Page 7 of Dared By a Lyon
Ashlyn gasped as the carriage tipped over, skidding off the road. Both she and Alice landed on the floor as mud and debris crashed through the window. They screamed and covered their heads as the vehicle slid down a muddy slope. Ashlyn prayed for the carriage to come to a stop, and then it finally did, hitting a tree with a great thud.
Ashlyn opened her eyes and, slowly and carefully, sat up. She took a deep breath and slowly released it as she tried to get her bearings. The carriage was quite literally on its side, and the door was above them.
Turning, she saw Alice was still hunched over with her hands covering her head. Like Ashlyn, she was splattered with mud, twigs, and other debris. Ashlyn could feel it already caking on her clothing. Reaching out, she gently touched her maid on the shoulder. “Alice, are you all right?” she asked.
Alice groaned, and Ashlyn helped her sit up. “I…I think so. My head hurts a little,” she croaked.
Ashlyn gently wiped her maid’s muddied hair from her face as she looked her over for injuries. “I don’t see any cuts.”
“I don’t feel like anything is broken, Miss Ashlyn.”
“We have to get out of here,” Ashlyn said, looking up at the door. “Alice, can you stand? We’re going to have to climb out.” She pointed to the door above them.
The maid nodded, and they braced themselves as they carefully stood up in the turned-over vehicle. “My poor knees are still banging together.”
Thankfully, the carriage wasn’t very large, and therefore, it wouldn’t be too difficult to get out…at least, Ashlyn hoped that was the case. Glancing around, she spotted her mud-splatteredparasol in the corner of the bench. “This should help us!” Grabbing it, she poked at the door, hopeful that she could get the door to flip back. She did manage to get the heavy door open, but didn’t have the strength to push it all the way. “Alice, I’ll need your help in wedging this open.”
Alice gave a quick nod and positioned herself so that she was standing next to Ashlyn. Grabbing hold of the parasol, they tried several times to open the door all the way, and on the fourth try, they succeeded. Ashlyn breathed a sigh of satisfaction as they managed to prop it open. “We did it! Now we have to climb out. You go first, Alice.”
“Miss Ashlyn—” Alice started.
“No, Alice. Please, you go first,” Ashlyn said.
Alice nodded, and Ashlyn helped boost her as the maid lifted herself out the door. Alice landed with a soft thud and a yelp. The carriage shook a bit, and Ashlyn braced herself, worried it would start sliding again.
“Are you all right?” she called out.
“I’m fine, Miss Ashlyn. I landed on my rump, so no harm done.”
Ashlyn grabbed on to the side of the door and pulled herself up. And with Alice’s help, she slid out, landing on her feet. A second later, the parasol snapped in half, and the door slammed shut behind them, making them both yelp.
“Well, at least it held it open long enough for the two of us to escape,” Ashlyn said, wiping her hands on her dress.
“If not for that parasol, I don’t know what we’d have done,” Alice said.
Ashlyn nodded in agreement. “Remind me to pen a letter to the shop in Connecticut to tell them of our harrowing tale and how the parasol heroically saved us,” she said, with a chuckle.
Alice gave a nervous laugh. “It was your idea, miss. You are, as your father has always described you, very resourceful.”
Ashlyn patted her friend on the shoulder as they made their way around the outside of the carriage to find the driver.
She spotted the two carriage horses, still hitched, together standing on the side of the road near the embankment. “There are the horses, but where is the driver?” she ruminated out loud.
“I see him,” Alice said, pointing to a figure a few yards away, lying face down in a ditch.
When they reached his side, they helped ease him onto his back.
“My goodness! It’s Billy. He’s the son of the driver. Billy Crutchins, what are you doing here?” Alice exclaimed.
“He’s just a boy,” Ashlyn said in an exasperated tone.
Billy groaned and opened his eyes. Ashlyn and Alice helped him sit up.
“How old are you?” Ashlyn said. “And why are you driving our carriage?”
Billy tried to stand and would have fallen if Ashlyn and Alice hadn’t grabbed each other’s arms. Together, they helped the boy stand.
“Fourteen, Miss Elizabeth. I…I was just trying to help. M’da had a bit too much to drink…” he said, wiping his wet sleeve over his mud-streaked face.
