Page 73 of Broken

He’d missed her, too. He tucked Lilly into his bed. “Stay here. Keep the door locked, and only let myself or Dithers come in. No exceptions. And no disagreements tonight. You can torture my butler tomorrow.”

Mrs. Osprey bit her lip over a smile.

“Wicked woman.”

All in all, Giles was only absent for perhaps ten minutes, and neither Barrette nor Lord Winter appeared interested in what he’d been doing upon his return. Carrington, however, threw him a questioning glance, but kept up a steady stream of confidences that only enhanced his reputation as a chatterbox. Lord Winter got steadily foxed.

As before, Barrette did not offer to help put the old man to bed, and Giles supposed he should get accustomed to the activity. Was Winter always three sheets to the wind with drink? It was surprising he’d not lost track of Lilly more often if that were the case.

At his bedchamber door, Giles hesitated a moment tapping. Osprey flung the door open and he pushed the heavy wood closed with his back and leaned upon it. Everything was in readiness.

“She hasn’t stirred,” Osprey told him.

Giles nodded. “As I expected. You are dismissed, Mrs. Osprey. Stay away from this room tomorrow until I call for you.”

“But—”

He met her gaze, and she had the good sense to blush before hurrying from the room. Giles hardly needed a spinster’s help to compromise Lilly.

He strode across the room and lifted the lid on the light supper Dithers must have sent up while Giles had been entertaining his guests. The food looked good and should not spoil before daybreak. He lit a cigar, placed it on an ashtray, and then poured a glass of brandy. He set both beside the bed, along with a clean chamber pot.

Lilly lay insensible to her surroundings. He removed his jacket, cravat, and waistcoat, and then rolled up his sleeves. Her face was ashen, her lips pale blue, but her pulse was good. Yet she did not stir when he moved her arm.

The fact that Lilly was under the effects of laudanum could only mean one of his guests had brought the poison into the house and dosed her food somehow.

Giles opened the bedroom window wide, letting a cool blast of air enter the room. He struggled to raise Lilly to a sitting position. Her head lolled, and he juggled her so she rested against his shoulder. He waved the cigar under her nose a time or two until he got a twitch of reaction, and then set it into the porcelain bowl in her lap. The smoke curled toward her face.

“Lilly. Little ghost, wake up.”

She grumbled as if she heard him, but the potion clouded her mind still. He had no choice but to force her to drink the brandy.

She choked, and then gasped, swallowing the liquid and smoke in equal parts. Moments later, she vomited into the porcelain bowl, over and over until his stomach hurt from the sound of it.

When she was done, her face pink and sweat-shined, he laid her down and removed the bowl and brandy to the window, throwing both far out into the night. Giles stripped Lilly of her nightgown and dropped her into a tub of cold bathwater, remembering to support her with his arms so she didn’t drown. Lilly gasped.

“Forgive me, but you must wake.” Giles drizzled water over her face. “You see what happens when I leave you alone for a day or two. You make me do the meanest things, my darling.”

He was careful not to wet her long hair too thoroughly, and rubbed her arms and legs, hoping to burn off the poison. He hoped this worked. He couldn’t bear to wait out days to see her smile again.

When her teeth started to chatter and her arms covered with gooseflesh, he lifted her from the water to hold her close. Even though she soaked his front right through, it was a small price to pay for the unhappy sounds she started to make.

“Walk, Lilly, and then I promise nothing but pleasure forever.”

Gulping over his choice of words, Giles marched her around the room naked until she was using more of her own strength for the task.

“Why are you making me walk? Let me rest,” Lilly grumbled.

Giles brushed at his eyes. “Because I have to, Ghost. Bear with me a little longer.”

When Lilly attempted to pull away, Giles picked her up in his arms and laid her out on the lengths of towel waiting to dry her.

“She should have definitely added tyrant.”

Giles laughed softly, picturing what his mother might make of his activities tonight. She would not be happy with his choices but he believed she would understand he only meant to help. “If you insist, we’ll add tyrant tomorrow.”

Down the hall, Atticus barked out a warning, but Giles would not go to the door and see who was stumbling about. His stout bedchamber door was locked tight against intruders. However, to be sure they were not interrupted, Giles blew out the candles and relied on firelight to return to Lilly.

When she was dry, he tucked her into his bed, then moved around the room, straightening things and closing the bedroom window. He picked his way across the space in darkness before removing the rest of his clothes. Giles slipped into bed beside Lilly and drew her against his skin.