A sharp rap on the door caused Josephine to jump.

“Come in,” her father called.

Montague rose as the door opened and Lord Allaway entered.

He approached, then stopped beside the couch. “The doctor has arrived.”

“Wylst is alive?” Nicholas asked.

“Thus far.” Lord Allaway’s gaze shifted onto her father. “Forgive me, but the sheriff is also here. You understand, I had to summon him.”

Her father nodded. “Of course.”

Lord Allaway looked at her. “Are you all right, Lady Josephine?”

She nodded. “I am, sir, thank you.

“Wylst is asking to see you.”

Nick barked a laugh. “Nay.”

She rose. “I must see him.”

“Josephine—”

She held up a hand. “I will have my answers. My father can accompany me.”

“I am coming.”

“Nicholas, no.”

“Yes,” her father said. “He has not only a right, but an obligation to be there.”

She wanted to argue, but knew it was fruitless. “As you wish.”

Lord Allaway said, “If you will come with me, I will show you where he is.”

They followed him to a small bedchamber that Josephine estimated to be in the west wing. She recognized Dr. Weir, who had seen to the young Lord Crenshaw yesterday and—she swallowed—Sheriff Boyd.

Doctor Weir paused in setting a glass of water on the nightstand and looked over his shoulder at them.

“Doctor,” her father said.

Dr. Weir nodded. When he straightened, Josephine caught sight of the brooch, her rings, the handkerchief, and Nicholas’ letters sitting on the nightstand with the pouch. In the fray, she’d forgotten about the items. It suddenly seemed strange that she had planned to use them to pay for entrance into a convent.

“How is he?” Nicholas asked.

The doctor gave a small shake of his head. “I have given him laudanum for the pain. There is little more I can do.”

“Can we speak with him?” Sheriff Boyd asked.

“If he wakens. I will take some tea and look in on him when you are finished. If anything happens in the meantime, call for me.”

The sheriff nodded, and he left.

“Lord Wylst has made some serious accusations,” Sheriff Boyd said when the door clicked shut.

“Such as?” Nicholas asked.

“He swears you attacked him while he was speaking with Lady Josephine.”

“I caught him attacking her,” Nicholas replied. “I was defending her.”

Sheriff Boyd shifted his attention to her. “Is that true?”

She nodded. “Yes, and Lord Wylst drew a sword on Lord Grayson first. Nicholas was fighting only with his fists, but he was forced to defend himself with a sword in order to keep Lord Wylst from killing him.”

“Lord Wylst swears you asked to meet him,” the sheriff said.

“Meet him? That is untrue. I happened upon him in the hallway.”

“He would not be the first man you have met in private.”

Josephine gasped. Nicholas took a step toward the sheriff, but her father said, “Hold, Nicholas.” Then said to the sheriff, “What do you mean by this accusation?”

“According to Wylst, two days ago, Lady Josephine was seen slipping away with Lord Beaumond, and Wylst says she met him in the chapel only last night.”

Her father didn’t so much as flick a glance in her direction, but Josephine knew he realized the accusation was true. “Surely it must be clear that Wylst is trying to tarnish my daughter’s reputation in order to stay out of prison.”

“I seriously doubt he will live long enough to go to prison,” Sheriff Boyd said.

“He may not agree.”

The sheriff took two steps to the nightstand and picked up the brooch and rings, then looked at Josephine. “He claims you agreed to run away with him and intended to sell these items.”

Nicholas cast her an odd look. Her heart picked up speed, but she casually nodded to the letters, and said, “Did he account for why I had the letters from Lord Grayson?”

“That is why he said you quarreled.”

“He is obviously lying,” Nicholas said.

“I am sorry, my lord, but you are the last person who would accept that your fiancé would run away with another man.”

“I tell you, I was not planning to run away with him,” Jo insisted.

“Can you explain why you had those personal items with you?” he asked.

“She does not have to explain,” Nick cut in. “It is his word against hers. That is not enough to convict her of lying.”

“You are correct,” Sheriff Boyd said. “But if you believed she was running away with Lord Wylst that would be a good reason for you to attack him.”

“You are free to try and prove that in a court of law.”

The sheriff nodded. “I will be speaking with the magistrate about doing just that.”

Josephine looked from Nick to her father in panic. This couldn’t be happening. “Sir—”

“Josephine?”

Jo jumped at hearing Lord Wylst call her name.

Nicholas was at her side in an instant. “Josephine, you should not be here.”

She shook him off and hurried to the bedside. The baron looked up at her.

“You are dying,” she said.

He laughed, but the laugh turned into a wet cough that made her shudder.

“I am not yet dead,” he rasped.

