The Village Spinster Read Online Free

and fragile, he was tempted to wait until a doctor could attempt the reduction. But that meant a considerable wait, and Aria might regain consciousness in the meantime. Far better to manage it now before the excruciating pain descended upon her.
    Bracing himself, and making sure that her shoulder was firmly lodged against the ground, Kinsford quickly manipulated the shoulder back into position. The sound of the pop, and the agonized groan that was forced from Aria left him somewhat shaken. Kinsford sat back on his haunches, trying to decide what to do next.
    It was more than a mile to the Hall. He could leave Aria and go for a doctor, or go for a cart to bring her home. But the idea of leaving her alone in the field was horrifying to him. She might awaken in terrible pain and not understand what was happening. She might even try to rise and make her way home. The village was closer than Kinsford Hall. He could more easily carry her there and send for a doctor, as well as a cart to take her home. But was it wise to carry her with a possibly broken wrist?
    There really didn’t seem to be much choice. Kinsford stripped off his coat and his cravat, wound the former around the shoulder to hold it in place and bound the wrist with the latter. His sister moaned softly as he lifted her from the ground into his arms, tucking her shoulder tightly against his body. The horses could make their way home or follow him into the village; it was a matter of total indifference to him.
    He was a man of average height and solid, athletic physique. Carrying the girl was not a particular strain for him, but trying not to jostle her complicated matters somewhat. When he lost his hat in picking her up, he left it where it fell. His boots were soon muddy from the damp fields, even though he managed to find a footbridge across the stream. His breeches were splattered and his shirt crumpled by the time he reached the outskirts of Pennwick village.
    It had been Lord Kinsford’s intention to take the girl to Mrs. Luden, who lived behind her shop, but the first cottage he passed was that of Miss Driscoll and something made him hesitate there, before her door. The argument he’d had with his sister had involved Miss Driscoll and it seemed to Kinsford that his sister would have chosen her over Mrs. Luden to offer succor at such a time. Doubtful as he was himself, he determined for his sister’s sake to seek help there. With his elbow he managed to bang gracelessly on the door.
    Meg’s eyes widened when she saw his lordship with Lady Aria in his arms. “Oh, my lord!” she exclaimed. “What’s happened? Bring her in straightaway. Miss Driscoll! Miss Driscoll!”
    The urgency of the summons brought Clarissa almost instantly into the tiny hallway. She took in the scene at a glance and pointed to the sitting-room door. “Bring her in here. Meg, send Jimmy for Dr. Lawrence right away, please.”
    “What happened?” Clarissa asked as she carefully loosened the neck of Lady Aria’s riding costume. The girl was still unconscious, her face pale, and her breathing shallow.
    “She fell from her horse. A dog frightened Firebird as they were just beginning a jump.” He touched the swollen area on the side of Lady Aria’s head. “There were no rocks in the area. Still, she must have hit the ground hard enough to do this.”
    “And her shoulder?”
    “It was dislocated, but I’ve restored it. Unless the walk here has thrown it out again.”
    “Let’s have a look at it.” Clarissa unwound the coat and ran her fingers along the shoulder. She made a moue of distress. “There’s a lot of bruising, but it seems to be in place now. She’s fortunate you knew how to do it. It will save her a great deal of pain.”
    He nodded. “Her wrist is swollen, too. I can’t tell if it’s broken.”
    Clarissa removed the cravat and felt along the wrist. “I’d guess not, but it’s hard to tell. I’ll prepare a poultice in hot moist flannels for her head and we