Ah, I see. She didn’t have the experience herself, and no lady wants to bring her maid up in polite conversation. “I don’t think being held up and losing your jewels makes for a good conversation,” James said pointedly. “You can see how it would be embarrassing.”
I laughed. “That shows how little you understand young ladies. Embarrassing or not, such a tale would give us something to talk about beyond the latest gossip or fashion or which handsome gentleman we fancy.”
Although, Miss Reynolds only wanted to discuss was gossip and fashion, so perhaps James was right on that point.
“Anyway,” Will said loudly, inserting himself back into the conversation. “We need to find the highwayman before someone else gets hurt.”
“You think we could succeed where Father and all the other men in the county have failed?” James asked with a laugh. There was a note of interest in his tone, though. “How do you plan on doing that?”
“We already know who it could be. Diana just doesn’t want me to prove it.”
“Because it’s ridiculous!” I said quickly. “I refuse to allow you to embarrass yourself or Mr. Richfield.”
James raised his eyebrows, a habit I never realized we all shared until that moment. “I don’t think I have ever seen you look so serious, Diana,” he said in amazement. “You would do everything you could to try stopping Sarah and Will, wouldn’t you?”
“Try?” I repeated. “Oh, brother of mine, I wouldn’t just try. I would stop them.”
Never let it be said I was not confident. When I had a reason for confidence, at least.
I got to my feet. “Sarah and I will be in the foyer at ten o’clock. If you’re not there, we will leave without you.”
Both of my brothers just waved me away. Shaking my head, I left the room and headed up the stairs. An awkward conversation I’d been dreading was finally over, and I was determined not to bring up the subject again.
Instead, I was in anticipation of the day ahead of me, maybe for the wrong reason. Miss Carter had been bragging about her skill at archery, and I could not wait to see the look on her face when Sarah beat her.
RIGHT AT TEN O’CLOCK, I was the only one standing near the front door. Tapping my foot, I checked the clock again and watched the minute hand move slightly. Father walked into the foyer, dressed to ride around the estate. “Waiting for someone?” he asked with a smile.
“Well, I thought we were going to be walking to the Knightons, but I appear to be the only one who intends on going,” I said as I leaned against the wall in an unladylike way. “Are you sure I cannot walk there on my own? It would serve James and Sarah right if I just left them.”
“That is not an option, Diana. I meant it when I said none of my children are allowed to walk on their own. The others will be along soon. You will simply have to wait for them.”
“Is the situation so bad I cannot walk to the neighbors like I used to?”
Father put his hand on my shoulder. “Yes, it is. You’ve heard one of the visiting families was stopped? Fortunately, no one was hurt this time. Each time we search for this man, we find no trace of him. He must have a hiding place nearby, and that makes it all the more dangerous.”
That was what I had been afraid of. “Just so you know, Will has tried to convince James to help him figure this out,” I said in a low voice.
“Yes, I thought that might happen. I will handle it,” Father said, chuckling as he patted my shoulder. He glanced over to the stairs. “Here they are right now. Have a good day.”
When I twisted around, I observed Sarah swiping at James’ head, getting him back for something that had happened upstairs. “What happened to ‘anyone who isn’t here right at ten o’clock will be left behind?’” our older brother asked with a grin.
“Since no one was here, I couldn’t leave,” I said sharply. “We are not allowed to go out alone, James.”
“What? Why?”
I rolled my eyes as Father said, “The highwayman. He has shown he will not hesitate to harm someone. I want you to look after your sisters, James.”
“We have nothing to worry about,” Sarah said, sounding cheerful and more awake. “It’s broad daylight. What could happen?”
Father waved us all out and shut the door behind us. Energetic, the three of us set off on our long walk. We had made this same walk hundreds of times in the past. The only difference between now and then was now we were all taller and older.
Apparently inspired by the news of the highwayman, James spent the walk throwing around ideas on where the highwayman would be hiding in our neighborhood. Sarah just laughed at him, egging him on to more and more ridiculous ideas. I was left to walk behind the two of them, shaking my head at their antics.
