Page 33 of A Rake's Redemption
Alex left Brice negotiating a price for the two mares and rode home before dusk could fully settle in. He was of a divided mind. A part of him wanted to storm into his house, order Inis to come to the library, and demand the truth of her. The other part of his mind advised caution. To hold back, watch and wait. Alex knew it was the better strategy, but patience was not on his short list of virtues.
Turning onto his street, he furrowed his brows at the unfamiliar carriage in the driveway. Alex knew he hadn’t scheduled any business appointments, especially not this late in the day. He didn’t want to be hindered by someone calling on him unexpectedly when he really needed to see Inis, so he rode around to the stable and dismounted, leading the bay inside.
There was no sign of Inis or Jameson. Alex glanced at the stalls to see if any horses were missing, but all were accounted for. A stable boy came out, and Alex handed the reins over. “Do you know where Mr. Jameson is? Or Miss Inis?”
The boy blanched and looked terrified for a moment. Alex wondered if he was glowering at the lad without meaning to. His staff didn’t usually act frightened of him. He smoothed his features and spoke more softly. “Well?”
“They’re…they’re in the big house, my lord.”
Of course they were. If Alex hadn’t been so obsessed about talking to Inis, he would have realized it was dusk, and work in the stables was finished. Jameson was more than likely in the kitchen wheedling some fresh scones from the cook, and Inis was probably in her chamber having a bath. The thought of her sponging soapy water over her naked body stirred his groin. For a fraction of a second, he toyed with the idea of stomping up the stairs, all four flights, and barging into her room unannounced just to see her in the tub. Luckily, his adult brain was still engaged, and he shook his head at his own idiocy.
“Did you happen to see who arrived in the carriage?” he asked.
Again, the boy looked affrighted. “The…physician, I think.”
“The physician? Dr. Baxter?” The hair at Alex’s nape began to rise. “Has someone been hurt?”
The boy’s face paled again, and he swallowed hard. “Miss Inis, my lord. They found her on the floor in her room. They—”
“My God.” Alex didn’t wait for the stable lad to finish. He ran to the house, through the kitchen door, and sprinted up the four flights of stairs. What in the hell had happened? He burst into the room, taking in everything at once. The tub, still full of water. A damp towel and a pair of pantaloons on the floor. Elsie crying in the corner. Mrs. Bradley holding a bowl of water for Dr. Baxter. And a sheet nearly covering all of the small form in the bed.
“What is wrong? What happened?” Alex asked, rushing in.
Elsie wailed louder, and Mrs. Bradley frowned at her. “Cease your blubbering. It’s not good for Inis’s constitution.”
Elsie muffled her sobs in her apron, although Alex could still hear her sniffles. He approached the bed and stopped abruptly. Inis’s face was almost as white as the sheet and her eyes were closed. She was so still, he couldn’t even tell if she was breathing
“What is wrong with her? Is she…” Alex didn’t want to say the word.
“She’s alive,” the doctor said, propping Inis’s bandaged hand on a pillow.
“What the hell happened?” Mrs. Bradley frowned again, but Alex wasn’t about to apologize for his use of vulgar language. At least not right now.
“Perhaps we could step into the hall?” Dr. Baxter asked. “It would be better if Inis continues to rest right now.”
Alex looked at her still form. “Is she unconscious or just asleep?”
“She is drifting between the two,” the doctor answered. “When I arrived, she managed to raise her hand and I saw the small wound. Outside, if you will?”
Alex didn’t want to leave, but since Dr. Baxter had already walked out, he didn’t have much choice. “Stay with her,” he said to Mrs. Bradley as he stepped into the hall and shut the door. He turned again to the doctor. “Tell me exactly what happened.”
“It appears she had a reaction to a spider bite,” the doctor said. “We will have to wait and see if it necrotizes. I cleaned the bite with quinine to keep the swelling and fever down, but a cool washcloth—ice if you have it—needs to be applied every half hour.”
“I will do it myself,” Alex said. “How the deuce did a spider bite her?”
Dr. Baxter shook his head. “From the severity of her reaction and the fact the maid found her on the floor, I would say the spider was in the room.”
By God, the staff would scour her room from floor to ceiling and every crevice and corner as well. Fresh linens, too. Alex started. “Is there any chance the spider might be in the bed?”
“Doubtful,” Dr. Baxter replied. “Inis was found on the floor. It seems she’d had a bath and was getting dressed. The spider might have been in the clothing.”
Alex added the laundry maids to his list. They were going to have to inspect every single item taken off the line before it was brought into the house and then again before anything was taken into Inis’s room.
“I have done all I can do for now,” the doctor said. “If she starts running a fever or if the hand festers, especially if you see the area around the bite turning bluish, call me.”
“I will,” Alex replied. “Evans will see you out.”
“No need for that.” Dr. Baxter smiled.
