He brushed past them all, not trusting anyone. Someone grabbed his shoulder. He jerked away, but instead of pulling him back, the person pushed him forward. Like a shadow, Blackmoor fell into step with him. Matthew didn’t have the breath to ask him what he was doing there, nor the time, but relief coursed through him to see the other man.
Wordlessly, Blackmoor led him to a two-horse carriage waiting near the curb. A footman jumped at once to open the carriage door.
“Hand her to me.” Blackmoor opened his arms to Matthew. “I’ll help you—”
“No.”
“Lincolnshire—”
“I said no, Blackmoor! No one else is touching her.”
Matthew ducked his head and stepped inside, holding Jasmine as a bundle in his arms. He collapsed on the leather seat and arranged her on his lap. Breathing hard, he pressed his brow to the crown of Jasmine’s head.
“What do you need?” Blackmoor asked.
“Send my sisters, her parents, and a physician to my townhouse.”
“I’ll gather Mr. Reeves too. We’ll meet you there.”
Blackmoor gave the address to the driver and closed the door. The carriage jolted forward, its wheels clattering over cobblestone as the coachman pushed the horses on.
Jasmine groaned. “Matthew?”
He choked on his next breath.
“There you are, love.” He kissed her brow and kept his voice soft. “How are you feeling?”
“My head hurts,” she whined. “Where are we…?”
“We’re in a carriage, I’m taking you to my house.”
“I need to go home,” she murmured.
“You’re staying with me.”
“Mama…” Her brows furrowed. “Lost?”
“She’s meeting us there,” he assured her.
“I’m tired…” Her eyelids fluttered closed.
“No, no. Stay awake,” he urged. “Talk to me. Did you eat anything, drink anything?”
“…punch… tasted like dirt…”
Her breathing deepened once more, and she slept. The carriage stopped, and once more, he lifted her in his arms.
Each step to the door of his townhouse was a mountain. He kicked the door as hard as he could, and within moments, Davis opened it. Dressed in his nightclothes, the butler’s brows rose and his mouth opened. Before he could speak, Matthew walked past him. If he stopped now, he would collapse.
“Prepare for company, Davis.”
“Right away, my lord,” Davis responded.
What the butler did next was lost on Matthew, who concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. One final staircase, one more darkened hallway, and finally through the door to the master bedchamber.
White linen dust covers smothered the four-poster bed in the center of the room. Matthew walked the last steps and placed Jasmine on the mattress. Tingling numbness radiated from his shoulders to his fingertips. She shivered and curled into a ball. Matthew placed the bedcovers over her, and a lock of her hair fell over her face.
He tucked it behind her ear—and Jasmine flinched.