“I bet he lives under the bridge,” Sarah said as we reached the creek that bordered the edge of the Knightons’ property. She led the way onto the stone bridge.
“Under the bridge?” I said derisively. What made her suggest such a thing? We’d crossed it several times in the past week, and as far as I knew, no one gave it a moment’s thought. “Where it is wet and cold? That would be a horrible place to hide, Sarah.”
James, though, came to a stop and considered the bridge we were standing on. “No, she may have a point. Has Father said anything about checking under the bridges? It would the perfect place to hide. If anyone were riding over, the highwayman wouldn’t be seen. Hold on a moment. Let me see if anyone has been under there. We could suggest it t Father when we get back.”
“You’re not serious, are you?” Sarah asked in disbelief. “I was just joking.”
Grinning, James darted to the end of the bridge and scrambled down the bank. “It won’t take long. Just a few minutes. I will be right back.”
“You cannot be serious!” I said, impatient to be on our way. “James, don’t you think Father or Mr. Sandwood would have already checked there? It is the most obvious place to hide!”
With that, he vanished underneath the bridge. A moment later, he reappeared on the other side and hurried into the trees. Sarah crossed her arms. “James, we have to keep going,” she said, leaning against the side of the bridge. “I don’t want to be late for the competition!”
It did not come as a surprise James didn’t have an answer for her as he disappeared among the trees growing along the stream. “We may as well keep going,” I said. “I don’t think he’s going to listen to us for awhile.”
“How is that supposed to work?” Sarah asked, frustrated. “None of us are supposed to be alone out here. If we keep walking, we’re going to be the ones in trouble with Father.”
“Hey, I found some footprints!” James’ excited proclamation reached us from the trees.
“Did you really?” Sarah rushed to the side. She lifted her skirt up and hurried off the bridge. “James, wait a moment! I want to see!”
Breathing out, I walked to the side and leaned against the railing in time to get one last glimpse of Sarah’s blue dress before she too vanished among the trees. I had no desire to get my feet muddy and stayed where I was. “We should tell Father,” I said, raising my voice so they would hear me. Neither answered me, and I groaned, knowing I couldn’t stay where I was by myself.
Stepping carefully, I kept my eyes on the ground as I tried to follow in the direction my siblings had gone. As I did so, I spotted something glittering in the sunlight. “Hey, what is this?” I wondered, bending down to pick it up. I frowned at it, holding the small piece of gold in my hand. It was oddly familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. “Where have I seen this before?”
There was a noise behind me, and I started to turn. Something smashed against my head, and I felt myself falling. Then, everything went black.
“DIANA! DIANA!”
“Miss Forester? Diana, can you hear me?”
My head was pounding. Someone kept patting my cheeks, and a hand was holding mine. A blade of grass tickled my ear. Why was I on the ground? There was a hairpin poking into my head, not helping
my headache in the least.
“Diana, wake up.”
That voice sounded like James,’ and I forced my eyes open just to make sure. I had to blink several times because everything was blurry. Once my vision cleared, I had to squint in the bright sunlight that shone through the branches and leaves. My older brother leaned over Sarah’s head. On my other side was Mr. Richfield, who was holding my hand.
“Oh, Diana,” Sarah said in relief. She brushed at her face. Were those tears I saw? “I didn’t think you were going to wake up.”
“W-what happened?” It took so much energy to speak, and it made my head pound even harder. I closed my eyes again, hoping they would all just leave me alone.
“No, don’t go back asleep,” Mr. Richfield said. He sounded so worried. “You need to stay awake, Miss Forester.”
Odd. I could have sworn just a moment ago he had used my Christian name. Whatever had happened must have been serious. I felt like as though I had forgotten something important and I struggled to remember it as I lifted my free hand to my head.
“I don’t feel so well.”
There was a slight laugh. “I would imagine not,” Mr. Richfield said. “It looks as though you took quite a blow to the head. We need to get you home and send for a physician. Open your eyes for me, and your sister and I will help you sit up.”
