Chapter 26

CHAPTER 26

" J ohn," Olivia rasped. Her throat was as dry as a piece of burnt toast, and as the word left her lips, she felt a dull ache over her right eye.

"Shh…" A soft, feminine voice hushed. "Try not to speak."

"But…but what is wrong with me?"

All her limbs felt stiff, and as she produced more words, the dryness in her voice subsided, but her head felt worse.

"There was an accident," the lady holding her hand explained. "You and your driver were both hurt and…"

"My driver!"

At the mention of the man who had been leading them through the downpour, Olivia struggled to open her eyes. She managed, but even with her eyes wide, she could barely see a thing. Her vision was blurry, and the room in which she laid was lit dimly. She could detect the faint glow of a candle off to the right, and as she concentrated on the matter, she could detect the smell of burning pine logs as they crackled in a nearby fireplace, but she did not notice any additional flickering flames.

"Where is he?"

"The poor man is in the room across the hall."

At that, Olivia focused her full attention on the speaker before her, and she recognized the sweet face that looked down upon her. "Rose? Is it really you? Am I dreaming, or have I made it to Dewsbury Manor?"

"You are at my home," Rose said gently.

"But…but how did I get here?" She struggled to sit up, wishing to look around the room and get a full grasp on her surroundings, but Rose laid a hand on her chest and eased her back to a lying position.

"I will ring for tea," Rose murmured, "and once you have quenched your thirst, I will share with you all that I know."

A restlessness overwhelmed Olivia's soul. She did not want to lie still or sit quietly and wait for a servant to bring her a cup of tea. She wanted to know how she and her driver had made it to Dewsbury Manor, and she longed to speak to her husband, John, as well. She fidgeted while preparing to swat aside Rose's hand and attempt sitting up once more, but as she lifted her arm, her muscles screamed in agony, and she was forced to lower her appendage back to her side.

"I cannot wait," she begged. "Tell me what has happened. Why is my arm in such a sorry state?"

Rose tipped her head sympathetically to the side. "Dearest, you and your driver are both blessed to have survived that accident. I am not sure how much you remember but…"

Hastily, Olivia conveyed all she could recall, detailing the way the driver offered to pull over if she insisted, but he thought it best to persevere as John might have done.

"Hmm…" Rose hummed. "Well, that…"

"But what of my husband?" Olivia grew impatient once more. "Have you sent him word of my arrival? Does he know that I am here and that…"

"As soon as you were carried inside the house, Benedict dispatched a team of riders. One man was sent to fetch a physician. Another was told to gallop toward Frontershire Manor but…"

"But?" Olivia begged to know. Just then, a lady appeared in Olivia's periphery vision. She knew it was a woman because of the soft way she called attention to herself by clearing her throat. But she could not confirm that fact because when she twisted her neck and looked in the direction of the doorway, the movement caused her such a considerable amount of pain that she gave up on the endeavor before seeing it through to completion.

"Here," Rose said, moving one hand to the back of Olivia's neck while holding one of the teacups in the other. "Let us sit you up a bit and ensure you are able to slurp a bit of this tea."

The hot liquid scalded Olivia's lips, and she spluttered as it splashed all over the place.

"Sorry," Rose murmured as she replaced the teacup on the tray and dabbed at Olivia's lower lip and chin with her handkerchief. "I am not much of a caretaker it seems."

"Do not fret over the matter," Olivia whispered, feeling a sense of dizziness float through her thoughts, muddling them. "Just tell me…whatever it is you think I need to know."

She wanted to say more. There were certainly more questions she knew she ought to ask, but Olivia was powerless. She was fatigued, and all her body parts ached, and her head…the pain that had greeted her upon awakening had yet to subside, and when she focused on that particular point, she simply lost track of all other matters.

"Before you mentioned the branch in the middle of the road, I did not know how your accident occurred," Rose said in her soft, sweet voice. "All I do know is that I expected you to arrive before noon, and as the hour approached and the rain proved to be relentless, I told Benedict we should send someone out to look for you."

"But that would be…would be…"

"Imprudent," Rose finished the thought on Olivia's behalf. "I know. As soon as I recommended sending out a search party, my husband pointed out how ordering the servants out into the rain would not only be unkind, but it would be putting them in certain danger as well." She paused then added in that same delicate tone, "We did not know Lord Frontershire was not with you, otherwise I would have told Benedict to…"

"I would not want you to quarrel with your husband for my sake," Olivia breathed. She squeezed one eye shut, attempting to block out the throbbing in her skull. "Do tell me what happened next."

