Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

“ W hy the devil hasn’t anyone gone up there?” Simon barked at the group of servants who didn’t seem to be helping at all.

Fear coursed through his veins as the Duke neared the old oak. The leaves were full and lush enough to hide the people who had apparently climbed up.

Even though the tree was brimming with life, Simon knew that the age of the tree would count against anyone who dared climb its branches. The wood was dry and old, a certain danger.

The group at the foot of the tree was all gasping with hands over their mouths as the branches of the tree creaked in protest. They seemed to be rooted to the spot as they all gawked on in shock.

As he approached, their faces were pale with fear as they shifted uncomfortably on their feet.

It was one of the other gardeners who gave him an answer. “Your Grace, the branches are too old and dry to take any more weight. Willy tried climbing up after them, but the first branch snapped almost as soon as he touched it. Most of the lower branches were badly damaged in the last storm that hit.”

The man pointed to the base of the tree where an old branch lay beside the ladder.

“Willy barely got away without a scratch, Your Grace,” one of the maids informed him and pointed to the young lad who was bent over double from running.

Simon swore under his breath and looked up when Octavia’s voice called down to him amidst the branches. “I told them not to come up; there isn’t any room up here for anyone else.” Her voice quivered slightly.

A mixture of relief and annoyance filled his body as Simon strained his eyes to look into the branches. “Where are you? I can’t even see you.” He spotted the old gardener clinging to the trunk for dear life but couldn’t seem to see Octavia among the leaves.

“It doesn’t matter where I am; we are perfectly capable of handling this matter.” She suddenly gasped from somewhere between the branches when the tree gave a loud creak.

The wind began to pick up as if from nowhere, adding to the eminent danger at hand.

Ignoring her protests, Simon swung into action and removed his coat, handing it to the nearest maid before climbing the ladder. The metal creaked under his weight as he carefully ascended the rungs, taking his time to calculate each and every step.

“Your Grace, I can see you climbing the ladder; it is not wise to add any more weight to the branches,” Octavia called down to him once again as soon as he reached the top.

Looking down, Simon realized that the ground was farther away from the top of the ladder than he would have liked. It was no wonder they were stuck; he hadn’t even reached the branches yet, and the ground seemed like a million miles below. How anyone had climbed up in the first place was beyond him.

Catching sight of Octavia’s boot standing on one of the branches above his head, Simon called to her, “Are you insane? Climbing up here in those boots like some kind of primate?”

He gawked at the heel of her boot and shook his head.

How did she manage this?

He couldn’t help but feel a little impressed despite the situation at hand.

His words seemed to vex her. “I will have you know that the situation was in hand; I would have been able to save Charlie on my own. It isn’t my fault that you have the need to play the hero!” She suddenly gasped again and moved her boots closer to the trunk when the branch beneath her creaked.

Fearing the worst, Simon called to the servants below. “Gather as much rope from the barn as you can find.”

The servants all scattered like ants, disappearing into the large barn that stood a few feet away from the tree.

It only took Simon a few moments to realize that he’d need to save the old man first if he had any hope of retrieving Octavia safely. The branch that Octavia was perched against was directly connected to the one that held the gardener in place.

“Charlie, do you think you can reach me?” Simon called out to the old man, extending his hand toward him as he leaned forward.

“I don’t think any of us should move; the weight is evenly dispersed on the branches right now!” Octavia chimed in again, her voice drifting off when the wind rustled the leaves.

“I think you should allow me to handle this matter. I hesitate to remind you, but I am not the one who is stuck!” Simon growled back in annoyance and swore under his breath before returning his attention back to the old man. Why was she so insistent upon interfering even when he was trying to save her life?

Charlie shut his eyes and breathed heavily when a gust of wind shook the branches of the tree. His frail hands gripped the trunk as he clung on for dear life.

Seeing that the man was too afraid, Simon made a calculated decision and shifted his weight from the ladder to a nearby branch. The wood creaked beneath his weight, threatening to give way as he reached for a stronger branch above his head and held himself steady. The extra support made it easier to move as he moved along, almost dragging his legs with the support from above.

“Please be careful,” Octavia called to him more gently.