He asked so nicely, and I didn’t want to disappoint him. “Fine,” I managed to say, making my eyes open again. The sun was still bright, and I flinched in pain.
“Do you remember what happened?” James asked as Sarah and Mr. Richfield sat me up. Everything spun for a moment, and I felt sick to my stomach. “Diana, we found you unconscious on the ground. Did you see who attacked you?”
I decided to ignore him as I fought to keep from losing my last meal in an unladylike way. Feeling dizzy, I had to close my eyes again and hoped Mr. Richfield would forgive me for it. I curled the fingers of my right hand, feeling like something was missing I had been holding. What was it?
“I will take Diana on my horse and get her to your home faster,” Mr. Richfield said. “Will you two find your way?”
“We will be fine,” James said sharply, sounding highly offended. He sounded funny when he was upset. “We will be right behind you, sir. I’ll carry her to your horse.”
Oh, no. I did not trust my brother to carry me. The last time he had done that he had complained about was how much I weighed. “I can walk.” I had no desire to let them decide what happened to me. “Just help me up. Please.”
“Are you sure?” Mr. Richfield asked as Sarah protested.
Not feeling up to repeating myself, I forced my eyes open and nodded. Doing so made my head spin and I vowed not to do it again in the foreseeable future. Mr. Richfield nodded to James, and my brother replaced Sarah at my side. With Mr. Richfield on one side and James on the other, I managed to get to my feet. I wobbled as I tried to get my balance under control.
“Come on,” Mr. Richfield said, putting his arm around my waist. “I’ll help you.”
Leaning against him as I walked to where his horse stood, I felt safe as he guided me. Sarah, for some reason, tried to straighten my bonnet as Mr. Richfield mounted ahead of me. My bonnet rubbed against an incredibly sore spot on my head. “Sarah, don’t. Please.”
“I’m just trying to make you look less like you’ve been dragged through the mud,” Sarah said impatiently.
Right, because having my bonnet on straight would make everything better. I was too tired to argue with her James lifted me up in front of Mr. Richfield. “We won’t be far behind,” my brother said as Mr. Richfield’s arms came around me.
“Just relax,” Mr. Richfield said to me as he kicked his mount into action. “I’ve got you.
Sighing, I closed my eyes and leaned my head against his chest. I would worry about whatever had happened later. And hopefully, I would remember what I had lost too.
Chapter Thirteen
I’m reasonably sure Mr. Richfield kept up a steady stream of conversation. The sound of his voice was comforting even though I was just far too tired to listen with any degree of attentiveness. The movement of the horse made my head pound more, and my stomach wasn’t feeling well either. I couldn’t even distract myself by thinking about what had happened for my head ached something terrible.
Who had attacked me? Why? What threat could I be?
I may have drifted off because the next thing I knew he shouted at someone. “Get Mr. Forester!”
Father. Oh, I was about to be in so much trouble. Not only had I been alone on the bridge, but I was also now on a horse with a man’s arms around me. My reputation was so—wait. Had I been alone on a bridge? Why had I done that? I wasn’t supposed to have been, so that didn’t make any sense. What had happened? Why couldn’t I remember anything?
“Diana!” Mother. Just hearing her voice made feel more at ease. She would take care of me, and everything would be just fine.
At the same time, though, I didn’t want to worry her. I opened my eyes and forced a sort-of-smile. “Mother,” I said, holding out my hand. She hurried toward us from the carriage; we must have just caught her before she left.
“Mr. Richfield, what happened?” Mother asked, reaching us. “Diana, are you well? Where are Sarah and James?”
“They are on their way on foot,” Mr. Richfield said. He then hesitated, possibly trying to decide how much to tell Mother. “Diana was hit on the head.”
Squeezing my hand, Mother frowned. “Hit her head? How?”
