‘Oh no, not at all, think nothing of it,’ she retorted with honeyed politeness. ‘Alarmed? I merely thought it was either some buck set on rape or Mr Salterton thinking to dispose of his messenger. It would have been foolish of me indeed to have been alarmed.’

‘Hell.’ He put up a hand, rubbed it across his mouth, the first crack in his composure she had so far detected. ‘I intended merely to follow you home and to make myself known. To talk to you. When you ran—’

‘I see. Like a hound you chase anything that runs away. How civilised.’ For such a tiny thing, the pistol seemed to be made of lead. ‘How is the earl?’

‘Better, a little, no thanks to you, Miss Smith.’ The apologetic note in his voice was gone again. ‘He is resting more easily, I think. In poor spirits, it depresses him to be so weak.’

‘I can imagine. My mother—’ She bit back the words. This man did not want to know about her mother, nor should she weaken enough to confide in him, perversely tempting though that was. It must be something about the solid strength of him, she thought, renewing her grip on the weapon.

‘Please go away,’ Nell said firmly. Movement at the end of the street caught her eye. A black carriage, its glossy sides catching the torchlight, pulled in against the kerb a few yards behind the viscount. ‘I do not wish to speak to you.’

‘But I want to speak to you.’

‘And what you want, you always get, my lord?’

‘Mostly.’ His mouth twisted wryly as though at a private joke. ‘It is warm in the carriage and comfortable. I only want to talk.’

‘No.’ Nell edged back, searched for the step with her foot, found it and realized she needed a free hand for the keys. But if she opened the door he could force his way in. ‘Stay there.’

The muzzle of the gun waved more wildly than she intended as she scrabbled for the key. The viscount moved suddenly to the right, she swung the gun round, he feinted and caught her wrist, the weapon trapped between them.

‘Let it go!’

‘No!’ Part of her realized he was not exerting his full strength and that even so, she was completely powerless. Nell opened her mouth to scream and a gloved hand covered it. She bit and got a mouthful of leather. She kicked and he moved sharply; their hands, joined around the pistol, jerked and the gun went off.

Reeling with shock and half deaf, Nell fell back against the railings. It had been loaded? It was a miracle no one had been hurt. And then she saw that Lord Stanegate was clutching his left shoulder.

‘Damn it,’ he said as she stared, aghast. ‘Do you want to kill us all?’

‘No! It was an accident—it wasn’t loaded! I tried it. It wasn’t loaded!’ The driver must have whipped up the carriage, for it was there beside them. Behind her, windows were flung open and people were shouting; in front of her, the big man she had thought so solid was swaying on his feet as the coachman jumped down from the box.

‘My lord!’

‘Get her into the carriage.’

‘No! I—’ Nell was picked up ruthlessly in arms that were more than capable of controlling a six-horse drag and thrown without ceremony into the carriage—to be followed by the viscount who slumped onto the seat.

The front door of the house opened; there were raised voices and someone shouted, ‘Murder! Call the Watch!’

She reached for the far door handle and was jerked back against the viscount with enough force to make them both gasp. ‘You shot me,’ he said between gritted teeth. ‘Now you can stop me bleeding to death.’

‘I’ll get you home, my lord, just you hang on there.’

The coachman slammed the door and the vehicle lurched forward.

There was something hot and wet under her hand. Nell held it up in front of her face. Blood.

He was struggling with the buttons of his greatcoat. Nell pushed his hands away and tore it open herself, shoved it back over his shoulders, ignoring the grunt of pain. Stopping the bleeding was more important than worrying about hurting him. He deserves it, she thought fiercely, trying to ignore the panic churning inside her. I have shot a man. Dear God, I have shot a man.

The carriage lurched again and more light came in. They must have reached one of the major streets. Nell yanked at the greatcoat, then his open coat, then the buttons on his waistcoat. ‘Sit still and let me undress you,’ she snapped as he tried to help her—and was rewarded with an unexpected gasp of laughter, choked off as between them they pulled his arms free.

He was in his shirtsleeves now. His neckcloth would be useful as a bandage, she told herself, trying not to think about what would be revealed when she got the bloodstained shirt off him. Nell ripped down the buttons, careless of them flying loose, and dragged at the shirt. He was not helping now; she rather thought he was close to fainting.

She tipped him forward to rest against her while she pulled the shirt free, struggling with the weight of his body, her nostrils full of the metallic smell of blood.

Then she pushed him back to see what damage had been done. She mopped at his shoulder then peered at the wound in the poor light. It was not, she told herself firmly, as bad as it might have been. There was a raw, deep groove torn through his shoulder but the bullet was not buried in his body.

But it was bleeding like a spring, the blood already covering his chest. Nell bunched up the shirt and held it to the wound. He grunted, half conscious. It needed something finer to make a pad she could tie on with the neckcloth.

Nell reached under her skirts, took hold of her petticoat and tugged a ragged length of cotton free. That, at least, was easier to deal with. She made a pad, pressed it to the wound and began to bandage.

The viscount was coming round from his faint, his head restless against the squab.

‘My lord, be still. I cannot get pressure on this if you move.’

‘Hurts like hell.’ He grumbled. ‘Don’t know why I’m so damned dizzy. Hal said getting shot didn’t hurt. Bloody liar.’

‘You are dizzy because you are bleeding. And if it hurts, that serves you right, my lord,’ she retorted, finishing her binding. ‘You really are the most difficult man.’ They passed a row of grand houses, each with a flaring torch set outside. Light flooded in and she saw the naked torso under her hands clearly for a few seconds.

Not the pampered body of an indolent nobleman, she realized. But then, she hadn’t expected it would be. His ribs were strapped with muscle, hard under her palms. There were scars over his ribs, bruises. She frowned, puzzled, then guessed that he boxed, although that did not account for the scars.

Nell shivered, her hands sliding over the muscles, lingering on the scars. Crisp, dark hair tickled her palms. He is magnificent, she thought, suddenly breathless. Then he shifted, the muscle bunching and flexing, and she snatched her hands away, remembering what male strength could do, remembering who this was.

‘Just do as you are told for once and be still, my lord,’ she ordered. Blood was seeping through the linen. Nell put both hands on the bandage and pressed, kneeling up on the seat beside him to apply more force.

‘Marcus,’ he muttered.

‘Who?’

‘Me. My name. You cannot call me my lord every sentence, not when you’ve torn half my clothes off.’

He was teasing her?

‘My lord,’ Nell said with emphasis,’ we are nearly at Albemarle Street. You will kindly have your coachman drive me home the instant you are safely inside.’

‘Oh no, Miss Smith.’ He smiled thinly. Whatever his mood a moment ago, now she could discern no humour whatsoever. ‘You stay with me or John Coachman will take you straight round to Bow Street and lay charges of attempted murder by shooting.’

‘Stay with you? You mean go into the house with you? No! Why are you doing this? Why won’t you believe me?’