Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94964 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
* * *
He would never forgive himself if she had.
* * *
This is all my fault. I have infected her with my curse.
The sting of smelling salts had her gasping, coughing, and waking up with a start. She looked around in confusion. “Where…?”
* * *
“Oh thank heaven.”
* * *
She turned to see Emily looking most relieved to see her and then everything came rushing back. “What…?” she looked down at her hand, gloves ripped from the kitten’s claws, and blinked a few times. “How did I get here?”
* * *
Emily smiled. “His Grace brought you,” she said gently.
* * *
Janice looked up at her in confusion. “His Grace?”
* * *
“Yes. Arthur Weasley, Duke of Hampton. You fell out of a tree apparently, you bumbling clot, and scared us all to death.”
* * *
“Oh…” Janice rubbed her eye, trying to clear the foggy feeling from her mind. “I’m sorry.”
* * *
“Don’t be sorry. Stop climbing trees!” Emily hissed as she checked behind Janice’s head, pressing gently to check for tenderness. Janice hissed as she touched a particular spot.
* * *
“Does that hurt?” Emily said in a rather annoyed voice.
* * *
“Yes,” Janice replied.
* * *
“Good. Serves you right,” Emily said angrily, though she pressed a warm cloth to the skin and held it there gently.
CHAPTER 27
The sawbones, after a cursory examination, declared Janice bruised but not broken. “You’ve already done everything that should be done for her. The only further suggestion I would make is to brew her some willow bark tea every three hours, for the headache. And she should rest aplenty. She will be fine in a few days.” He directed his remarks to Emily although they all stood around listening.
* * *
Arthur lurked at the back, not wanting to intrude and yet needing to know that she was indeed fine.
* * *
After collecting his payment, the surgeon left them. The housekeeper, Mrs. Campbell, went off to brew the willow bark while Emily and Anne sat down in chairs on either side of Janice, who still lay on the day bed. Her father wandered over to Arthur, a smile on his face.
* * *
“Well, that was a bit of excitement this fine Sunday was it not?” he said wryly.
* * *
“Yes.” Arthur still could not take his eyes off Janice. “Lord Benjamin, I hope you can accept my abject apologies.”
* * *
He cocked an eyebrow. “For what?”
* * *
Arthur opened his mouth, then closed it again, at a loss for how to continue. “I…” he stared helplessly at the other man. “Everything I’ve done to your daughter, I didn’t save her today, I-”
* * *
Lord Benjamin put a hand on his arm and looked him in the eye. “My daughter will be fine. And so will you. While the world turns, hope reigns supreme. Do not forget that.”
* * *
Arthur stared at him, not understanding what he was trying to say. The words made no sense to him. Lord Benjamin squeezed his wrist once and then walked away. Arthur watched him go, feeling stupefied. The sound of Janice coughing had him shifting his gaze back to her.
* * *
He took a step closer and then stopped himself. Anne came to stand by his side. “You can approach if you want to. She’s fine now.”
* * *
He shook his head. “No. I think I’ve done enough harm to her. I should go.”
* * *
“Oh, won’t you stay for supper?”
* * *
He continued to stare at Janice. “I cannot. How can I? And why would you want me to?”
* * *
“You are our friend,” Anne seemed surprised that he had to ask.
* * *
He shook his head. “I am not. I have wronged your family. How can you so easily forgive that?”
* * *
“I do not think anyone could blame you as much as you blame yourself. Has the self-flagellation healed your pain? I would say it has not. Sit with us for an evening and forget.”
* * *
“No.” He tore away from her and headed for the door. Then he stopped, turning to look at Anne with bleak eyes. “Tell her I’m sorry.”
* * *
Anne shook her head. “You can tell her yourself.”
* * *
With a sound of despair and long strides, Arthur crossed the parlor, opened the door, and ran out of the room. He felt quite strongly that he had done enough.
Janice watched Arthur escape without so much as a word to her and felt her heart drop. If not for the fact that he’d looked anguished, she might have thought he could not stand to be in the same room as her. Emily had regaled her with the story of her rescue as she knew it. She’d shown Janice Arthur’s torn shirt that was used to fashion a traveling bed for her. She held the strips of cloth close, at a loss of how to explain it.