“I have told my father the truth,” she said.

The baron’s eyes flicked to her father, then came back to rest on her. “I am sorry, Josephine. I know how you once felt about Grayson, but I had to tell the sheriff the truth.” He looked at her father. “I regret you had to find out the truth this way, Montagu. I wanted to come to you, but she insisted we run away—” he coughed again “—and inform you after we were married.”

“How dare you?” Josephine whirled and faced the sheriff. “Sir, there is one very good reason I would never have run away with Lord Wylst to marry him.”

“What is that?”

Nicholas grasped her arm. “Josephine.”

She looked at him. “I will not have you go to prison to protect me.”

“I will not go to prison.”

She returned her attention to the sheriff. “Because Lord Wylst is my uncle.”

Shock registered on Sheriff Boyd’s face.

“What the devil?” Lord Wylst burst out. “Josephine, what do you mean by this?”

She cut her gaze to him. “Your lies are finished, sir.”

“Is this true, Montagu?” the sheriff demanded. “Is Wylst your brother?”

He shook his head. “Not my brother.” Her father looked at the baron. “He is the Duke of Carlisle’s brother.”

The baron’s face mottled in rage and he tried to push upright, but collapsed onto the mattress wheezing.

“What does all this mean?” Sheriff Boyd demanded of her father.

“It means, I am not the man who fathered Josephine. Wylst was blackmailing her to keep the truth secret.”

Josephine started. She hadn’t told her father Lord Wylst had been blackmailing her.

The sheriff stared for a moment at her father, then shifted his attention to the baron. “It seems you are the one who should face charges, Lord Wylst.”

He coughed again, harder this time, and Josephine stared down at him. He was truly dying.

He turned feral eyes on her father. “If I go up on charges, the truth will become public.”

The sheriff’s mouth turned down in distaste. “You will not live long enough to tell anyone.”

Fear widened his eyes. “The doctor, I want to see—”

He coughed again and Josephine shivered at the sight of blood in the corner of his mouth. She turned and Nicholas pulled her into his warmth, then led her from the room.

He kept to the narrow hallway and up a flight of stairs until they came to a small library. Inside the room, he closed the door and pulled her into his arms.

* * *

“Nicholas,” was the only word Nicholas let Josephine speak before covering her mouth with his.

He knew his kiss was savage, but he could no longer halt the tide of emotion that had coursed through him since seeing her struggling with Wylst. He thrust his tongue inside her mouth and devoured her.

Josephine whimpered. Heat flashed through him like a sudden tsunami. Then she was kissing him back with the same violent need and Nick knew he had to stop before it was too late.

He dragged his mouth from hers and buried his face in her hair. “I am so sorry.” His chest tightened. “I didn’t know. All these weeks—”

“Don’t,” she cut in.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and went up on tiptoes as she pulled his mouth back to hers. Her lips touched his and blood thundered through his ears. His cock swelled to what felt like fatal proportions and he feared he truly wouldn’t be able to stop even if she begged him to. She pressed her body against his. It had been madness to duck into this room.

“Jo,” he said against her mouth. “Your mother will be expecting us.”

“Please.” She wrapped her arms around his back. “I need you.”

She sucked his tongue into her mouth. His bollocks drew up in exquisite pain.

The world vanished. Nicholas backed her up against the wall. His bulging cock was crushed against her abdomen and for an instant he thought he would spend himself in his trousers. She arched her breasts. Nicholas yanked one sleeve down her arm. She wore not corset, and one perfect pink bud jutted toward him. His breathing turned harsh.

He took the nipple in his mouth and sucked. Her sharp intake of breath fueled the fire coursing through his veins. Her hands slid down his back and over his buttocks. When she squeezed, pleasure raced through him. He should put a halt to this insanity. Her father might overlook Nicholas making love to her, but this was animal need.

She squeezed his arse again and his cock throbbed. He sucked harder on her nipple. Her fingers dug into him and he could no longer stand the torture. Nicholas straightened and fumbled with the fastening on his trousers, nearly tearing them free. He yanked up her skirt, then lifted her. Josephine threw her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his waist. He fitted his rod between the opening in her drawers and, in in great thrust, entered her. She cried out and fear sliced through him.

“Jo,” he rasped. “Did I—”

“God, Nick, don’t stop. Please.”

One hand braced against the wall, he pulled back then drove inside her again.

“Again,” she begged.

He obeyed, again and again until she cried out, and his own shuddering release followed in blinding pleasure. Breathing heavy, Nicholas hugged her close and managed to stumble to the small couch on the left wall. He collapsed onto the cushion, her small body on top of his. She went limp across his body, and he swore no one would ever again hurt her.