Bewitching the Duke

Colin inhaled deeply and continued up the stairs. Nausea roiled in his belly. This was mad. He was no physician. And neither was she. “Do you think we should call for the doctor?”

She stopped in front of a door. “No, I do not. I’ve seen that man do more harm than good.”

She opened the door to Davie’s room with a smile. “Well, Davie, I hear you’re quite the hero tonight.”

He groaned. “No, Miss Selina. I was just trying to help my baby sister.”

“Like any good hero would,” Colin added.

“Who’s he?” Davie asked.

“If you weren’t already in pain, I’d punch you,” his older sister said. “That’s His Grace.”

Davie’s eyes widened. “Sorry, Yer Grace. I never met you before.”

“Meg, go down and help your mother get Mary to bed,” Selina ordered.

“Yes, ma’am.” The girl ran from the room after a quick curtsy to Colin.

He remained at the foot of the bed as Selina sat down next to Davie. He watched as she examined the boy’s arm and shoulder. Davie’s shoulder looked swollen.

“Davie, were you hanging from the tree before you fell?” Selina asked and then moved to her bag.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Your Grace, I will definitely need your assistance. It looks like Davie didn’t break his arm after all.”

“Then why do you need me?”

“He dislocated his shoulder.” She turned back and looked at him. “I will need you to hold him while I put it back in place.”

“Is it going to hurt?” Davie whispered.

She walked over to the pitcher and poured some water into a glass. She mixed some powder into the water. “I’ll give you a little something to help the pain. Once it’s back in place, you’ll feel so much better. And you will get to wear a sling for a week or two. You shall be able to brag about your heroic deed to all your friends.”

Davie smi

led as he took the glass from her. He scrunched up his face as he sipped it.

Colin walked over to the bed and said, “My nurse always told me it was better to drink the bitter medicine down quickly.”

“Exactly,” Selina remarked. “And then you get a lemon drop.” She waited until Davie had swallowed all the water before handing him the treat.

“Thank you.”

“Are you ready?” she asked Colin.

No. He’d heard tales of how painful this was and he would never be ready to watch an eight-year-old go through it. He looked over at Davie who was starting to yawn. “Yes, I’m ready.”

“I need you to hold him down. Even though I gave him the laudanum he still might fight you.”

Colin nodded and then moved over to hold Davie in place. The door opened behind him and he heard Mrs. Patterson gasp. Selina never took her eyes off Davie. With a deep breath in, she rotated his shoulder until it popped back into place. Davie screamed and Colin held him tight.

He glanced back to see Mrs. Patterson hold a fist to her mouth, tears streamed down her cheeks. “It’s all right now, Davie,” he crooned. “The worst is over.”

He wiped away the tears from the boy’s cheek. “Shh, no one but us will know you cried.”

Davie nodded. “Thank you.”