Authors: Wendy Vella
“What has happened?”
“Just a slight fall, Hannah. Nothing to worry about.”
“In this chair please, Ben, and Bridgette, you turn that one around so Phoebe can rest her legs on it,” Hannah quickly instructed. There was a general air of fussing until everyone was happy she was comfortable, and then Woolly was once again dispatched for something to fortify Phoebe when she assured everyone she had no intention of leaving before the battle.
“Where do you hurt, Phoebe?”
“I’m alright, Hannah, don’t fuss.” In fact, her head was throbbing as was her shoulder but she was sure they would settle soon. She was more concerned with the fact that someone had pushed her down the stairs and why. She had felt a hand on her back, hadn’t she?
“Can I do anything for you, Phoebe?” Bridgette’s worried face appeared beside her.
“What you can do for me, my dear, is watch the show and give me reports as I have no wish to miss anything,” Phoebe gave the little girl’s cheek a pat before she hurried back to her seat.
Alex stood beside her, looking pale.
“Christ, Phoebe, what happened?”
She waved his words away. “I was clumsy. Nothing more, Alex. Now, you and Ben go and keep Bridgette company whilst I take a few minutes to steady myself.
I’m so grateful to you both for catching me as I’m sure I would not have made it to the bottom without breaking something.” Possibly her neck, Phoebe thought with a shudder. “I did not see you when I started down, only Lord Wooller.”
“We were coming up to visit with you all and then suddenly you were falling,” Ben said.
“We ran,” Alex took up the story. “As fast as we could up the steps and managed to catch you before you collided with Lord Wooller, otherwise you both would have tumbled down and onto the guests below.”
She saw so much of Finn in them that she was suddenly filled with longing for his big solid body, which was ridiculous as he had never been a comforting presence, to her in the least.
Hannah was standing behind Phoebe, and was now touching her head to see if there were any bumps.
“You’re not a clumsy person, Phoebe. How did you fall?”
“Oooh, Hannah, that hurts!”
“Yes, it is quite a lump but it seems to be the only one. I really think we must get you home.”
“Please, Hannah, let me just sit here for a few minutes and then when Bridgette has seen enough we will leave.”
“You haven’t answered my question, Phoebe.”
“I tripped on my skirts, Hannah.”
“The battle has begun!” Bridgette cried.
“Why don’t I believe you, Phoebe?”
The noise was deafening from below, gun fire and horses neighing accompanied by the shouts of military men as the battle sprang to life.
“You tripped on your skirts?” Hannah added, looking down at the hem of her dress that rose up slightly with a ruffled edging.
Phoebe nodded and then regretted the gesture as it made both her shoulder and head throb. Relieved to see Lord Wooller walk in the door, Phoebe sipped the wine he had brought her and listened as the twins and Bridgette gave her a full commentary of what was taking place below. She even managed a laugh or two.
Phoebe felt sure there would be a tantrum from the youngest Wooller when Hannah would take no more arguments from her and demanded they were to leave at once; however, Bridgette declared she was happy with her evening.
“We shall assist you to the carriage, Phoebe,” Alex said as she regained her feet. She had intended to refuse their offer, yet her head felt light and her shoulder ached; therefore, she allowed them to escort her down the stairs and out into the night air. The Wooller’s trailed behind, with Bridgette chattering as fast as she could about what she had seen this evening.
Phoebe closed her eyes and leaned back on the seat in the carriage as they traveled to Will’s townhouse.
Why had someone pushed her? Who was it?
Was it an accident, how did someone accidentally push you down the stairs?
Livvy fussed when she arrived. Will helped her upstairs followed by Bella. She was soon in her nightdress and in bed, nestled against the wonderful cool sheets and soft pillows.
“How is the pain feeling?”
“Don’t fuss, Livvy. It really is not too bad. Eww, what is it? It smells ghastly.” Phoebe wrinkled her nose as she sniffed the contents of the glass Livvy handed her.
“It will ease the ache in your shoulder and head and help you to sleep.” Livvy pushed it to Phoebe’s mouth.
She drank and gagged.
“What a baby you are, sister,” Bella teased as she placed the now empty mug on the bedside table.
“How is the patient?” Will walked into the room seconds later.
“Shouldn’t you knock when entering a woman’s bedroom?” Phoebe said.
“You’re not a woman, you’re my sister,” he said, waving his hand around as he moved to stand beside Livvy and look down at her.
“Now I want to know how you fell, Phoebe.”
“I tripped on my skirts.” Phoebe looked down at her legs.
She wouldn’t tell them her concerns with Bella in the room. It would horrify her.
“Bella, would you have a cold compress readied for Phoebe’s head?” Will said as if he had read her mind.
“Of course.” Phoebe heard the door close softly behind Bella.
“And now you will tell us the truth please, Phoebe.”
Phoebe looked up as Will spoke. He moved to her side, his hands bracing themselves on the mattress beside her so his eyes drew level. She looked at him and then up at Livvy.
“I think someone pushed me.” She heard Livvy inhale.
“You think?”
“It may have been an accident, Will.”
“How can someone accidentally push you down the stairs?”
She didn’t say anything, just looked at him.
“Alright, we will talk of it no more tonight, Phoebe. Rest now.” Placing a kiss on her head, he soon left and after making sure she had everything she needed, Livvy sat with her until her eyes grew heavy and she drifted off to sleep. Her last thought was of a hand in her back, and the memory of falling down the stairs.
