Many thanks to @Charlzke for voting on the last chapter again, it really means a lot!

I can't leave you all in suspense for too long so here it is...

Please vote and comment what you think about it

-----

Worry, anger, concern, fury - we're just a few of the emotions Caleb felt as he tried to stop the flow of blood from Lavinia's head. What had she been doing? Walking alone as it was getting dark down an unusual alleyway. Why had she not had a carriage? If this was Mr Black's doing, leaving her alone to find her own way back, then he was sure to have a dawn appointment.

Finally, her head had stopped bleeding and he was able to lift her into his arms. His house was the closest and he would take her there before sending for the doctor and Charles. Charles would be furious, he never did take well to anything happening to his little sister. He was also an almost qualified doctor, he had been attending medical school at Oxford for the past three years, and he would be able to care for Lavinia well.

Lavinia was extremely light, her head rested against his shoulder as he walked towards his house. Her skin was like ice and he knew she needed to be warm.

Hawkins, his butler, opened the door as Caleb approached the stairs and looked astonished at the sight of the woman lying in his master's arms.

"Call for the doctor and Lord Bradley immediately Hawkins," Caleb instructed."And send up a maid with water and cloths to the parlor. Is the fire still burning?"

"It is m'lord," he replied, snapping out of his reverie. "Of course, m'lord."

Caleb carried Lavinia into the parlor and set her down on the sofa in front of the fire. Propping her head onto a cushion, he examined her face for injuries in the light. The cut on her head from the man wielding the rock was deep and still bleeding. Her lip was split open a little also and her cheek had begun to bruise, no doubt from where one of the men had tried to keep her quiet. Caleb's insides boiled with rage at the thought of any man laying a hand on a woman, especially Lavinia. How could they find that acceptable?

The maid entered with a basin of water and a stack of cloths. She set the basin down, soaked a cloth and began to clean the dried blood around the wound on Lavinia's head. Caleb watched in silence until she was done. When the maid left, Lavinia began to shiver and Caleb, not wanting to leave her to find a blanket, slipped off his coat and laid it over her unconscious body.

The doctor arrived soon after and stitched her head up. Caleb had felt a wave of nausea when the needle had penetrated her porcelain skin but, not willing to leave her alone, he swallowed it down and held her hand. The doctor has then checked her eyes and told him that she would wake up.

"When?" Caleb asked rather impatiently. It had already been over an hour since she was knocked unconscious.

"In her own due time," was the evasive reply.

The doctor left soon after prescribing small doses of laudanum for the pain and all that was left to do was wait.

***

Lavinia's head hurt. That was a bit of an understatement, it throbbed and stung and she couldn't figure out where she was. Keeping her eyes shut she thought back to what had happened. She remembered leaving Judith's house and being unsure about where to go and just following the road. Then she remembered the three drunken men taking her purse and grabbing hold of her. Lavinia panicked at the thought. Where was she? Where had they taken her?

She tried to sit up, pulling a hand towards her head until cold hands held onto her wrist and pushed her back down. She yanked her wrist out of the man's hand and pushed the other off her shoulder, ready to fight him away until...

"Lavinia," he called softly. "You are safe, you're alright."

Opening her eyes she saw the man's green eyes staring back at her, clouded with concern. It was at this point that she broke down and cried, feeling great relief.

She had been alone and frightened, unsure of how to get away, ready to fight but knowing that she wasn't strong enough. Now, seeing Caleb there and realising that she had been covered with his jacket, she knew that she was safe and that she wasn't alone. He would keep her safe and he would help her.

Caleb was alarmed at this burst of emotion from Lavinia but he sat on the sofa next to her and wrapped his arms around her, not minding that she was soaking his shirt with her tears.

Eventually, her sobs reduced and she pulled back from him, embarrassed at her display.

"I am sorry Caleb," she apologised as a blush rose on her cheeks.

"Nothing to apologise for Lavinia, you have every right to cry. Does your head hurt?" he had noticed her wince as she had pulled away.

"Yes, a lot," was her honest reply.

Caleb moved off the sofa into the armchair next to her and allowed her to lie down again. Pouring the prescribed amount of laudanum onto a spoon, he fed her it.

In that moment a loud crash sounded from the entrance hall as Charles bounded through the door.

"Where is she?" was the rude demand as he swung open the parlor door, knocking it into the wall behind it.

"Lavinia?" he asked as he spotted her lying in the sofa. "Are you alright?"

He hurried over to her, ignoring Caleb, and gasped at the blood which has stained red against her pale yellow day dress.

"I'm fine Charles, Caleb was there to help me," she reassured him.

