“Lord Tattershall,” Arthur was suddenly at their side. “You might want to put my sister down now if you do not wish to grace the scandal sheets tomorrow.”
“She’s shivering.” Lord Tattershall’s words were plain. “How can I put her down now?” Emily looked down to see he was right. In the coldness of the water, her body had begun to shake. Though she wondered if it was as much out of fear of those depths.
“You have no choice,” Arthur said warningly, gesturing around with his head. Lord Tattershall must have seen what Emily saw. Beyond her family’s concerned faces that were all closest to her, others were staring at them, then whispering behind raised hands.
Lord Tattershall cursed under his breath and put Emily down. At once, she felt hands reach out toward her. Grace was there, and Charity, all trying to hold onto her and check she was well.
“Are you hurt?”
“Any injuries, dearest?”
“Did you slip?”
“I am fine,” Emily said hurriedly, trying to answer them as best as she could. Something warm and dry dropped on her shoulders. Looking up, she found Lord Tattershall had taken his jacket off and Julia had placed it on her shoulders.
“We need to keep you warm,” he whispered, with his voice becoming such a deep baritone that Emily could have stepped back and sank into his arms again.
Do not be a fool!
“Let us get her out of here,” Lord Tattershall took control of the situation and led the path through the crowd, with Arthur at his side. Together, the two of them demanded people stepped away, abandoning their curiosity to allow her through. Emily was escorted by her father, feeling the shaking never stopped. The entire walk to the carriage, she noticed Lord Tattershall kept looking back to her, with those dark blue eyes never far from hers for long.
* * *
“I’ve got you,” Aaron whispered as he held tightly to Lady Emily’s arm, towing her into the Dowding’s house. Around them, there was a lot of fussing and hurried activity.
The Earl of Dowding was ordering a man to fetch a physician at once. It didn’t matter how many times Lady Emily said she was fine. Her father was determined to be sure. Lady Dowding was insisting a fire be lit in the warmest room in the house, the library. Meanwhile Lady Bolton and Lady Grace were sent for fresh clothes and blankets. Lord Bolton disappeared off to the kitchens, looking for some warm food.
Aaron tuned all of it out. All that mattered to him was Lady Emily on his arm. He held her hand that rested on his bicep with his other hand, clutching tightly to her, as he escorted her toward the family library. Beneath the shouts and panicked fuss of the others, he whispered to her, so only she could hear him.
“You promise me you are well?” he asked softly.
“I am fine,” she said, revealing the first smile that morning. The sight of it delighted him, loving the way it transformed her features. “All this fuss because of a little water, it seems quite silly, doesn’t it?” she said with a humored tone as they stepped into the library. Behind them, one of the maids hurried forward, acting as both a chaperone and a maid to set up the fire. “Good lord, if I truly were injured, think of the drama that would ensue?”
“You do not like all this fuss over you?” Aaron asked as he led her to the armchair nearest to the fire. He helped her to sit down before he took a footstool and dragged it in front of her, sitting there so he could be close to her. He did not miss the widening of her eyes as he came so close, but he didn’t care. At this moment, all that mattered was the fact she was well and safe.
“Not at all,” she shook her head. “Does it not remind you of the theatre? One character falls over and the rest hurry to right them up, as if their injury is the most tragic thing in the world.”
Aaron laughed. It was startling to him, to laugh at a moment like this, when he had been so worried for her. Yet once again, Lady Emily had this effect, managing to help him see the lighter side of life, even when all seemed bleak. He softened his laughter and leaned toward her, glancing once at the doorway to check none of the family would return just yet.
“You worried me, Lady Emily. If you were so eager for a swim, I am sure we could have found you a better way to do it.”
“Ha! Yes, strangely enough I was not particularly eager to swim today,” she said wryly, grimacing. Yet her humor vanished as she too glanced to the door and then to the maid nearby, checking she wasn’t paying attention.
“You look as if you want to tell me something,” Aaron whispered, resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned toward her.
“I do.” She looked down at her hands that were fidgeting in her lap, then she began to remove her sodden gloves, making it easier for her fingers to dry. “I do not think I can tell anyone else this, but… I think I was pushed into the water.”
“I beg your pardon?” Aaron blinked a few times, certain he had heard her wrong.
“I was pushed.” She looked up, meeting his gaze at last.
“God’s wounds!” He sat even further forward in the stool, in danger of falling off it in the effort to be nearer to her. “Who pushed you?”
“I do not know.” She shook her head. “I cannot even be certain of it. I remember this harsh thrust in my back and then suddenly, I was in the water.”
Aaron covered his mouth for a minute, thinking hard.Could it have been a mistake? Someone accidently pushing her in order to reach the edge of the river to see the boats, perhaps?
“Wait, why only tell me?” he asked. She looked down at her hands again, not quite meeting his gaze. “Lady Emily…” He could not resist. Glad none of the family were there to witness it, he took her hand, placing her fingers safely in his palm. “Why only tell me?”