Finn was opening mail in his office when his brothers entered. He looked to Alex first, wondering at the reception he would get. They had not spoken much since their confrontation in the carriage, but there had been a thawing between them over the last day or two.
“This is an invitation to the Earl and Countess of Samson’s house party, brothers. Are we to attend?” Finn waved a piece paper at them as they came forward and dropped into the two chairs he kept across his desk for this purpose.
“I like him, the Earl, and he has a very pretty daughter,” Ben said.
“Wonder if Miss Wooller will attend?” Alex added.
“Miss Wooller?” Finn raised a brow. “Now that is an interesting development, Alexander. Although you do seem to get on well with her when you are together.”
“Not so interesting, Finn. She’s pretty and has a sharp intellect. Why would I not be interested in her?”
“How was The Royal Amphitheatre?” Finn said, deciding not to pursue the matter further as it would only annoy Alex, and they had enough angst between them without adding more fuel.
“A lot more exciting than it should have been,” Ben stated, replacing the invitation on Finn’s desk.
“Did some fool fall off a balcony?” The next piece of mail was from his steward detailing the costs of re-roofing the tenants’ houses before winter. Not overly expensive. Therefore he would send word to get it done immediately.
“You really should have this room redecorated, Finn. It’s depressing.”
Alex was looking around him, his face screwed up as he took in the dark furnishings.
“Yes I wouldn’t want to spend too much time in here,” Ben agreed.
“Which is a perfect reason to keep it as it is,” Finn added.
“We saved Miss Langley last night, Finn. Could have been quite nasty had we not.”
Finn’s head shot up so quick he was sure he’d put his neck out.
“What! Which Miss Langely, Alex?”
“The beautiful one,” Ben took up the story. “Of course not that the other ones are not, it’s just she has-”
“How!” Finn snapped.
“We,” Alex said pointing to Ben and then back to him, “were just walking up the stairs to visit with her and the Wooller family.”
“Long bloody walk that, hardly surprising-”
“Ben!” Finn thundered.
“Sorry, Miss Langley was at the top starting to walk down when we saw her. She was calling to Lord Wooller who was in front of us, and then suddenly she was falling.”
“Christ!” Finn stood upright, the paper falling from his fingers to land on the desk.
“Yes, quite a moment. We ran up the stairs together, rushing past Lord Wooller, and managed to catch her before she’d fallen too far,” Alex added. “Damned near made my heart stop, especially as I’m very fond of Phoebe Langley. We both had to use the railings to brace ourselves and Lord Wooller placed a hand in each of our backs to steady us.”
“Is she unhurt?” His heart was thumping so hard it hurt.
Ben stared at Finn for several seconds before speaking. “Banged her head and shoulder but insisted on watching some of the show as they were with the Wooller’s, and the youngest is just a child, you understand, so she didn’t want to spoil her fun.”
“She was very brave, Finn, especially as she was obviously in pain. But that’s Phoebe for you, always thinking of others. Cracking lady that one,” Alex added.
“She was crying, of course,” Ben shot his brother a look when Finn growled. “Near broke my heart to see those silent tears rolling down her cheeks.”
“You two caught her before she did any serious harm to herself,” Finn said, trying to clarify that point in his head.
Alex nodded. “Thing is though, Finn, I know Phoebe well and I had not thought her clumsy.
Everything inside Finn went cold.
“What are you saying, Alex?”
“Well, I don’t see why anyone would want to but I did wonder at the time if she was pushed, Finn, because it seemed to me as if she was propelled forward.”
“But surely if you are falling, you’re being propelled forward anyway?” Ben queried.
“I suppose, but she seemed to lurch don’t you think?”
Finn came around the desk in three strides and hugged both his brothers hard, surprising them speechless. “Thank you for saving her,” he said, and then he left the room in long angry strides.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Phoebe opened her eyes and sat up slowly. She winced as her fingers touched the back of her head and the knot at the base of her skull. Lifting her arm hurt, but it was just stiff, nothing serious, just bruised and sore like her wrist.
Someone had tried to hurt her last night.
“So you are finally awake. How do you feel?”
Phoebe squinted at her eldest sister as she carried a tray into the room. Placing it on a chair, she then moved to throw open the curtains.
“Like someone threw me out the carriage whilst it was traveling at high speed.” Phoebe tried not to moan as she sat upright. “Must we open the curtains?”
Picking up the tray, Livvy laid it across Phoebe’s legs before she could move. Taking a napkin, she then placed it on Phoebe’s chest.
“You will eat this before you rise.”
“I’d really rather dress and come downstairs, Livvy. There is no need to take breakfast here.”
“Your problem is that you do not like taking orders,” Livvy countered, buttering a piece of toast and holding it out for Phoebe to take. “You need to slow down, sister, and take some time to heal. You seem to always be rushing about organizing your business at the moment.”
“Don’t be silly, Livvy. I’m just not a person who likes to laze about the place,” Phoebe said, avoiding her sister’s eyes as her head filled with thoughts of Finn running after her and catching her in his big arms. She hated him of course, so there was little chance of that and she wondered if last night’s fall had shaken her wits about, to produce such a thought. He was to wed Lady Croxley, after all.
“I don’t remember you having a problem with doing just that whilst we lived in Twoaks,” Livvy countered.
“London is different,” Phoebe said around a mouthful of toast, as if that statement clarified everything and hopefully put an end to further questioning. “And I now have a business to run. Therefore, you will have to get used to it.”