The Lost Princess ( The Compulsion Bride Series) Book 1 (Unedited)

Chapter 39

The gentlemen arrived just before the break of dawn. It was a slow ride back, Jake's stubbornness would be his own undoing. Joshua knew Jake was inadequate to ride his own horse. His face was white as fresh milk when they stumbled through the front door. The Butler's face went crimson upon witnessing his master's dishevelled state. " My Lord what happened?"

"Just a little scratch, have no fear I'm alright. Please have some warm water and clean cloth delivered to one of the guest room. I don't want Katherine--" The Butler scurried towards the kitchen, while Jake shut his eyes upon hearing Katherine's distressed voice.

"Jake!" Lady Katherine stared at him in shock, her hands flew to cover her gaped mouth. " What happened to you!"

"Nothing to worry about, love" he winced with pain. Joshua stopped climbing the staircase and stare at Jake's face. His eyes were bloodshot red, sweat on his forehead. This was certainly something to worry about.

Katherine lifted her beige colored gown and ran to meet her fiancé. " you're bleeding and you stand there saying it's nothing to worry about!" She turned glaring at Joshua. " this is all your fault! If you had just---" Katherine slammed her mouth shut abruptly from finishing that sentence.

Joshua had more pressing matters to deal with than a distressed lady. Ignoring Katherine, He quickly placed his friend to sit on the stairs before rushing to the kitchen to in form the cook to make some tea and collect some herbs.

"How did you managed to get shot! What if you had died!" She cried, running her fingers through his hair. Kneeling on the stairs she rested his head on her chest. " oh Jake..."

" Katherine calm yourself, I'm fine" He leaned in to her, inhaling her soothing scent of roses and Jasmine. He'd never felt such compassion from a lady before, his mother had died few months after his birth, his father not to far behind. No one had ever cared like this for him before....at least not a woman. He had his friends. Now he had Katherine. She would always be there for him. Joshua came back with his items and took Jake upstairs, walking down the hallway they almost bumped into Edward. Who snatched his hand behind his back. His expression like that of a frighten deer. " Cousin Jake, what are you doing here?" Jake frowned. " I mean....you have been shot!"

" The next person to point out the obvious, is going to get shot!" Jake was whisk into his bedchamber since Katherine already found out about his injury. No need for a guest room. " Now tell me what are you hiding! " he sighed, feeling the comfort of his bed. His body quivered when his shirt was discarded.

" Shouldn't you be sleeping? " Edward glare at Katherine, who ducked her head. She couldn't sleep when Jake wasn't home. She had kept tossing and turning in her bed, wondering if something bad had happened. With a look of concern, she stared at her fiancé lying before her with a hole in arm. What if that bullet had killed him?

"Edward! Tell me what are you hiding and why were you in such a rush!" He knew his young cousin was hiding something, he was shot in the arm not blind. Jake saw the sparkling object in his hands before he snatched it behind his back.

"Fine..." His shoulders slumped. " Just remember it wasn't my fault, I had absolutely nothing to do with it, I didn't encouraged it--"

Jake yelp in pain when the whiskey was poured on his wound. " Joshua a bloody warning would have do!" He glared at his friend, who was busy attending his wound. He closed his eyes and fell back on the pillow. Edward choose that moment to pocket the knife, he was on his way to discard. Truth, he could have left the knife inside the room but wanted an excuse to escape.

" Oh my goodness is that blood!" The gentlemen eyes turned towards Edward, who cursed under his breathe how much he hated Katherine right now.

" Edward? " Joshua's eyebrow rose. " are you hurt? "