Chapter Twenty-Seven

Ellie swore in impotent fury as her skirts got caught in the undergrowth.

She had to get to Harry.

Ambrose and Sofia were rolling over and over in the wet grass, the Italian screaming invectives as she hit at Hugo's head and body with her pistol, but Ellie rushed past them and fell to her knees beside Harry.

Dread and terror coursed through her as she saw his pale face. He seemed to be choking, gasping for breath.

Dear God, where had he been hit? She had to stop the bleeding.

"Harry! God, don't die!" she croaked.

He was clutching at his chest, and she pushed his hands aside and slid her palms over the front of his waistcoat, desperately searching for a wound, fully expecting to encounter the sticky wetness of blood. His dark-colored waistcoat made it almost impossible to see.

He was trying to say something, his chest heaving in great labored gusts.

"Oh, God," she panted. "Lie still. I can't find where you've been hit."

Her heart was beating impossibly fast. God, this had all been her idea. Why hadn't they just returned the book to Bullock and collected the payment? Her stupid need to uncover the whole story had led to this disaster. Harry was dying! And she hadn't even told him how much she cared for him.

"Harry, I—"

"Shh." His hand closed over hers, stilling its frantic movement and shutting off her impetuous declaration. "Ellie," he rasped. "Stop. It's all right." He reached up and caught the back of her neck with his other hand, forcing her to look into his eyes instead of down at his chest.

"I'm all right," he said calmly. "I've not been hit. I'm just winded, I swear."

His steady gaze held hers, but her head refused to believe it. Maybe he'd lost so much blood he couldn't even feel the injury anymore? Oh, God.

"She shot you! I saw you fall." Her voice was a high, reedy squeak.

He pushed himself up a little straighter, and the rational part of her brain finally began to notice that his breathing was easier. The color had returned to his face. "I'm fine, truly."

He slid his hand into the front of his jacket and pulled out the tiny Book of Hours. Ellie sank back on her heels with a gasp. The central gold panel was cratered in, the ball from the pistol lodged in the thick leather binding that lay beneath the golden cover.

Harry's incredulous gaze met her own, and his face broke into a smile. "I don't believe it! Look at that."

Relief flooded through her like a tidal wave, and she put her hand to her throat. Now that the immediate danger was over, she felt sick and horribly shaky.

"You must be the luckiest man in London!" she wheezed.

"Or this is the luckiest book," he countered with a grin. "Bloody Hell, that was a close call."

His eyes flicked to her lips, and suddenly Ellie didn't care that they had witnesses. She leaned in and pressed a brief, hard kiss to his mouth. He started to respond, but a noise behind them made her reluctantly pull back and look round.

Hugo had clearly managed to disarm a furious Sofia. She lay face down in the grass, her hands held behind her back as Hugo straddled her. Her two thugs were being held at pistol point by Tess and Daisy.

Harry groaned as he slowly got to his feet. "My chest feels like an elephant's used me as a chair."

"You're probably going to have a terrible bruise," Ellie murmured. "Are you sure you haven't broken any ribs?"

"I'm sure. But I might as well use my cane."

She retrieved it from the grass, and he leaned on it for support as they hobbled over to Sofia.

Hugo tugged her to her feet, but kept hold of her wrists with one hand while he patted her down with the other.

Sofia spat an incomprehensible stream of Italian at him, which was almost certainly uncomplimentary, as he thrust a hand into her cloak and pulled out an envelope bulging with paper bills.

"The money you were supposed to give to Willingham?" Hugo panted. "I think we'll have that."

Sofia turned furious eyes on Harry.

"I didn't mean to shoot you," she growled, tossing her head toward Hugo. "This fool distracted me."

Ellie curled her lip. "You could have killed him."

"It was an accident!" Sofia protested. "And you shot me !"

Ellie blinked. Everything had happened in such a blur, she could barely remember firing her weapon. "I thought I missed."

Sofia shook her head and glared at Hugo. "You got my arm. If this fool will release me, I can see how bad it is."