Turning his head to the side, Simon caught sight of Octavia with her body hugging the trunk. Her eyes were filled with fear despite the bravado in her voice. The ribbon from her hair and blown loose, causing the strands of her raven hair to partially cover her face.

Nodding to her, the Duke turned back to the old man and took a deep breath before reaching out again. “Charlie, I am going to need you to slowly make your way toward me. We have to work together with this. Can you do that?”

The old man nodded hesitantly, his hands visibly shaking as he looked at Simon. It seemed like an eternity had passed before Charlie was able to work up the courage and edge his way toward Simon.

The old branches creaked in protest when the Duke gripped his hand and pulled the man to his side. Indicating for the old man to follow suit and grip the branch for support, he nodded up.

Charlie breathed a sigh of relief that was short-lived when Octavia screamed in horror.

Whipping around, Simon realized that the weight shift had placed even more strain on the branch beneath her feet. Her body was as close to the trunk as humanly possible, yet the branch was threatening to give way. Every slight nudge from the wind caused the branch to move closer and closer to the point of breaking.

Acting quickly, he guided Charlie past his body and down the ladder to where Willy was waiting to take him the rest of the way. Looking back up, Simon said a silent prayer and lifted himself to the branches above where Octavia was holding on for dear life.

He perched on a strong section with his legs dangling down before coming up straight. “Octavia, you have to open your eyes and look at me,” he commanded her gently.

Breathing heavily, she did as he said, shutting her eyes quickly again when she caught sight of the ground below.

“Don’t look down; keep your eyes on me,” Simon commanded her a little more firmly. His tone seemed to do the trick as Octavia opened her eyes and glared at him, eliciting a response other than fear.

“There is no need to shout, Your Grace. I am perfectly capable of following instructions.” She cocked her head to the side in a challenge despite the imminent danger.

A thousand retorts filled his mind as Simon blinked back his anger. “I think that now would be the time when you show me how good you are at following instructions.”

Reaching out to him with a shaky hand, she swallowed hard before placing her hand in his.

The Duke could feel how scared she was when her fingers gripped his hand like a vice. “Very good, now I am going to move closer to you, and when I give the word, I want you to hop as quickly as you can into my arms.”

Octavia’s eyes widened in shock when she realized what Simon was suggesting.

“I can’t leap into your arms! This isn’t some romantic novel! What if I fall?” Her voice was higher than ever before.

“Hence my plan of catching you!” he called back angrily, his heart racing when the branch beneath her creaked in protest again. “There isn’t enough time for bickering! Are you going to let me help you or not?” He eyed the branch wearily, praying for extra time before it gave in.

Her screams turned into soft whimpers of fear as tears streamed down her cheeks. The tree itself was swaying despite the girth of the thick trunk.

Taking a deep breath, Simon attempted to speak to her in a more soothing tone. “Octavia, I need you to trust me just this once. I know you don’t trust me as your husband, and we haven’t exactly warmed to one another. If there ever comes a time when you choose to trust me, let it be now.”

He gripped her hand a little tighter with what he hoped was an encouraging squeeze.

She whimpered a few more times before nodding to him and inching forward.

“Right, now I am going to count to three, and then I want you to use all of your strength to jump into my arms. Do you think you can do that?”

Octavia nodded with her eyes shut before looking him in the eyes.

Simon held her gaze and nodded. “One…”

The branch creaked loudly, threatening to snap at any moment.

“Two… Three!” Simon yanked on her arm as hard as he could, pulling her closer with the force of her jump.

Her breath came in sharp bursts as Simon used his body to shield her against the trunk. The loud snap behind him shook the tree, letting them know that the branch had indeed snapped beneath the shift in weight. A series of crashing sounds continued all the way down the tree until a loud thud sounded below them.

Burying his face in her hair, Simon swore silently as he breathed in the scent of her shampoo. “What were you thinking, coming up here?” His arms closed in around her tightly as he held her trembling form close to his chest.

Crying softly, she hid her face in his shoulder and sobbed, the fear of the moment taking over her body.

His lips moved closer to her ear as he soothed her softly. “You’re safe now; there’s no need to cry.” He ran his hands up and down her back while holding her close.

