Page 45 of The Brooding Duke's Fateful Letter
“Your Grace! Fire!” A man servant came running toward them at full speed. They turned toward the servant, and the estate, to see the stables engulfed in flames. They had the entire building in its grasp, the tall flames licking up at the sky.
“Go to the house. Make sure it is safe first,” he said to beloved, before he ran off with the servant, as quickly as his legs would carry him.
If the fire spreads further the house will be burned down before we can get water that far. He willed his aching muscles to propel him forward faster. His chest burned and his breath became more ragged.
My father built those stables, he thought in dismay, as it seemed to take an eternity to get there. He could see servants franticallyrunning with buckets of water from the river. The duke held onto the first bucket he could find and started running back and forth with water. Every time he went for more water, he got more and more stuck in the mud.
On the one turn, when he had gotten water and was on his way to the stables, he tripped and fell in an awkward way. He got up and grabbed his bucket. He faintly registered that his ankle seemed to have twisted. He ignored the pain, fueled by his desire to save what his father had built. So he soldiered on.
Chapter 17
Charlotte froze in place as she watched Henry’s retreating back. The flames he ran toward lit up the evening sky. He had instructed her to go toward the house, making sure it was safe before going in. Old houses like the duke's were still built the old way. Most of the structures were constructed from wood and then built upon that. If one little part of the fire managed to travel to the house, it would be engulfed in minutes.
Charlotte looked from the house to the stables. She could see servants starting to run toward the house to throw water where they could.
Henry will be fine at the stables. I need to take charge of the house! Charlotte thought as she lifted the front of her dress to her waist to allow her better movement. She ran toward the house as quickly as her frantic feet could take her.
“Bring the barrels closer!” Charlotte yelled as she got to the house. “If that fire makes it across the field, it will take the house.”
Three men ran toward the water cart. They pushed and pulled at it with all their might. It did not move. Charlotte went over to them. “Go to the stables and see if the two horses that were housed there made it. If the duke allows it, tell him I require one and rush back. It should be able to pull the cart.” She had to yell over the sounds of people screaming and running around.
“Yes, ma’am,” the man said. before he ran to the stables. Charlotte helped get buckets to the river and started to splash water all along the grass that grew near the house. Every time she would fill a bucket, her arms would become more tired. Her hair stuck to her forehead, and her dress restricted her movements. The fabric had gotten wet at the bottom, and she felt like she was becoming like a lead weight.
Charlotte grabbed at her dress in exasperation and tore the skirt part off. The petticoat she had on underneath provided a lightweight cover that made her smile with relief. Soon, the servant returned, riding one horse and holding the reins of another to the side of him. Charlotte went to the other horse and tried to jump on. She had almost succeeded only to slide back down.
“We do not have the time for this!” Charlotte said in frustration. “Take them both to the cart. Once they are ready, I need someone on the back of the cart to wet this side of the house and then go to assist the duke,” Charlotte told the manservant, who was joined by two others, who ran beside him and the horses to the cart.
The estate used copious amounts of water to ensure all was clean and bright at all times. Several rooms had linens and curtains that were washed weekly. The duke’s clothes as well as the servant’s uniform were washed at the estate. Then there was cooking and bathing and water used for the garden.
The cart had been built to transport large amounts of water to them. Their remote location meant they had few of the modern conveniences of those who lived in the towns. Charlotte watched as the cart came past with both horses pulling the weight.
I wish we had a hand tub for this instead of a few old barrels! Charlotte thought as she, on a whim, ran closer to the cart as it came nearer. She hopped on board and sat down. The uneven terrain made them bounce from one side to the next. Charlotte held on to the side with such force that her knuckles turned white. They made it over the small hill that stood almost as a wall on the property and cut through most of the land. It was faster than going around.
They arrived at the stables where the flames had gotten bigger. “Take them back to the house!” Charlotte yelled over the sound of the horses’ panicked snorts. Their hooves came down with force as they reared up, trying to escape being so close to the flames again.
“It is alright,” Charlotte said to the horses. She stepped closer to them as slowly as she could afford to at the moment. “I will not let you get hurt,” Charlotte said as she put a hand on each of the horses.
Once they had calmed, it was easier to loosen them from the cart. The manservant took the horses to the house as instructed, while Charlotte ran to find Henry.
“Why are you here? It is not safe!” Henry shouted when Charlotte found him.
“I came with more water!” She yelled back. “We can argue this at another time. Currently, we need to get this more under control!”
The duke looked at her for a moment before he went to get the cart closer. “Where are the horses?” He asked, looking back at her.
“They were too afraid. I sent them to the house and asked that they send more people.” Charlotte replied, as the duke handed the bucket he had used to her and went to help with the cart.
Charlotte took the bucket and started to gather water from the river. She ran up and down as quickly as her tired legs could cope with.
After a while, she looked over her shoulder now and then, hoping they had the cart ready. Every time she threw water into the fire, it made a sizzling sound and did not do anything to lessen the blaze. The idea was that they had many wooden barrels on the cart. They held a greater capacity than the buckets by tenfold or more. They would use the same hill to roll the barrels downhill toward the stables.
“The momentum should propel them against the barn where the wood should shatter, releasing the water,” Charlotte yelled her explanation as Henry and several servants pulled the cart closer.
“Are… you sure it is… steep enough ?” Henry yelled back. The strain of pushing the cart interrupted his speech.
“I hope so!” Charlotte replied, still running for water.
“Take it over to the hill and get them to the top. I shall be there shortly!” He said to the servants. They doubled their efforts as Henry started to help Charlotte with a bigger bucket.
