed Drummond would know they had disappeared together, but since he already knew that Jude had snuck out of the house after an overnight stay, there wasn’t much more they could do to scandalize the poor man.

Juliana turned to face him, still leaning against the door. There was a low fire in the room, the embers casting shadows on the walls. Between the fire and the moon shining through the open drapes, he could see clearly enough to see her face, and she never looked more beautiful.

He watched each slow step she took to close the distance between them, taking his hand in hers again. She led him to a settee near the fire and urged him to sit, seating herself beside him.

She shifted so that she faced him. “Now. We won’t be interrupted. We are going to sit here until you tell me as much as you are comfortable sharing about what happened to you.”

“Well, then, I shall say nothing, Juliana.”

She ran her fingers along his cheek, and he closed his eyes, reveling in her touch.

“Then tell me about what you felt when you woke from your dream.”

She held out her hand to him, and he took it, giving it a gentle squeeze. He didn’t look at her, instead focusing his attention on the hot coals in the fireplace.

“I was frightened. I had to remember where I was, and that I am no longer a boy, and my father no longer walks this earth.”