Page 39 of Romancing A Wallflower
Fancy getting caught, she chastised herself as she felt the warmth of colour stealing up her neck.
“Daughter, I have just been speaking with Lords Harlow and Worsley about the man you saw by the lake yesterday.” He put down his fork and spoke softly; a deep frown creased his forehead. “You had not imagined him. Winston and I found fresh footprints in a muddy area at the edge of the lake you described. They could not have been made by your sister or Lord Yarstone, since they were together. These prints were on the smallish side for a man, but they showed the presence of only one person.”
Harlow inclined his head in her direction. “Lady Lilian, please stay close to the house until Max and I look into this.” His voice was very sombre.
She gave an affirmative nod of her head and looked down at her chair. “I will do my best. I have not been about the grounds in the last year,” she said, struggling to keep self-pity from her voice.
Harlow reached over with his left hand and covered hers for a moment. His touch sent familiar butterflies to her stomach.What I would give to be closer to him, to place my head on his chest and run my fingers through his hair.She wanted all of that and much more—so much more that she did not understand.
Lord Worsley looked across the table at Harlow. “We should be on our way, I think.”
Harlow finished with his napkin and stood up. “We may be back late tonight, your lordship.”
“You have a task to perform. Take your time and get it done to the best of your ability,” her father returned.
Lilian knew better than to ask, yet she could not help but wonder what they were doing in Tintagel.
“Are you ready, Cooper? Shall we go to the back portico and play with your ball?” She reached into her pocket and withdrew the blue tethered ball her mother had given her. She showed Cooper, and he jumped on her lap, intent on playing with it. “Please allow us a few minutes to remove from the house.” She took her puppy, and the two of them rode together to the portico.
Cooper loves to play ball, she thought.I wish I had brought the larger one I made. He enjoys shaking it in his teeth until it surrenders, she chuckled, tossing the ball for her dog.
“I smell smoke, Cooper,” she remarked after some minutes of play. She sniffed the air and looked around her, trying to determine what was burning. “The stables! Oh, no!” She rang the bell hanging near her on the portico and frantically wheeled her chair down the path towards the fire. The bricked path her father had made for her sloped slightly down hill, making getting to the stable quicker. Cooper ran ahead of her, barking furiously and repeatedly trying to jump in her lap. He seemed to want her to stop. However, Lilian could only think of her horse, Danby, who would perish in a fire unless released from his stall.
“Barney!” She shouted repeatedly, without response. She wheeled her chair as fast as she could, praying she did not tip, and relieved to see the front of the stable was free of fire. Tears streaming, and calling his name, she manoeuvred her chair towards Danby’s stall. The small dog continued to protest.She would not risk her dog’s life, too.
“Cooper, get help!” She pointed the dog back towards the house. He barked in protest, jumping on her and running towards the door, trying to tell her to come with him, but eventually stopped and ran outside.
Lilian wheeled as fast as she could towards her horse, screaming his name. She could hear fear in his whinny and that of Ginger, her sister’s horse. The stable was already overwarm, and the smell of smoke was almost suffocating. She yelled again for Barney and the grooms, but no one answered. The stable was large and could comfortably hold well over two dozen horses when filled. Danby’s stall was now about twenty feet ahead.Where can everyone be?She pushed the wheels harder, seeing a wall of smoke encroaching from the back of the stable. She had to get to him. The only option was to cut him loose. Reaching the edge of his stall, with no thought for what she was doing, she stood up and leaned against the partition separating Danby's stall from her sister's horse. Her feet dragged unsteadily and after a few steps, she felt too weak to continue. Exhausted and gasping from the smoke, she saw the cane her sister had given her, hanging close enough to reach. She pulled herself closer to the partition and stretched to reach the cane…until, at last, she was able to lift it from the wall. Leaning heavily on it, Lilian pushed herself to walk.Just a few steps, please.
Awkwardly, she struggled along his stall towards the manger. Finally getting close enough, she reached over and freed Danby from his tether. Her horse whinnied louder and began nudging her with his head to climb on him. Gagging from the smoke, she steadied herself and tore off a section of her gown. Soaking it in his bucket of water, she then fashioned it over her nose and mouth.
“Run, Danby!” she ordered, but her horse would not leave.What is wrong with him?The horse grabbed the fabric of her gown in his teeth and backed up, trying to drag her from the stall.I cannot leave Ginger. With every last ounce of strength, she pulled herself up on the cane and inched around the wall that separated them, disengaging the chain across the heel end of the stall and reaching for Ginger’s rope and finally unhooking her headstall. The mare ran towards the open door, but still Danby stayed. Instead, he pushed her with his nose and stamped his hooves.Could he want her to climb on him?Lilian dearly wanted to try, except her strength faltered, and again, she screamed for him to go. Still, he remained. Desperate, she looked for her chair, but it was almost ten feet away. It might as well have been halfway across the sea. The fire had grown too close. Fire licked at the thick ceiling beams and the thick smoke billowed towards them, choking and almost blinding her. Fearing the roof would soon cave in, Lilian dropped to her stomach and crawled towards her chair, encouraged only by the soft nickers of her horse and the continued pushes of his nose.
The pounding of footsteps and Cooper’s barks closed in on Lilian’s fading senses. Then she felt herself being scooped up into warm arms and held tightly against a muscled chest.
“I have you, Lilian. Stay with me! You are safe now. I will never let you go.” Harlow’s voice broke, but she warmed to it.
“Is my daughter still breathing?” It was her father’s ragged voice. She heard other male voices, frantically issuing orders and saying her name. She wanted to answer but could not.
“Yes, thank God. She still breathes.”
“We moved Barney on to the grass beyond the yard and have sent for the doctor.”
Warm teardrops fell on her face, and she fluttered her eyes. “My dog, my horse…?”
“They saved your life, my dearest one. They are safe. Thank God we got to you in time.” Harlow pulled her close against him.
Her nostrils burned from the acrid smoke, yet she could still smell his pleasing scent. His heartbeat thumped powerfully against her ear.
“I am safe,” she muttered hoarsely, and closed her eyes.
Chapter 16
Harlow and Max had gathered necessary supplies for the day and were heading out of the door to collect their horses. Lord Avalon had generously asked Cook to provide some sandwiches, fruits, and cheeses for the three men, while they waited for the operation to take place. Winston opened the door for them, and Lilian’s dog shot through his legs and ran to Harlow, barking madly. The small dog repeatedly jumped up against his leg and then ran a short distance in front of him until the men realized the puppy wanted them to follow. As soon as they were clear of the doorway, Harlow smelled acrid smoke of a fire.
“The stables are on fire!” Max pointed towards a plume of grey-black smoke.
“Get Lord Avalon,” Harlow turned and shouted to Winston before running behind Max down the brick path. The two men hastened after the dog, which had calmed a little and was racing ahead. The back of the stables was burning, the roof ablaze with orange flame and thick smoke, and with no back door to the stables, the black smoke was bellowing forth. Cooper had been alone, and Lilian was nowhere to be seen. In sudden horror, Harlow realized that Lilian was probably in there. Panting more from fear than exertion, they charged into the stable yard and met a young groom who had moved as many horses as possible out into the paddocks.
