Page 8 of The Three-Month Duchess
She had never blatantly disobeyed her parents or rebelled against their wishes like this before. She was always too scared of upsetting them, so she quietly kept up a ruse to delay the inevitable, instead of outright stating her desires.
She could never dare to oppose them and in a way, she wondered if it meant she was just as compromised as her mother.
Now that she had run away and left them to deal with the outcome of her actions, she couldn’t help but worry. Arthur would be livid, undoubtedly and Harriet…
Jane wished she could count on her mother to worry about her well-being, but she knew better than to have such hopeful notions.
With her vision hampered by the rain and her distracted mind, Jane failed to notice there was an obstacle in her path. It was not until her horse veered sideways suddenly that she realized something was wrong.
But it was too late.
Jane felt the reins slip from her fingers and she fell of the horse. The abruptness of her fall caught her off guard and she could barely do much as she rolled in the dirt, coming to a stop by atree. For a moment, she lay there, willing her mind to clear from the fear and shock.
When she was certain she had recovered some of her bearings, she sat up, wincing when she noticed there was a cut along the back of her left leg, likely gotten after she had fallen.
Shivering, Jane glanced around, her heart sinking as she realized she was utterly alone and lost. Her lips parted to call for help but she stopped before a single sound got out, suddenly scared that she might attract something other than the help she needed.
“What do I do?” she muttered, glancing around at the cluster of trees.
Just as she had begun to turn away from her left, she saw something move from the corner of her eye. Quickly, she looked back in that direction, surprised to see a figure on horseback riding towards her.
Who could that be, she wondered as the person grew closer, cautiously unable to decide if she should be relieved or scared.
It would seem she had been discovered and well, because the person called out to her,
“You there! Are you all right?”
Jane wondered if he would leave if did not respond, but then she also worried that she might cause her only chance at rescue to leave.
“Can you hear me?” he asked once he was only a few feet away from her.
Slowly, Jane nodded. The horse stomped about in place, but he calmed the horse down with a click of his tongue. There was a moment of silence before he questioned,
“Are you hurt?”
His voice was rough and his tall frame was quite intimidating, doubling the anxiety Jane had carried around all day. Once more, she nodded and the man seemed to regard her thoughtfully. It was unnerving that she could not see his face, yet she lay before him, vulnerable and injured.
“Do I have your permission to examine your wounds?” the stranger asked ad he climbed off his horse in a single fluid movement.
This time, Jane was reluctant to answer him and it seemed as though her hesitation was clear because he told her,
“I merely wish to assess them soon in order to prevent the rise of any infections. For the sake of your health, it would be wise to do what can be done early enough.”
His voice lacked any hint of warmth or patience, as though he was only being formal in an effort to be humane, not kind, and if she refused again, he had no reservations about leaving her to her fate.
Still… it was clear he intended to help, otherwise he would have remained on his horse.
Despite his imposing nature and her weakened state, she felt as though she feared going back to the church rather than the man before her.
“A-All right,” she agreed eventually.
He settled down on his knees next to her and he gestured to her.
“Show me the injury,” he instructed briskly.
Jane sighed and pulled her skirts up, just high enough to provide a clear view of her left leg from the knee below. The gash was still bleeding and suddenly Jane was worried it be even more serious than she had initially thought.
The man reached for her, gently lifting her leg upwards as he leaned forward to study it. The moment his skin came in contact with hers, she could not help but jump slightly, startled by the spark of warmth that came from his touch.
