“This needs cleaning with fresh water at least twice a day and an ointment of honey put on afterwards,” Melissa explained. “It also needs a clean bandage, too, or it shall never heal.”
The woman took in every word, never taking her eyes off Melissa as she spoke, a look of awe on her face. Once Melissa had looked at the wound, she lifted her gaze to the woman’s and offered her a kind smile. “I would be happy to wash and dress it for you myself if you would come to the house.”
“Oh, My Lady, I could never ask such a thing!”
Their conversation was cut short by yelling from down the lane. Melissa turned with all the other women to see what the commotion was.
Almost the instant that she saw one of the farmers hurrying down the lane, his hat waving in his hand, screaming at the top of his voice, she knew something dreadful had to have happened. With all the injuries in the fields she had seen over the years, she was no stranger to the gore and gruesomeness of such things.
“Edgar? What is it?” Anna asked, hurrying past Melissa to meet him as he entered the yard. Melissa followed quickly after her, something in her gut telling her that she would be needed no matter what it was.
The farmer rushed up and stopped before them. The top of his balding head showed as he practically doubled over, his hands on his knees, trying to catch his breath. He waved his wife away with a hand before straightening up and shoving his hat back onto his head.
“There’s been an accident,” he announced as all the wives started to crowd around. Worried muttering started up all around Melissa, and several women looked terrified that it might be their husband who was injured or worse.
“What has happened, Mr. Anders?” Melissa asked, stepping forward to take control of the situation.
“My Lady,” Edgar responded, quickly removing his hat again as though he had only just realised who was standing before him. “A nobleman has fallen from his horse in one of the nearby fields, My Lady.”
Melissa’s stomach clenched.
“Do you know who?” she asked, feeling an odd sense of discomfort in her gut.
The farmer shook his head and continued to pant for breath momentarily before responding, “I didn’t get a chance to ask, My Lady. I left him with a couple of my boys and came running for help. He’s in a bad way, My Lady.”
“Take me to him,” Melissa instructed firmly. It was such a great relief to see the look on the farmer’s face, not at all the look of a man who would deny her request or refuse her offer to help. She greatly appreciated the fondness that the common menfolk and their wives offered her.
“Of course, My Lady. Please, follow me.” Melissa nodded before she turned to Anna and said, “Could you please send someone as quickly as possible up to the house and have Betty bring my bag?”
“Of course, My Lady!” Anna said with a swift curtsey. “I’ll go myself.”
Melissa gave the woman a grateful pat on the shoulder before she turned and began to follow after her husband. Only when she was halfway out of the yard did she remember to call, “Flit!”
After one final chunk of carrot from one of the farmers’ children, the spaniel came barrelling after her. Melissa immediately felt calmer when she had him hurrying at her side and quickened her pace to keep up with Mr Anders.
The farmer led her down the lane, further and further from the hamlet and her own house, and as they changed direction, Melissa felt her anticipation and horror growing. The closer they got to the accident scene, the more she grew concerned that she knew exactly which nobleman had fallen from his horse.
“I’m sorry, My Lady,” Mr Anders apologised as they rushed. “It’s a bit of a trek.”
“Don’t be concerned about that, Mr Anders,” Melissa instructed, holding up the skirts of her gown to stop them from trailing in the mud as he helped her over the stile in the hedge and into the field. Flit squeezed beneath it and hurried ahead as though he knew exactly where they were going. “Just get me to the patient, and the rest we can worry about later.”
Mr Anders dipped his head and continued, following Flit now as though the spaniel did indeed know where he was going. Melissa wasn’t sure whether to be reassured or nervous. Perhaps the dog could smell blood. It was in moments like these that Melissa wished she had the keen senses of an animal. Maybe then she would better know what she was walking into.
As things were, all she could do was hope she had enough knowledge from her husband to get her through whatever the situation threw at her.
“It’s just over this hillock, My Lady,” Mr Anders explained, gesturing to the top of the rise ahead of them.
Melissa only nodded, finding herself too breathless to respond. She had already begun to wonder just how healthy Mr Anders was after having run this far only to run right back again. She was amazed he did not appear close to collapsing himself.
As they approached the top of the rise, Melissa’s view of the other side opened up. A little way down the dirt track made by so many feet over the years, there was a small outcrop of trees—and at the very edge of those trees, sitting just inside their shadow, was a man upon a boulder. Around him were several other men, all dressed in common tattered clothes of brown and beige. A large black stallion was grazing some distance away as though he was entirely unaware of anything happening.
The man, the one sitting perched upon the boulder, was finely dressed. Even though she was some distance away, she could see that plain as day. He stuck out like a sore thumb against the garb of the other men around him, all seeming to keep their distance though there was clear concern upon their faces.
And as Melissa drew closer, she recognised him. Somehow, just seeing his face and knowing he was injured, Melissa flew down the track. She moved so quickly that she might have knocked Mr Anders over if he was not such a big and burly farmer and twice her size.
“I can take it from here, Mr Anders!” she called over her shoulder, and as though he heard her call, Lord Spurnrose looked up from where he had been holding his hand to his head. The other was clutched to his stomach as though he was in great pain, and the moment his gaze locked with hers, she knew without a doubt that he most definitely was.
The men around him hurried to give her space as she approached the boulder and dropped down into a crouch to look more closely at the nobleman.