At Harry's nod, Hugo released Sofia's wrists, and she pushed down the neck of her dress to reveal a deep gash on her shoulder that was oozing blood.

Ellie swallowed a sudden flash of nausea and guilt. Her pistol had inflicted that wound. She'd never shot another person before, but she'd acted instinctively, in Harry's defense. She'd do the same again.

She pulled a clean handkerchief from her pocket and gestured to Sofia.

"It's only a scrape. You won't need stitches, but you do need to stop the bleeding."

Sofia submitted to the assistance with a sniff, and Ellie tied the cotton cloth around the wound. She didn't bother to be particularly gentle—it was hard to forgive the near-miss, whether it was accidental or not.

"Now," Harry said, "as exciting as this little reunion has been, I think you and your friends should leave now, Sofia."

Sofia scowled, but clearly accepted when she was beaten. "Bonaparte's brother will be extremely displeased if I don't bring him that book."

"Perhaps you can think of a way to double-cross him the same way you were going to double-cross Willingham?" Ellie suggested sweetly.

Harry smiled at her sarcasm, but addressed Sofia. "You can't win every hand. Go back to Italy. Nothing good ever comes from meddling in politics, especially when it involves the Bonapartes."

Sofia gave a petulant toss of her head. "You may be right. And from what I have seen of England, it is a horrible place and the people are not at all hospitable." She glared at Ellie, who glared right back. "I can't wait to see the sun again, and eat food that is not disgustoso ."

She turned with a dramatic twirl of her skirts and sent her two accomplices a scornful look. "What good were you two, eh? Two scarecrows would have done a better job."

Both men looked sheepish. Luca, or possibly Paolo, pointed at Daisy's pistol.

"She would have shot us if we'd tried to help you. I can tell by the look in her eye. Quella donna è spaventosa ."

"He says you're terrifying," Harry translated to Daisy with a chuckle.

Daisy looked delighted. "I am indeed. Now, go on, start walking. I want to go home and have some breakfast."

Luca, or Paolo, sent her a charming grin and said something in rapid Italian.

"What did he say?" Daisy demanded suspiciously.

"He said he'd like to give you his blade, because he admires any woman who is able to get the better of him," Harry said. "I think you've made a conquest, Miss Hamilton."

Daisy's cheeks turned pink as Paolo or Luca, whichever one it was, bent and placed his knife on the ground like an offering. He stepped back and sent her a jaunty salute.

Daisy gave him a regal nod. "Thank you. I will treasure it always."

With a disgusted snort, Sofia turned on her heel and started tramping back along the path, irritably dusting the leaves from her skirts as she did so. Luca and Paolo fell into place behind her. Only when all three of them were out of sight did Tess and Daisy finally lower their weapons.

Ellie heaved a loud sigh of relief and bent over, hands on her knees. "My goodness, what a morning! I'm so sorry I convinced you all to do this."

Harry shook his head. "It was worth it. How much money is there in that envelope, Hugo?"

Ambrose thumbed through it quickly. "I'd say at least three hundred pounds. Maybe more."

"Worth being shot at." Harry grinned, but Ellie sent him a scowl for being so flippant. No amount of money would have been worth his life.

Daisy glanced between Harry and Hugo. "I'm assuming you two know one another?"

The two men shared an amused look. "We're old friends," Harry confirmed.

Hugo let out a wheeze. "Who are you calling old, you cheeky devil?" He rubbed his side with a pained grunt. "Damn me, but I'm getting too old for rolling around on the grass with ladies of dubious virtue. I think I've cracked a few ribs."

Ellie crossed to him and offered her arm. "Come on, you need to sit down." She glanced at Harry. "You both do."

"Cobham House," Harry agreed. "Hugo, you can stay with me."

The older man's lips twitched, as if he found the offer amusing. "Much obliged."

Ellie turned to her two friends. "I'll go with them. I'll see you back at King and Company."

"Very good." Tess smiled.

Daisy bent to retrieve the knife her unexpected admirer had left her. She turned it over in her hands with a pleased expression.

"On balance, it has been an excellent morning, don't you think? Another case closed for King and Company."