Swallowing hard once again, Octavia looked up and into his eyes. “I was just trying to help.” The intense vulnerability that he saw reflected in her eyes tugged at his heart as he moved a few strands of her hair from her face.

“I know. I’ve got you now.” He breathed heavily, forgetting for a second that they were still both suspended in a tree. He was about to lean in closer when one of the men called to them from below.

“We have enough rope, Your Grace! The fallen branch has knocked out all of the lower branches. We will have to use the ropes to get you both safely to the ground!”

Snapping out of his daze, Simon looked down and noticed the ladder lying on the ground. True to what the man had said, most of the lower branches that he’d used to climb the tree now lay beside the ladder on the ground. It was a miracle that any of them had made it this far without falling.

Octavia began to panic again as her breathing deepened, turning into pants; tears of fear filled her eyes as she searched his face for reassurance.

Placing his hand under her chin, he held her steady. “Did I not catch you like I said I would?” His voice was low and breathy as he eased her body back against the trunk.

Nodding slowly, Octavia licked over her lips and attempted to ease her breathing, her chest rising and falling with every labored breath.

“Now I need you to trust me again. I promise that I won’t let anything happen to you, but in order for this to work, you will need to trust me with your life.”

Octavia gulped, but then nodded.

“Just like that, I am going to need you to keep your eyes focused on me when they lower us to the ground.” His heart slowed and beat more steadily when she placed her arms around his neck and kept her eyes fixed on his.

A long rope attached to a hook flew past their heads, looping over a branch to the left. Reaching out, Simon gripped the rope and pulled it down, placing it around them both. Her body moved with his as if they were one when he secured them both with a tight knot. The branch that held the rope seemed steady enough as the men on the ground pulled and lifted their feet a few inches off of the branch.

Octavia sucked in a sharp breath but kept her eyes fixed on Simon when he held her a little tighter.

“We can do this together,” he reassured her almost breathlessly.

The rope lifted them both a few inches in the air before the men began to lower them slowly to the ground.

His heart raced uncontrollably with the feeling of their bodies suspended in the air.

A sudden jolt made Octavia shudder and shut her eyes before burying her face in his arm.

“Steady men!” Willy called to the others as they dug their boots into the earth before continuing the slow descent.

Simon was grateful for the fact that the estate employed quite a few young men who seemed to be more than capable of the physical work.

“It’s okay, I’ve got you,” Simon whispered against her hair, cradling her head in his hand.

The moment seemed to drag on forever before his boots made contact with the solid earth. He noticed that Octavia’s eyes were still shut when he undid the rope and threw it aside.

“Octavia, you can open your eyes now,” he spoke to her softly, gently prying her head away from his shoulder.

Blinking a few times, she looked around them as if she couldn’t believe that she was safely on the ground. Simon was caught off guard when she flung her arms around his neck and began to sob into his chest.

Pulling her closer, he hugged her tightly, supporting her weight when it seemed as if her legs stopped working.

His heart raced again when rational thinking gave way to the fear that should have been there from the start. So many things could have gone wrong from branches snapping to one of them losing their footing and plummeting to the earth.

“That was quite the rescue,” Bernice spoke softly at his side.

Looking up, Simon noticed his grandmother for the first time since he’d reached the ground.

Her smile was radiant and proud as he recalled the final words she had spoken to him before the ordeal.

…think of how you felt when you heard that she was in danger…

What had she meant with those words? Confusion suddenly gripped his heart when he realized just how scared he had been when he’d heard the news.

He held her tighter against his body before burying his face in her hair. The light scent of lavender filled his senses as he scooped her up and lifted her in his arms.

Bernice held his gaze for a second before instructing the servants to prepare sweet tea for the shock. Walking past him, she stopped for a moment to whisper under her breath, “It is quite remarkable what can be achieved when people learn how to work together.”

It took him a moment to consider his grandmother’s words before Simon brushed it off and continued on.

Heading toward the house, Simon carried Octavia in his arms as if she weighed nothing more than a feather. Her weight against his chest brought even more confusion to his mind as he fought the urge to carry her to his chambers.

Why do I feel as if I need to protect her?

He swallowed hard against a new kind of fear that had never crossed his mind before.

What would he do if he fell in love with her?