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You didn’t know where Thomas could have got to. He rarely left your side during these functions, unless it was absolutely necessary. That’s why it was so strange that after you had returned to rejoin everyone after stepping into the next room for a few moments, your husband was nowhere to be seen. Actually, all of the guests seemed to be gone.
Perhaps you had fainted without realising it, meaning the party was over and everyone had gone home? No, that couldn’t be. Thomas would have come to find you, he never would have left you like that.
Thankfully, one of the household maids enters the room at that moment, because you were starting to worry that the rapture had occurred and you were the only person left. You quickly make your way over to her, and she seems confused that you’re here. “Excuse me, have you seen my husband?” you ask, trying not to sound too frantic.
“You didn’t hear, Mrs. Thorne?” She regards you with an expression of deep concern. “Your husband challenged Mr. Harrington. They’ve gone outside to duel.”
Immediately you felt sick to your stomach. You should have expected something like this to happen. Mr. Harrington, another invited guest to this get-together, had never seen eye to eye with Thomas. For some unknown reason, he seemed to find it amusing to make your husband upset, which you had to admit was not too difficult.
Earlier in the day, Harrington had made some particularly rude comments about you when the both of you were in earshot. You’d had to hold Thomas back and convince him that it was not worth getting into a fight with the man. Harrington definitely needed to be taught some manners, but he was a fool, and you did not really care what he said about you. About half an hour later you had stepped into the next room and now… this.
“Oh dear God!” You rush out of the room, sprinting down the stairs with such speed that it’s a miracle you don’t stumble or trip. As soon as you’re outdoors you can see Thomas and Harrington in the garden, a crowd of guests watching them from an acceptable distance. They’re walking, facing away from each other.
Both men stop pacing and turn. Harrington begins to raise his pistol. Not even thinking of your own safety, you intercede, rushing between them and embracing your husband in your arms. Before he even has time to register your presence, Harrington has already pulled the trigger.
“My love, what are you–”
Thomas’ query is cut short by your scream as the musket ball strikes you in the shoulder blade. A burning pain tears through you and you begin to fall backward, though Thomas keeps you steady and helps you to sit.
“Why are you all simply standing there? Somebody fetch a doctor!” Thomas shouts, his voice cracking as the tears are already beginning to fall. You hear faint murmuring from the crowd, though you’re not sure if that means anyone is doing as Thomas requested. Perhaps it does, since he turns his attention straight back to you. He cups your face gently in his shaking hands, keeping you from looking away from him. “No, no, my darling… wh-what have you done…?”
“I’ve saved your life,” you reply weakly, the pain making it a struggle to speak, though you strive to fight through it. If these were to be your last moments with your husband, you did not wish to waste them. You close your eyes, trying to keep yourself from crying. “He… he was going to shoot you, Thomas. He would have killed you without a second thought. I needed to protect you… if I lost you, I wouldn’t be able to go on…”
“And I will not be able to go on if I lose you!” Thomas rests his forehead against yours, and you can feel his tears falling onto you. “You mean the world to me, Y/N. Without you there is nothing.”
“Can you not see that I feel the same way?” You pause to take a deep breath, the pain was getting worse and it was harder to concentrate. It was good that you were sitting down, as you were becoming awfully dizzy. “I do not care what Harrington says about me, nor anyone else. If every other person on the Earth hated me, I would be perfectly content as long as you still loved me.”
“Your words put my own to shame, my dear…” Thomas says, and he almost sounds proud despite the circumstances. You open your eyes when you feel him softly kiss your forehead.
“Thomas, if I die here, I want you to–”
Thomas cuts you off, something he would never do in any other circumstance. “Please do not worry yourself with such thoughts, angel. The doctor will arrive shortly, and he will care for you. And then we will be able to grow old together as we always said we would.”
You try to smile, and nod at Thomas’ words. “Of course, my love.”
You are vaguely aware of Thomas continuing to speak to you, though you can’t really concentrate on what he is saying. It’s a shame, because you’re sure whatever he’s saying is lovely. But your vision is darkening, and you feel far too tired to keep your eyes open any longer. Your body goes limp, and you fall forward, your chin resting against Thomas’ shoulder.
With your final ounce of strength, you manage to mumble “I love you, Thomas.” You can feel Thomas’ trembling body against yours, and soon, nothing.
*
When you wake, it takes you more than a few moments to realise where you are. In yours and Thomas’ bed, safe and sound at home. You couldn’t believe it, you had thought you were done for as you bled out in Thomas’ arms. Or perhaps this was heaven, taking the form of the place where you shared so many happy memories with your husband.
As you try to sit up, you feel an excruciating pain that forces you to lay back down. This certainly was not heaven then.
“Darling, please don’t trouble yourself!” Suddenly Thomas is at your side, and though you hate to think such things about your husband, you can’t help but notice that he looks awful. “You are still quite fragile. The doctor says you need to continue resting, you musn’t be moving around too much.”
You hold your hand out – the one that wasn’t connected to the shoulder that had been shot – and Thomas kneels down on the floor beside you, taking your hand in his and kissing it gently.
“I am overjoyed that you are awake, my sweet. I have spent all of my hours worrying over you.”
“Yes, I can tell. Have you eaten or slept even once since my injury?”
Your tone was somewhat scolding, but Thomas stared at you with such tender fondness anyway. “You truly are an angel, even after everything you have been through, you are still concerned for me.”
“Thomas, you must take care of yourself.”
“Do not worry, I’ve eaten. My mother would not allow me to leave the table until she had deemed I had eaten an acceptable amount. I felt like a child again.”
You stifle a giggle. That sounded entirely in character for your mother-in-law, who still doted on her only son as much as possible despite the fact he was a grown man. “Well, she was correct to do so. You would have forgone your body’s needs and wasted away at my bedside if she had not.”
Thomas sighs. “You know me too well, my love.”
“And have you slept?”
“Barely. You know it is difficult for me to fall asleep without you beside me, and the doctor insisted that you must be allowed to sleep alone.”
“Well, the doctor isn’t here. Perhaps you should take some rest now.” The bed was big enough to allow two people on it with a decent amount of space between them, though you and Thomas would always sleep curled up in each other’s arms.
“Oh, I am sure that I would not be able to fall asleep now, Y/N. Knowing that you are still with me has revived me more than the world’s longest slumber ever could.”
You smile at him – you felt quite the same, when you awoke you’d been feeling absolutely awful, but seeing Thomas’ face had certainly cheered you up – though after a few moments your expression turned serious. “You will never do anything like that again, will you, Thomas? Put yourself in such danger?”
“I promise you, dearest. But I cannot promise that I will not react at all if I overhear someone saying such awful things about you. Perhaps I can… write him a strongly worded letter.”
You couldn’t help but laugh at that, even if it pained you to do so. “Perhaps you can. Now please, come a bit closer. I think I would like a kiss from my husband.”
“Of course.”