Page 48 of A Lyon’s Lesson

“Cecey! No!” His voice cracked as for a split second he thought his worst nightmare had been realized. And his heart gave such a lurch he felt sick. Then he saw her lips part on a gasp and her eyes flutter.

“Cecey! Thank God! Don’t move sweetheart, I’ll get you out of this.”

“Rick?” she said faintly.

“Yes, I’m here. Does anything hurt?”

“Just my head,” she said with a wince.

“Concussion,” muttered Rick. “No broken bones or sprains?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Good. I’m going to lift you down. Just hang onto me, all right?”

“Thank you,” she murmured, as he slid his hands under her legs and back and lifted her carefully out of the carriage. Holding her in his arms he said, “You gave me the fright of my life.” He squeezed her gently. “I thought I’d lost you.”

She smiled wanly at him. “Did you?”

He nodded, but before he could say anything else, Pagette pulled up on Navy and dismounted.

“My lady, are you all right?”

“Yes, thank you Pagette, just a bit of a headache.”

The young man visibly relaxed, and he said, “My lord, I’ll get the wheel back on in a trice, but I might need some assistance to right the body.”

“Yes, of course.” Rick looked down at Cecey and said, “I’m going to put you down on that bank. It might ruin your dress, but you shouldn’t have to sit there for too long. Then I’ll drive you home.”

She smiled wanly again and nodded, wincing slightly.

He trod over to the bank and set her down gently, and she reached up to take her bonnet off. As she pulled it away, he saw a swelling and rapidly developing bruise on her temple and the smear of blood where something sharp had pierced her delicate skin. She touched it gingerly, and her fingers came away wet with blood.

“Ouch!” he winced in sympathy. “You’re going to have a goose egg there. I’ll fetch the doctor to look at it when we get home. Just rest. Pagette and I will fix the curricle.”

Cecey nodded carefully and, finding a handkerchief, dabbed gently at her temple while Rick went to help Pagette.

An hour later the wheel was back on, and Rick was able to lift Cecey back into the carriage and drive her home. She leaned against him the whole way with her eyes closed. Her face was still pale, and he guessed she was feeling ill. Worry spiked his nerves. What if she had concussion? Has she suffered any permanent damage to her head?

He drove slowly and carefully so as not to jolt her, and they reached home at last. He lifted her down from the carriage and carried her into the house. He sent James for the doctor and carried her up to her room, where he set her down gently on the bed.

“Can I be your maid?” he said kneeling at her feet and reaching for her boots. “Or would you rather have Mary?”

She managed a smile and said softly, “You’ll do.”

He removed one boot and then the other. With one foot still in his hands he said, “Cecey, for one terrible moment there, I thought I’d lost you.”

Her lips trembled, and two tears rolled down her cheeks. She swallowed and said, “Well perhaps you understand now how I feel about you taking risks.”

“Yes, I think I do.” He squeezed her foot and reached up to remove her stocking, undoing the garter and rolling the material down her leg.

***

His fingers were gentle, and Cecey relaxed into his touch. For the first time, she felt something in the way he touched her that was more than lust or desire. As if at last she were valuable, precious to him. It made her want to cry, but she held in the tears for fear that they would upset him and make him stop what he was doing.

He removed her stockings, unlaced and helped her off with her gown, petticoats, stays and finally her shift. Then he helped her into a night gown and robe and gently unpinned and brushed out her hair, careful to avoid the bump on her head. He used a damp cloth to wipe away the dried blood gently, and then helped her into bed, just as Mary’s voice said through the door, “My lady, the doctor is here to see you.”

“Come in,” said Cecey, her voice husky from those unshed tears. Rick rose at the doctor’s entrance.