Because I'm certain of one thing—he was not exaggerating. He will kill you if he gets the chance, and London isn't so big people can't meet by accident.”
He hoisted the battered man to his feet. Blood poured from Giovanni's nose
and mouth, and he spat a tooth onto the floor. He stared at James in silence.
“I would offer to pray for your soul,” the young vicar said, “but I wouldn't be
able to do it. I saw what you did to her too. Now get out.”
James wrenched the door open and shoved Giovanni hard, sending him
stumbling down the stairs to land in a crumpled heap on the sidewalk below.
He slammed the door and then hurried into the parlor, where a piteous
tableau awaited. Katerina lay unconscious on the sofa. Christopher knelt beside
her, clutching her hand to his cheek. Colonel Turner gingerly touched Katerina's
head with one fingertip. “I hated to move her, not knowing how badly she's injured.”
“I know, but it wasn't safe there, not with that fight going on,” his wife replied, though she looked just as alarmed as her husband. She laid a hand on Katerina's belly, her focus shifting away from the conversation.
“Has anyone called for a doctor?” James asked.
“Yes. Your wife just went to send the housekeeper to fetch him,” Mr. Bennett
said.
“Good,” Colonel Turner said. “I'm worried about her head injury.”
Christopher looked up, tears streaming down his cheeks. “Why won't she
wake up?”
“I'm afraid she's got a skull fracture,” the colonel said, his face twisted with
concern.
Christopher's face went ashen, which darkened the bruises on his cheek and
jaw from the two blows Giovanni had managed to connect. “Oh my God. Will
she live?”
“It depends on how bad it is,” Turner replied grimly. “I've seen many of these in the cavalry… people thrown from horses or kicked. Some survived but
not all. Did you see how far she fell? Just from standing?”
“She was on the stairs,” Christopher said. “She must have fallen three,
maybe four steps before she hit the floor.”
“Then we have another problem,” Mrs. Turner said. “Falls in pregnancy can
cause premature delivery. At only five months, if the baby is delivered now, there's no way it will survive. Did he do anything else to her?”
“He kicked her all over.” Christopher's voice cracked and shattered.
“Her belly?” she queried.
“No. I stopped him before he could do that.”
“Good. Listen, Christopher,” she took his free hand and made him look up at
her. “Katerina and the baby may both pull through. It's in God's hands now. I suggest you pray like you've never prayed before. It's serious but not hopeless.”
“It was my job to protect her. I failed.” He lowered his face again, as though
unable to look away from his wife.
“How could you have known he would come here?” Adrian demanded.
“I should have guessed,” Christopher snarled. “I instructed our servants at
home to turn him away at all costs, but I didn't tell anyone here. I thought he had
