Page 14 of The Mistletoe Duke
Not that she’d ever been Philip’s in the first place. They’d gone riding together, true, and had a great deal of pleasant, and even witty, conversations. She’d spent an entire afternoon with him going over the finer points of her journal organization system, which he had to admit was impressively thorough yet deceptively simple.
He’d thought that, perhaps, they might be at the beginning of a tentative friendship. But now he realized her warmth toward him was simply her nature. She was kind to everyone.
And now she was gazing up at Christopher with an intensity she’d never shown to Philip. He forced himself to look elsewhere and found Aunt Agatha watching him, a knowing expression on her face.
What was his aunt conniving about, anyway? He was striding toward her when a commotion on the dance floor made him turn. The room was bright. Brighter than it should be.
“Fire!” Christopher yelled. “Everyone out!”
There was a panicked rush for the doors. Philip scooped up Aunt Agatha, then spotted Miss Abigail flailing in the crush and drew her against him.
“There’s another stairway,” he said, steering his charges around the crowd to the smaller stairwell.
In a matter of moments, they were outside, and quickly joined by the frightened participants of the abruptly ended Christmas Cotillion.
“Mama!” Lady Abigail cried, waving wildly.
Lady Fortnum pressed through the throng to join them and embraced her daughter. Then she looked over at Philip and asked, “Where is Catherine?”
Where indeed? A spike of dread went through him.
“I’ll find her,” he said, searching for his brother’s form in the crowd.
It didn’t take long to locate Christopher. Anger pulsed through Philip when he realized his brother stood alone.
“Where is she?” he asked, grabbing Christopher by the collar. “Where is Catherine?”
His brother’s expression shifted from confused to guilty to afraid in a mere instant. “I…she…” He waved toward the burning windows of the Assembly Rooms.
“You left herinside?” The words came out a growl. Philip didn’t wait for Christopher’s response, but sprinted for the stairs, his pulse racing.
Fear for Catherine alternated with sheer rage against his brother as he pushed his way past the stragglers fleeing the Assembly Rooms. Near the top of the stairs the air grew thick with roiling black smoke. The last of the guests dashed past him. None of them were Catherine Randall.
Pulling a kerchief from his pocket, he held it over his nose and mouth and hurried into the rooms.
“Catherine!” he called, his voice muffled by the cloth. “Miss Randall!”
No answer.
Panic roared through him. He pushed forward, coughing, his eyes stinging. She and Christopher had been standing near the far wall…
A sheen of gold caught his eye. An instant later he was on his knees beside the prone figure of Miss Catherine Randall. She lay on the oaken floor, one arm outstretched as though she’d been crawling toward the door. His chest squeezed tight with despair.
“Catherine.” He bent, pressing his face next to hers. “Breathe. Please.”
For a horrible moment she lay perfectly still, and his heart shattered within him.
Then she inhaled raggedly, and he gasped with relief. Then he doubled over, coughing, as flames crawled up the flocked wallpaper and began traversing the ceiling.
Holding his breath, he hoisted her into his arms and dashed for the door. His lungs burned and sweat trickled from his temples, but he pressed on. Whether they made it out without collapsing from asphyxiation, or not, he would accept that fate.
Until that moment, he had not understood. But now he knew that his life was worth nothing without Catherine Randall in it. If that meant he must challenge Christopher for her affections, so be it. It was a battle he was prepared to win.
Halfway down the stairs, the smoke cleared enough to gulp some air. He slowed, then inhaled deeply and glanced at the woman he carried. Her eyes were closed, her cheeks and nose smudged with soot. He’d never seen anyone more beautiful in his life.
“Can you hear me?” he said softly. “Catherine, take a breath. You’re safe. I’ve got you.”
She stirred in his arms and choked. Then she began coughing so hard he almost dropped her. He hurriedly sat down upon the stairs, holding her by the shoulders as she gasped and cried and fought her way back to consciousness.