"What happened to her?" Charles rounded on Caleb.

"I'm not entirely sure. I was walking home from your house when I heard her scream. There were three men, one with a broken nose, who were surrounding her and one had knocked her out with a rock from the ground. I threatened them until they left and then I brought her here. The doctor has been, he has stitched up her head and prescribed some laudanum," Caleb recounted as Charles examined Lavinia's head and checked her pulse as he had clearly been taught.

"What were you doing there anyway Lavinia? It was getting late," Caleb asked.

"I had been shopping with Judith and as we walked home she began to get angry with me. When we got to her house she went into her house and I was trying to find my way back home. I couldn't remember where I was going when the men came. They only wanted my purse so I gave them it but then one grabbed me and I panicked and screamed. I don't remember anything after that until I woke up here. I'm sorry Charles, I didn't know what else to do."

"Of course Lavinia," Caleb replied. "You aren't to blame. Rest now, we'll be right here when you awake again."

Lavinia lay back again, closing her eyes and resting her head.

***

"Thank you for everything you've done for her Caleb," Charles said when they had both left Lavinia to rest.

When the note had come from Caleb's house telling Charles that his sister was hurt and that he was needed immediately, all kinds of horrors had run through his mind. Had a carriage run her over? Had Mr Black harmed her in any way? How serious was it? Would she live? Seeing her lying there with nothing more than a stitched up head and a bruise he had felt temporary relief until Lavinia and Caleb had told him what had happened.

"Where are these men now?" he asked Caleb.

"They ran away and left when I came along. Charl-" he began.

"Don't tell me that it's alright. My little sister was robbed, hurt and almost abducted. It is not alright Caleb," he snapped.

"I know, but there is nothing you can do. They are long gone and the police would only hinder Lavinia's recovery. You must simply let her rest and heal."

Charles knew he was right, Lavinia needed rest. How could this have happened? Why hadn't he been there for her? Two days in London and already he had failed as an older brother.

"Don't blame yourself either Charles," Caleb continued as if reading Charles' mind. "You weren't to know and you couldn't have done anything."

"I should have been there for her," Charles' voice broke. "Edward would never have let her walk around alone. I'm just so relieved that you were there, heaven knows what could have happened."

"I'll sit with her, you go home and let her Aunt know that she's alright, she'll be worried." Caleb knew that Charles needed to be moving and that he needed to calm down.

Charles nodded once before leaving to relay the news of Lavinia.

***

Lavinia could her her brother's voice through the door. She felt guilty as she knew he would blame himself for not being there for her but Caleb seemed to be reassuring him and calming him down. She tried to relax and rest but her head continued to throb despite the laudanum.

Getting up, she walked over to the fireplace to look through the mirror above it. Her hair was a mess and a large gash along her hairline indicated where she had been knocked out. The bruise on her cheek was a harsh purple and it stung as she touched it. The door opened and Caleb walked in.

"What are you doing up Lavinia?" he asked concerned to see her on her feet so soon.

"I'm fine Caleb, I just wanted to see it. It feels worse than it looks, I can't sleep."

He walked over, put a hand on her back and held her elbow as he led her back to the sofa to sit down. He pulled the armchair closer and held her hand as she lay back down against the cushions.

"Thank you for finding me," she began. She had so much to be grateful for that she thought it best to work backwards. "I don't want to think about where I would be if it weren't for you."

"It was lucky that I was there," he replied, his face scrunching up in disgust at the thought of her left with those men.

"Thank you also for the dress Caleb, it is spectacular. You have done more than enough to apologise to me and I'm grateful for it. I forgive you already."

Caleb had almost forgotten about the dress. He had been looking forward to see her wearing it and hoped that she liked it. He felt like a fool when he thought back to the way he had acted at her home.

"I'm glad you like it Lavinia. How was your outing with Mr Black this morning?" He asked curiously. He felt the green eyed monster inside as he watched her face light up a little at the mention of that morning.

"It was very pleasant," she said innocently. She had closed her eyes to try and ease the pain in her head a little. "We simply walked around Hyde Park, it was a glorious morning."

"Indeed it was, your brother and I were out briefly this morning."

"Where is Charles?" she asked. He had not reappeared but she hadn't noticed until Caleb had mentioned him.

"He has gone to your Aunt to let her know what has happened. He needs some time to calm down as well."

She nodded but regretted it immediately, pain shot through her head. Caleb tightened his grip on her hand and let her relax some more. After a while he heard her deep, even breathing and Caleb pulled his coat up around her more closely.

-----

Is it weird that I'm falling in love with my own characters?

Let me know what you think, vote and comment!