Total pages in book: 127
Estimated words: 127368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 637(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 425(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127368 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 637(@200wpm)___ 509(@250wpm)___ 425(@300wpm)
I lifted my head to protest. “You can carry her to the bed.”
“I can, but I don’t know if she did harm to herself, darling,” he said tenderly, the same expression on his handsome face, and I really wanted to take time to enjoy it, but I couldn’t. “There’s an ambulance service in the village. They’ll be here in only five minutes more. I promise.”
This mysterious village must be a lot closer than I expected and somewhere tucked away, since I saw hide nor hair of it driving to the house or on my walk on the moor.
“My goodness!” I heard Stevenson exclaim.
Ian rose. “Good. You’re here.”
He moved away.
I squeezed Lou’s hand again because her gaze had grown distant.
She focused on me, and I let out the breath I started to hold. I was terrified she’d seize again.
“Did you hear that? Five minutes,” I told her.
Her fingers tightened around mine so hard, there was pain, and shock, since I didn’t think she had that in her right then.
“You know I love you,” she said, a fierce undercurrent running alongside her feeble tone.
For the second time since I hit that room, my chest caved in.
“Shut up.”
“You do, right?”
Tears stung my eyes.
“Yes, Lou. And you’re going to be fine. Just fine. Four minutes now, okay?”
“Okay, lovey.”
I lay on the floor, held her hand and her gaze.
Ian had not lied.
Within a few minutes, rolling a stretcher with them, the paramedics were there.
The good news about hanging with an up-and-coming earl at the local community hospital while your stepmother was being looked over by doctors, you didn’t have to brush shoulders with the rabble in any old waiting room.
We were in an office. A nice one. Probably the hospital administrator’s or the head of medicine. Likely a doctor if the degrees on the wall were a reliable clue. And we’d been brought coffee and biscuits.
I didn’t touch them.
I stared out the window at the drab parking lot while night descended.
Ian and I had been mostly silent as we followed the ambulance to the hospital, and I remained so as he dealt with things for Lou, and then for me, which ended with us being ushered into this office.
Though, for the whole car ride in his fabulous Jaguar, pure Ian, he held my hand.
The door opened and I whirled to it, only for my shoulders to sag in despair when I saw it wasn’t news forthcoming about Lou. Portia and Daniel walked in, and surprise of surprises, Lady Jane was with them, carrying a large basket covered in a tea towel.
Portia rushed to me. “How is she?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why didn’t you tell me what was going on at the house?” she demanded.
My temper instantly flared. “I don’t know, Portia. I was more concerned with being with Lou after she flailed around on the floor in the throes of a violent seizure. Sorry you weren’t the first thing on my mind.”
She withdrew, mumbling, “No need to get nasty.”
I couldn’t deal with Portia right then.
I looked back out the window.
“Bonnie sent some sandwiches,” I heard Lady Jane say.
“Thanks, Mum,” Ian replied.
“No word yet?” she asked.
He didn’t answer, but I suspected that was because he shook his head.
Daniel inched close. “Do you need anything, Daphne?”
It was a nice thing to ask.
“I’m good, Daniel, thanks,” I answered distractedly.
I heard noises, maybe sandwiches being passed around, people settling, I didn’t much care.
You know I love you.
Why did she say that?
The door opened and I did the whirling again.
It was the doctor this time.
“Miss Ryan, Lord Alcott,” he started, glanced around and saw three women in the room, “I mean, a Daphne Ryan.”
I stepped forward. “Me. I’m here.”
“Mrs. Fernsby-Ryan would like to see you and Lord Alcott.”
I moved forward instantly, snatching my purse off the desk where I’d put it, and about an instant after that, I felt Ian’s strong, guiding hand pressed to the small of my back.
I was a woman who could make my own way, but damn, that hand felt nice right where it was.
“We’ll wait here,” I heard Lady Jane say as we left the room.
Nothing from Daniel or Portia.
Ian kept his hand on my back as the doctor led the way down the hall.
“We’re going to keep Mrs. Fernsby-Ryan with us tonight. We’re not equipped for some things in a hospital this size, but we can keep an eye on her and transport her to a bigger facility far faster if need be.”
This did not do anything to alleviate my dread.
He stopped at a door. “In here.”
I rushed by him.
It was a private room. Lou lay on the bed with oxygen tubes in her nose but that was it. No IV in her arm. No beeping machines. Though, she had one of those things clipped to the tip of one of her fingers.
And her color was good, her affect alert, though understandably she was still a bit wan. She had her robe on still, but now she had a hospital gown on under it. The covers were tucked precisely around her waist.