“Mama, I find that I am in need of fresh air. I will continue my letter writing at a later stage.”
Her mother tilted her head and regarded her with narrowed eyes.
“Now, you wouldn’t be trying to intrude upon your sister’s time with her beau?”
She shook her head quickly. “Oh no. I just need some air, that is all.”
She crossed her hands behind her back, hoping that her mother didn’t pick up on her lie.
“Very well, go and have your air.”
Selina all but ran out of the room, anxious to get to her sister before she made a move that she couldn’t take back. All sorts of terrible thoughts went through her mind as she ran towards the area where she had last seen them. She was surprised to see Thomas walking towards her, his face alight with a beatific smile. He didn’t seem to see her as he neared her.
“Thomas, are you leaving?”
He abruptly stopped. “Oh, hello Miss Seymour. I did not see you there.”
He insisted on using her more formal title, despite giving him the use of her first name.
“I noticed,” she mumbled to herself. She raised her voice a little higher. “Do you know where my Ophelia is?”
At the mention of her sister’s name, his grin only grew wider.
“She wanted to sit and admire the flowers for a bit. I’m sure that her beauty far out-shadows that of the flowers.”
Selina could have rolled her eyes, but she restrained herself.
“Thank you, Thomas. Will we be seeing you tomorrow?”
His face fell. “Unfortunately not. Sir Russell has asked that I do something for him. But I will return as soon as I can. I do not wish to spend longer than a day without seeing Ophelia.”
This man was clearly besotted with her sister, as Ophelia was with him. As it should be, but this is entirely too much.
“Thank you. I’ll let you be on your way.”
Thomas gave a short bow. “Good day, Miss Seymour.”
He took off, his walk full of confidence. Likely from knowing that the object of his desire returned his affections. I wonder how Alex must feel? It didn’t take her long to find her sister, having had an idea of where she could be. Ophelia was a predictable person who liked routine. Her sister had her chin in her hands, her face alight with the same beatific smile that she had seen just a moment ago.
“You look happy, Phee.”
Her sister started, shaking her head as if to clear her mind.
“Oh, Selina. I did not see you there. Did you say something?”
Selina nodded. “I commented on how happy you look.”
“Oh, I am,” she said with a smile. “I most certainly am. Thomas is such a wonderful person, and I am so thankful that he chose to court me.”
Selina needed to ask if Ophelia had initiated any physical touches, but she didn’t know how to word it without blushing herself. Perhaps a walk will help me.
“Would you care to accompany me for a walk? I find that I need to stretch my legs after having pretended to write letters for the past hour.”
Ophelia giggled. “I’m sure that Mama knew that you were just pretending. Not much gets past her.”
Her sister was right. Their mother had the eyes of a hawk, and she was pretty sure that she had another pair of eyes at the back of her head.
“Will you come?”
“Of course. But not too far, mind you. I want to look through my day dresses and find the perfect one before Thomas comes again. I might get my light-blue dress slightly altered at the sleeves.”
“But Thomas will not be coming tomorrow, Phee. Didn’t he tell you?”
“Of course he did, but that does not mean that I cannot be prepared! I feel that I could marry this man, Selina. I just want him to see that I take pride in how I look–that is important in a married woman, I think.”
Selina hoped that wasn’t the only important thing in a marriage.
“Very well. We will just walk and see where it leads us. Agreed?”
“I have no problem with that.”
They linked arms together and took off towards the woods, drawing their shawls close together as the sudden wind moulded their dresses to their bodies.
“Do you really wish to walk in this cold?” Ophelia asked, her teeth chattering.
“If you walk faster you will get warm.”
Ophelia was not one for exercise. She grimaced.
“No thank you, I shall brave the cold for you.”
They had walked some ways before Selina finally plucked up the courage to speak about her concerns.
“Phee, you and Thomas haven’t, uh, been a bit inappropriate since your courtship?”
Her sister immediately blushed. “No, of course not. Not through a lack of trying, though.”
Selina glanced sharply at her sister. “What do you mean by that?”
