Page 39 of One Scandal Too Many
“All right,” she mumbled and closed her eyes again. She sighed and turned over on the settee. Declan studied her for a brief moment and then left the cabin. He had to move the horses as quickly as possible, and he couldn’t afford to stare at her any longer. There would be plenty of time for that later.
Declan went back to retrieve the horses and untied the reins from the branch. He led them back to the cabin and tied them to a post nearby. There was a small shelter over the post that would cover them from some of the rain. He dug into his saddle bag and pulled out a small sack of food he’d brought with him. It was just a chunk of cheese, a loaf of bread, and a small bottle of wine. He had hoped to have a picnic of sorts with Charlotte after the hunt. It appeared he would get his wish, albeit not in the way he had expected.
Once he had the items, he went back inside the cabin. Charlotte was where he’d left her. He searched the cabin and located the tinder box. He put some wood in the hearth and started a fire. The warmth felt good and would help Charlotte as she recovered. He grabbed a blanket and carried it over to the settee and set it down beside her.
Charlotte opened her eyes again and smiled. “You’re back.”
“I promised I would be,” he told her. “Can you tell me what happened?”
“Melisande,” she said. “Snake, scared Kallippos.”
“There was a snake?” he asked. That was a concern. Most snakes were harmless, but he didn’t want to risk that the one snake that had a poisonous bite had struck her. Whatever care he gave her would take a different turn then.
“Mmmhmmm,” she mumbled. Her voice was a little shaky as she spoke. “Bit my boot. Hit my head.” Charlotte lifted her handand rubbed the back of her head as if it would stop whatever ached there.
Declan lifted her skirt and examined her boots. There was a small puncture in the top of her boot. He undid her boot and pulled it free from her foot, and then slowly removed her stocking. He swallowed hard and stared at her ankle. There was a welt there where the snake had managed to break through the leather, but it hadn’t broken through the skin. There wouldn’t be any concern of venom entering her system, though she might be sore. “What kind of snake was it?”
“Adder,” she said. “I think.”
He sighed. Her ankle would need to be wrapped, to help with any swelling. After he was satisfied that she would be all right, he covered her with the quilt. She fell back asleep as he tucked it around her.
The rain had started pounding against the roof. It sounded like a bad storm was brewing and they would be at the cabin for a while. He leaned back against the settee. Now all he could do was wait—for her to wake, and for the storm to ebb. Declan prayed that she would be all right. He couldn’t lose her just when he found her. It was then that he knew for certain. He did love her. At least, he believed it with his entire soul, because the thought of living without her hurt too bloody much.
Chapter Eighteen
Athundering boomjolted Charlotte awake. She held a hand over her rapidly beating heart and reminded herself to breathe. Storms had never been a favorite of hers, and she suspected that would never change. She glanced at her surroundings and frowned. The room was dark with little light to aid in her perusal. There was a fire in the hearth giving off a little light, but for the most part she couldn’t see much.
She tried to sit up, but pain in her ankle made her wince. Where the blazes was she? The settee she was lying upon had seen better days. Charlotte ran her fingers over the surface and found it to be threadbare and lumpy. She narrowed her gaze, once again trying to discern her location. She did not recognize this place, and she definitely did not know how she’d come to be here.
The door opened, and wind blew throughout, making her shiver. She glanced toward the door as she pulled the quilt over her tighter. “Who’s there?” Fear settled into her stomach. First, she didn’t recognize her surroundings, and now a potential stranger walked inside. This seemed to be some sort of cabin, but that was all she could say with any certainty.
“Hello, darling,” Declan said. “You’re awake. That’s good.” He moved over to her and kneeled beside the settee. Water dripped from his hair and coated his clothing. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m...” Charlotte frowned. Her confusion was only growing with each passing moment. “What happened?”
“As far as I can tell, you took a spill from Kallippos and a snake decided to nibble on your boot.” He skimmed his fingers over her cheek. “Now tell me how you’re feeling? Is your ankle paining you?”
She stared down the blanket to her covered feet. Her ankle did pain her a little bit. “It’s not terribly bad. I think I’ll be all right.” Had the snake actually managed to bite her? She couldn’t really recall much. Her head ached a little bit too. Perhaps she had hit it when she’d fallen off of the horse.”
“Good,” he said. “I managed to find some more dry wood in the small shed. We’re going to need it. The storm isn’t showing any signs of letting up.” He stood and went over to the hearth. Once there, he set down the wood he’d been carrying in a basket and then added another log to the fire. He turned back to her. “You have been asleep for a while. It’s already starting to get dark. I’m afraid we are here for the night.”
“The night,” she exclaimed and sat up. “That cannot be right. I can’t be here all night.” She frowned. They had already been in the cabin for hours now. Mrs. Havenwood would not be pleased. Her father would be even less so once he heard of this. She nibbled on her bottom lip. There was nothing for it. She was truly ruined now. “I’ll never be able to go home.” She said the words so quietly she hadn’t even realized she’d said them aloud.
Declan joined her on the settee and ran his hand over her hair. “You don’t need to go home.”
“How could you possibly understand?” she said. “You don’t know my father or what he’s like. I barely committed any transgression. It was a mere hint of a scandal, and I wasn’t even at the center of it, and he exiled me here. His daughter doesn’t create scandals. I have to be above reproach.” She laughed a little hysterically. “Well... there’s no changing this. Too manypeople know I was on the hunt with you, and when we both fail to return...” She blew out a breath. “You’re not a fool.” Charlotte met his gaze. “You know exactly what that means.”
He nodded. “It cannot be helped.” Declan sounded resigned, but she didn’t understand to what. Was this an acceptable casualty to him? Her reputation couldn’t matter to him. Why would it? That loss meant nothing to him. He wasn’t the one directly affected by it. “You were injured. There is a storm.” He shrugged. “I couldn’t leave you out there in it.”
“And what do you propose I do now?” This was... ridiculous. How had her life accumulated to this one moment? Something beyond her control had become her undoing. All the risks she’d taken and never been caught. Fate was laughing at her, and she bloody well deserved it. “I’ve been so careful.”
“I’m sorry, darling,” he said. “I’d change this if I could.”
“Would you?” She lifted a brow. “Why?” Charlotte still didn’t quite comprehend why he bothered with her. Sure, he liked her kisses and he tempted her by breathing, but that didn’t translate into anything truly meaningful. She didn’t know what this man expected from her. Less than a day ago, she wasn’t even certain she cared what he wanted. It had only mattered that she wanted to be near him. That alone had terrified her.
He jolted back as if she’d slapped him. “I never would wish you harm. I thought you understood that much.”
She scrubbed her hands over her face. Perhaps she was being unfair to him. He hadn’t done this to her. Truthfully, no one had. This was just a terrible situation that had no good solution. She couldn’t blame him even if she wanted to. None of this was his fault. He’d helped her and ensured she had a safe place to ride out the storm. There wasn’t anything else she could have asked from him. “I do,” she told him quietly. “I don’t mean to act as if I don’t. It’s just...”