"Well…" Rose lifted the teacup from the tray again and offered Olivia a second sip. This time around, there was no spillage, and as the warm liquid coated Olivia's throat, she felt a tiny bit better. "I despaired and fretted over you for a half hour until Benedict declared he could take no more. He stood, grabbed his overcoat and…"

"Oh!" Olivia gasped. "He did not go out into the rain on his own, did he?"

"You know my husband," Rose said, giving her head a rueful shake. "When he gets something into his mind, he cannot let it go."

"So, Benedict came to find me?"

Rose nodded. "He and his driver loaded themselves into one of the carriages. I am so thankful now that he had the foresight to take the sturdiest coach and recruit the assistance of Mr. Plymouth." She inhaled deeply. "Of course, I cannot tell this part of the story as well as my husband can, but he reported that when the two of them came upon you and your driver, they were horrified. The driver of the second coach and your lady's maid were standing about, looking distressed. The driver was attempting to right the tipped carriage, while your maid was simply wringing her hands. Your driver had broken several bones and been flung from his post and…"

"But he is all right?" Olivia interrupted. "The driver? He shall recover?"

Rose pursed her lips. "I cannot answer that. Once Benedict and Plymouth loaded him into the carriage, he came to, but he was rambling, speaking nonsensically, and neither of them could make much of his incoherent speech." She paused. "He is with the physician now, and a surgeon has been summoned."

"Good God," Olivia muttered under her breath. "The poor man."

"I pray he will be just fine," Rose said. "Benedict seemed to think the break was clean, and when he told the physician as much, the two men agreed that if the surgeon hurried and reset the bone, it might be…"

Olivia's stomach clenched involuntarily. "Enough," she whispered. "I need no more details on that account. All I wish to know is if the man is safe and if he is being treated. My stomach is too weak at the moment to handle much more."

"Yes," Rose said simply. "I suppose it is." Her fine, slender fingers drifted toward Olivia's face, and using a touch that was lighter than the flapping of a bird's wings, Rose carefully wiped aside the tendrils of hair that were sticking to Olivia's forehead.

"But what of my injuries?" Olivia asked after waiting a beat. "What did the physician say about me?"

"Doctor Stuart promised he would come in and sit with you again soon. When you first arrived here, you were not moving or speaking. We were so grateful to see that you were breathing, but because the physician could not ask you questions directly, he had a difficult time making a diagnosis."

"Of course," Olivia agreed. "That only makes sense."

"He could see bruises on your arms and your head was bleeding because there was a gash just over your eyebrow…" Rose lightly tapped the edge of a piece of cloth that Olivia had not realized was covering a wound until it was intimated. She knew the pain was there, but she could not feel the fine piece of fabric.

"But he determined it was best to hold his opinions in reserve until I awakened… if I reawakened." Olivia rasped out those last words, so shaken by the macabre feelings that overtook her that she was barely able to form the syllables.

"Do not talk that way," Rose said imploringly. "You are with me now and I am sure John will be here soon."

"John," Olivia whimpered. "Do send for him, Cousin. Tell him…"

"I have already sent for him, Olivia. Remember? I just told you that…"

A thick fog drifted through Olivia's mind, causing all her thoughts to crowd together. She could not recall what Rose had said five minutes ago, and even though she strained and battled against the onset of fatigue, she found it challenging to continue keeping her eyes open. "Tell John," she persisted. "Tell him that I…Tell him…"

"You may tell him whatever you wish when you rejoin us once more," Rose whispered as she leaned far over Olivia and pressed their cheeks together. "My dearest cousin, do not despair. Rest now. Sleep soundly. And when you open your eyes again, I promise that your husband will be here with us."

Even though Olivia was being pushed toward sleep, images from the last few months drifted across her mind. She clearly saw the moment when John had appeared at the Dowager Countess of Langford's house party, entering the room in his pompous way, drawing the attention of one and all. She remembered the way she felt when his lips first touched her own—how she was simultaneously scandalized but also wanted nothing more than to linger in the moment. And just before she gave over to her exhausted state, Olivia thought of their last argument. She had gone to John's room to make amends, to set things right, and to convince her husband to look upon her in a friendly light. But she had made a mess of things by mentioning his brother, Percy.

If I could take back my words, I would…I certainly would do…

But Olivia could not voice her regrets, nor could she arrange her apologies accordingly. Fatigue overtook her, and she succumbed to its devastating powers.