Ophelia’s face turned a darker shade of pink. “Thomas is always so proper and respectful–you needn’t worry about that. But I have requested a kiss from him.”
“And?”
“And nothing. Thomas refused me. He said that our first kiss should be once we are married. Isn’t he the most perfect of men, Selina? He defends my honour, even when I wish to tarnish it. Just a bit, mind you. I am certain that a little kiss will not be a crime, but Thomas is firm about it.”
Thank goodness for Thomas! Imagine they had kissed and a servant had seen them? Selina was justified in coming after her sister.
“Phee, you must never act inappropriately with Thomas, do you understand me?”
Her voice was sterner than she had wanted it to be, but it was masking the mild panic within her.
“Do not fret, Selina. Thomas will not allow that to happen. He is so good and respectable. I am lucky to have gained the attention of such a man.”
Their walk had taken them to the river, and she paused. It had been a while since her last walk to the river. She found herself looking for any signs of Alex, a foolish thing to do, but she could not help it.
“Do you wish to see Sir Russell? I recall you meeting him for the first time somewhere along here.”
Selina remembered that day as though it had only just happened yesterday.
“Yes, but I do not wish to talk about that.”
“I’m sorry, Selina. I know that this is a subject better off left alone.”
Her sister walked closer to the water’s edge and removed her shoe, attempting to wet her foot with the ice-cold water.
“What are you doing, Phee?”
“I just wish to feel the co–”
Ophelia lost her balance and started to fall towards the river.
“Selina!” she screamed, her voice full of terror.
Selina jumped to her sister and tried to pull her back up, but gravity proved to be stronger, and she felt herself falling with her sister. As they hit the water, the only thing on her mind was the fact that they couldn’t swim.
Alex had been taking his customary walk with his horses when he heard the female screams. One sounded terrifyingly familiar. He took off at a speed towards the noise, knowing that his horses would not run off. When he reached the area where the screams were coming from, his heart nearly stopped.
“Selina!” he yelled before shedding his jacket and diving into the frigid water.
She must have heard him because she started screaming for him.
“Alex! Please! My sister–we can’t swim.”
Her head went underwater, but he managed to get to her and pulled her up. She came up with a splutter, looking wildly around.
“Where’s my sister? Phee? Phee! Oh Lord, please save my sister. Alex, please, please find her. Please.”
“I have to get you to the bank, Selina.”
“No!” she screamed. “Leave me and look for my sister.”
The terror in her voice was so intense that he fought to stop the panic that wanted to overtake him. He pushed her to a spot where a root stuck out of the ground.
“Grab this
and pull yourself out. I’ll look for your sister.”
She did so, her hands slipping the first time around before she got a firm grip of the root. He let go and pushed away.
“Please find her, Alex. Oh, please find her.”
“I will do everything in my power to find her, Selina.”
He turned away and scanned the waters first, hoping that there would be a sign of the young woman. He spotted a blonde head bob to the surface before going under again, her hands thrashing about. She’s still alive, thank goodness. He swam towards her, his strokes strong and sure.
Alex got to the area where he had noticed her and went underwater. He couldn’t see a thing in the murky waters, but he stretched his arms out in the hopes that he might find her. It took only a few seconds to find her. He grabbed hold of her and kicked upwards, breaking the surface of the water with a splash. The woman was limp in his arms, and that worried him. He concentrated on getting her to dry land, not even entertaining the thought that Ophelia had stopped breathing. Just get to land. When he reached the bank, Selina was right there to help him pull her sister out of the water.
“Phee! Oh Phee!” she cried. “Why isn’t she responding, Alex? What is wrong with her?”
Alex hoisted himself out of the water and immediately set to trying to resuscitate the woman. One, two, three, four, blow. He repeated this three times, conscious of the fact that Selina kneeled next to him, her tears flowing down her face. To his relief, Ophelia coughed. He immediately lifted her head, letting her cough out the water that had entered her lungs.
“Phee? Can you hear me? Are you okay?”
Selina took her sister’s hand and vigorously rubbed it, going up her arm as she did so.
“Give her some room to breathe, Selina.”
She immediately backed off, but not too far, she was still in reaching distance.