“We’re not exactly sure what happened. Miss Forester, do you think you can hold yourself steady while I get down?” Mr. Richfield said, turning his attention back to me. I think I liked it better when he used my Christian name. Managing a brief nod, I entwined my fingers in the horse’s mane to be on the safe side. Doing a rather excellent job of keeping myself upright, I waited until I felt Mr. Richfield’s hands at my waist.
I slid to the ground and immediately stumbled when my ankle tried to twist the wrong way. Quickly, Mr. Richfield swept me off my feet, one arm under my knees and the other supporting my back. “I will carry her in, if that’s agreeable with you, Mrs. Forester,” he said. “She is not steady on her feet at the moment.”
“Yes, of course,” Mother said. “Come this way.”
“I can ride for a physician, or you may wish to send someone,” Mr. Richfield said, striding towards the house. “I know blows to the head can be tricky things.”
“When I see how bad it is, and know what happened, I will know better what to do.”
As she led the way through the house to the bedroom I shared with Sarah, I wondered if Sarah had cleaned her side of the room this morning. I wouldn’t be the only one embarrassed if Mr. Richfield saw Sarah’s undergarments strewn across the floor.
Mother seemed to have the same idea because she walked much faster than Mr. Richfield. I saw her vanish into the bedroom and then come out a moment later. “Bring her in here,” she said. The room was free of any of Sarah’s usual mess when we entered.
Turning sideways to get through the door, Mr. Richfield carried me into the bedroom and set me down on the bed. He immediately stepped back as Mother reached for my bonnet. Remembering the pain when Sarah had tried to straighten it, I winced in anticipation, but Mother was much gentler as she untied the ribbons.
“Tilt your head forward, Diana.” I obeyed Mother’s command, closing my eyes. She unpinned my hair, and I felt some relief. “Where does it hurt?”
“Here,” I said, lifting my hand to the general area. I flinched as she checked the back of my head with her fingers.
“You have quite the lump forming there,” she said, kneeling in front of me. “However, it doesn’t look too bad. I shall send Mary to help you settle in while I see Mr. Richfield out. I will be back.”
I hadn’t realized he was still in the room and I lifted my head. For the first time, I saw the concern on his face. “Thank you,” I said. Somehow, the words felt inadequate, but I cou
ldn’t think of anything else to say.
“It was my pleasure, Miss Forester,” he said, stepping forward. He took my hand and brought it to his lips as he bowed, but froze for a moment. “Not that you were injured. That I was able to help. I return to see how you are feeling tomorrow.”
I managed a smile as Mother shooed him out. I moved to unlace my boots but decided bending over was not a good idea when my head pounded. Instead, I waited for the maid to help me. Thankfully, I only had to wait a few moments.
“Oh, Miss Diana!” Mary, a maid who had worked in our home for as long as I could remember, exclaimed as she bustled into the room. “Let’s get you tucked away. The mistress said you hit your head, and what you need is some rest and a great deal of quiet.”
She kept talking as she unlaced my boots and pulled them off my feet. Apparently peace and quiet did not include her. I couldn’t complain, though, because she helped me undress. In a matter of minutes, she had me in bed, the drapes pulled tightly closed, and the room thankfully dim.
“Thank you, Mary,” Mother said as she came in, interrupting a story about what the cook had planned for dinner. Mary bobbed a curtsy and left the room. Mother took a seat on the edge of the bed. “How do you feel?”
“I have the worst headache imaginable. And I feel like a fool.”
“A fool? Why?”
I shouldn’t have said anything. Now I had to think about the reason. “This is my fault, right? I slipped on something and fell, didn’t I?” That was the only thing that made any sense. Far too often, I tripped over my own feet. But Mother was frowning, so that must not have been what happened. “Mother? What is it?”
“Don’t worry about it, Diana,” Mother said, avoiding my question. She leaned over and kissed my forehead. “I will keep Sarah out of here. You get some rest, and I will check on you later.”
Sleep sounded wonderful. I closed my eyes and pulled the blanket up closer to my chin. Maybe all of this would make sense when I had some rest.
A Chaotic Courtship Page 13