Love Finds Lord Davingdale Read Online Free

and carried her to his waiting coach. Placing
her inside, he took off his greatcoat, and wrapped her in it.
    “Rest here for two minutes together while I
see about your carriage and then I shall set you home.” He smiled,
touched her face with a gentle hand, and closed the door.
    Graves and the old driver had managed to get
the landaulet leveraged with two sturdy branches and the three of
them pushed it upright.
    “I am going to drive Miss Cummings back to
the Hall,” Thomas said to Graves. “She is soaked through and has
had a terrible fright. Can you and the old man get this back? Is
anything broken?”
    “Luckily, just the springs and the window,”
Graves said. “Nothing that will deter us.”
    “Very well, I’m off.” Thomas sprinted for his
carriage, jumped on the box, and flicked the reins. The horses took
off with a leap. He prayed Ophelia was not badly hurt. The look on
her face before she nearly fainted worried him. He flicked the
reins again, urging the horses faster and the realization struck –
his left arm had moved. He flexed it. It obeyed.
    He had learned through previous incidents not
to get too far ahead of himself where his damaged limb was
concerned, but he had lifted Ophelia in his arms without dropping
her. Perhaps it was healed at last. Perhaps he would no longer have
to bear the looks of censure from Society. Perhaps Ophelia was his
lucky charm.

Chapter Four
     
     
    Arriving at Cummings Hall, Thomas jumped down
before the horses had even stopped. He ran to the front door and
pulled the bell several times, then went to the carriage and lifted
Ophelia from the seat. Ready to kick open the door to the manor, it
swung wide, and the house woman stood there with her hands on her
hips and a frown on her face. Upon the sight of Ophelia in his
arms, she screamed, “Lady Josephine! Lady Josephine! Come
quickly.”
    “Where is her room?” Thomas asked. “You must
get her out of these wet clothes. The carriage overturned and I
believe she has sustained an injury to her head.”
    “The top of the stairs, first door on the
right.”
    An elderly woman ran from the hall. “Maisie,
what is it?”
    “’Tis Miss Ophelia,” the housekeeper said as
she followed Thomas up the stairs. “There has been an
accident.”
    Thomas reached the room and laid Ophelia
gently on the bed. He took his wet coat off her, and then strode to
the fireplace and fanned the embers. Adding kindling and logs, he
waited until the blaze roared before he turned to the two women who
were undoing buttons and untying bootlaces.
    “I shall acquire the apothecary.” Thomas
raced out of the room, down the stairs, and out into the storm
again.
    Twenty minutes later, Thomas returned with
Mr. Winters. He paced while he waited downstairs. The elderly woman
soon joined him.
    “Forgive me, I am Lady Cummings. You are Mr.
Merrit are you not?”
    “I am. How is she?”
    “Mr. Winters reassures me she is not
concussed, but she has sustained bruising along her shoulder from
the fall. Nothing time will not heal. How can I ever repay your
kindness, Mr. Merrit? What you have done for us today is beyond
words.”
    “Tell me, why was she out in the storm? Is
nothing so important in the village it could not have waited?”
Angry Ophelia had taken such a foolish ride, he realized his
chastisement was unnecessary. “Forgive me, Lady Cummings. I am
overset. It is not every day one must rescue a damsel in distress.”
He smiled meekly.
    “Oh, no, Mr. Merrit. I understand completely.
The poor girl only wanted to pick up her slippers for the ball
tomorrow night. While in town yesterday, the cobbler did not have
any in her size and said he would make them up ready for her today.
Ophelia wanted to try to beat the storm so poor Jackson would not
be wet.” Lady Cummings turned away from him and brought a
handkerchief to her eye. “And now the poor thing will not be able
to attend at all. Jackson said the carriage was in complete
disrepair. Oh, and