“Selina?” her sister croaked.
Alex had to get out of the way quickly because Selina suddenly lunged in front of him and snatched her sister to her chest, hugging and kissing her wherever she could reach.
“Oh, Phee! I’m so happy that you’re okay. I nearly died when you wouldn’t respond. How are you feeling? Are you okay?”
“So cold,” she said, her teeth chattering.
“Let me get my jacket for her, and then we can get to the house. My horses are not far off from here.”
He soon returned with the jacket and draped it over the shivering girl. Alex took off on a jog to fetch his horses, bringing them back moments later. By then Selina had been able to stand her sister up, hugging her close as she rubbed some warmth into her body. She was not in the least concerned about herself.
“Come, let me help you both onto the horses. The sooner we get you dry, the better.”
He helped a shivering Ophelia onto the first horse, Selina having to help her put her foot in the stirrup because it kept on slipping off. Propriety called for a side saddle, but he was afraid that she might fall off. The young woman was quite weak.
“She will have to sit with one leg on either side of the horse, or she will fall.”
“Yes, yes. Whatever is best for her.”
Alex stepped back and let Selina adjust her sister on the horse, only stepping in when she asked. Ophelia leaned forward, resting her head on the horse’s mane. There would be no space for Selina on the horse; she would have to sit with him. Selina seemed to realise the predicament because she blushed and looked down.
“I will walk beside my sister, t-to make sure that she doesn’t fall.”
“That may take too long. Your sister needs to get warm now or risk pneumonia.”
Her head shot up, her eyes fearful at the thought of her sister falling prey to such a serious sickness.
“Very well. But let us hasten, for the cold is only making the situation worse.”
She walked to his horse and got up herself, sitting side saddle. Selina looked straight ahead as he jumped on behind her, her cheeks a warm pink.
“I will have to put my arms around you to hold the reins.”
“Yes,” she said, her voice strained. “If you must.”
He did so, taking care not to unnecessarily touch her. He did not wish to make her uncomfortable, but he couldn’t deny that he loved having her so close. Even sopping wet, her hair plastered to her skull and her clothes drenched, she still looked beautiful to him. He manoeuvred them closer to Ophelia’s horse.
“Take the reins, please. You need only to lightly hold it; Tora will take care of the rest. She really is an intelligent beast.”
She did as he asked, stretching the short distance and taking the leather reins into her small hands. Alex urged their horse forward, going at a slow pace to accommodate Ophelia’s slumped form over the other horse. They rode in silence, but there was so much that he wanted to say.
“Do you think that she’ll be okay?” she said.
“You Seymour ladies are a stubborn bunch. I am certain that she will be up and about in no time.”
Alex sounded positive, but he had his doubts. Time would only tell if Ophelia would fully recover from this.
Selina wanted to run down the stairs and open the door for Alex, but that would raise eyebrows. It was a day since the incident by the river, and Ophelia was confined to her bed. She had been standing by Ophelia’s bedroom window when she saw him ride upon the very same horse she had shared with him just the previous day.
“Selina?” Ophelia called from the bed.
She ran over, kneeling beside the bed and grasping her sister’s weak hand.
“Yes, Phee? Is there something that you need?”
“Water, please.”
Selina quickly poured her sister some water from the jug and helped her to sit up so that she may better drink the beverage. Ophelia took little sips, pausing between each swallow. She stopped and pushed the glass away.
“No more, thank you.”
She gently laid her sister back on the bed, setting the glass on the side table. Ophelia started to cough, a painful sound that came from her chest. Selina brought the water back, but Ophelia shook her head.
“No thank you. It’s just a cough. I’ll be okay in a second.”
Ophelia struggled to sit up, smiling weakly when Selina helped her.
“You’re my nurse, Selina, and you’ve been so good to me. I was such a fool to try and put my foot in that water! I will never do that again, not in my lifetime.”
“Well, thank goodness for that. I do not think that I would have handled another scare like that.”
“It was good that Alex had been in the area.”
A Charming Lady for the Intriguing Baronet: A Historical Regency Romance Book Page 20