Lady Elizabeth's Comet Read Online Free Page A

life, for
he groaned and muttered something. I spoke to him, but he had fainted again. It was hard to see
where the wound lay.
    I took the frayed edge of my petticoat and wiped the blood off, exposing several
unpleasant scars and a hideous bruise. At the center of the bruise a small, innocent-looking slit in
the skin--fairly near the ridge of his spine--oozed fresh blood as I dabbed at it. It didn't look like
a gunshot wound, or rather, as I had imagined a gunshot wound to look. It looked like a knife
cut. What could have happened?
    First things first. I placed the cravat-pad over the injury and, wrestling mightily,
contrived to pass a strip of my petticoat beneath Clanross's lower chest. When I had tied this
makeshift bandage in place, I watched for a time. The muslin reddened. Still bleeding but not
rapidly.
    I pulled the waistcoat and jacket back over him. His skin was cold. I took my snug
pelisse off rather grimly and wrapped it round him. He was probably going to die anyway, and I
would perish, too--of an inflammation of the lungs. An east wind cut through the fabric of my
gown like a knife.
    A knife. I rose, rubbing my arms, and began a search of the ground nearby, all the while
telling myself such a thing was impossible. If the wound were a knife cut, either Jean had
stabbed her guardian, which was absurd--she didn't have that strong an aversion to education--or
he had stabbed himself in the middle of the back, which was impossible. My search fruitless, I
squatted miserably beside Clanross and listened to my teeth chatter. Where was Jean? Where
was Sims?
    Clanross stirred. I held my breath, listening, but the movement must have been
involuntary. I touched his cold, sinewy hand. Should I chafe it? It couldn't hurt. I began rubbing.
At least the activity warmed me. His lordship continued unconscious.

Chapter 4
    How long I shivered and hunched beside Clanross I don't know. It seemed forever
before I heard crashing noises from the wood and Jean's voice piping, "He's over here. Do
hurry!" and an answering rumble that turned out to be the man Sims.
    Sims was efficient and matter-of-fact. He had his master bundled in rugs and borne off
up the path on a hurdle by two scared but excited grooms in no time at all.
    "Don't be jolting 'im now, lads. Easy does it."
    I picked up my abandoned pelisse, which was bloodsmeared, and donned it with shaking
fingers.
    "Kind of you, me lady."
    "I couldn't very well let him freeze," I snapped, and trudged along behind Jean and in
front of Sims, red-Indian style. The path was narrow. "I daresay you should set the men to search
for whoever did it, Sims, though I must say it doesn't look like a gunshot wound to me. Jean
heard no shot."
    He gave a short bark of laughter. "'E were shot, right enough, me lady, but you'll not
find the culprits wot did it in England."
    "I don't know what you're talking about." I stumbled over a loose branch.
    He took my elbow efficiently and dropped it as soon as I steadied. "The major was
wounded when we crossed into France, me lady. That's three years gone. Took part of a charge
of cannister in the left side, see. Cut up 'is arm somewhat and bust four ribs. Bits of bone and
brass went sliding on round 'is ribs and come out 'is back. Leastways most of 'em come out.
Some didn't."
    I was silent, reflecting. "Then he's bleeding because one of the metal or bone fragments
is cutting its way out?"
    "That'll be it. Brass more like." He sounded absurdly cheerful. "We reckoned something
of the sort'd 'appen soon. Pain's been bad this fortnight. Got so's 'e couldn't ride at all. Nor sit still
for that matter."
    No wonder the poor man was stiff. I felt my face flame with chagrin, which was part
shame and part resentment. He might have warned us. "Then Lord Clanross was invalided from
the army some time ago?"
    "Same time Boney was sent off to Elba, me lady. Much good that did." Sims fell silent,
then went on, still cheerful, "Well, Sims,' 'e says, 'I got me Chelsea ticket after