Once Upon an Accident 01 - The Accidental Countess

by Melissa Schroeder

  Victoria smiled, although it was probably an effort from the looks of it. “Cicely, let’s leave Dr. Watkins to do his duty.”

  Sebastian’s soft-spoken cousin had not said a word, but now Colleen remembered Victoria having her shut the drapes. Cicely walked up beside Victoria, her golden brown eyes huge.

  “I do so hope you are all right, Colleen.”

  She smiled at the young woman. “I am sure Dr. Watkins will say everything will be okay with time in bed and a cup of tea.”

  Cicely nodded then turned, and Victoria followed her out the door.

  “Now, young lady,” Dr. Watkins said, smiling at her. “Tell me what happened.”

  *

  As Sebastian ran up the steps to his home, his heart continued to clench. From the moment Gerry had uttered the words about Colleen, terror unlike any he had known had taken hold of him and had yet to let go.

  He rushed through the door. Before he could even ask Fitzgerald what had happened, he was confronted with a crying Anna. Her face, drenched with tears, sent another wave of fear rolling through him.

  Oh, God.

  “Sebastian.” She flung herself into his arms, her body heaving with her sobs. “It is just so horrible.”

  He swallowed the panic rising in his throat and hugged her close to his body.

  “Anna, darling, what happened? Is Colleen all right?”

  “She fell down the stairs.” She sobbed into his chest, clinging tighter.

  “Anna, I need to know if Colleen…” He swallowed again. “I need to know if she is okay.”

  Her sobs grew louder. “There was so much blood.”

  Blood? “Anna, tell me.” He tried to pull her off him, but his sister’s hold was relentless.

  “I daresay, Lady Penwyth will recover after some bed rest but the doctor is with her now.”

  Sebastian looked over his sister’s head, his eyes narrowing on Ethingham. “Just what the bloody hell would you know about it?” Icy rage dripped from his words, and he didn’t care. All he wanted to do was beat the man senseless.

  Ethingham, holding his hat in one hand and a walking stick in the other, sauntered forward. “I am the one who found her lying at the bottom of the stairs and carried her to her room. The doctor is with her now.”

  “And you just so happened to find her? Tell me, Ethingham, what were you doing that you found her?”

  “Sebastian, old man, no reason to get rude.” Daniel’s voice was gentle, especially for Daniel. Sebastian looked back over his shoulder at him and noted the caution in his friend’s eyes. If Ethingham were involved in this, confronting him now would get them nowhere. Anger pulsed in his blood along with the need to smash something, someone. But he fought it back for fear of showing their hand.

  He turned back to face the duke. “My apologies. Thank you for your assistance, Your Grace. I am in your debt.”

  Ethingham’s eyes widened for a second, and Sebastian almost laughed at the comical expression on the other man’s face.

  He nodded toward Sebastian and walked past him. When he reached the door, he turned. “I would appreciate it if you would send word on Lady Penwyth’s condition.”

  Sebastian wanted to refuse, wanted to tell the man to go to hell, but he needed to play it on the cool side. Make him think no one suspected his involvement. “It is the least I can do.”

  A strange look of confusion swept over the duke’s features, but it was gone an instant later, making Sebastian wonder if it had ever been there in the first place. Without another word, Ethingham left. Anna still clung to Sebastian, but her sobbing dissolved into sniffles. With considerable effort, he pulled her from him and practically threw her at Daniel. Dismissing everyone and everything but Colleen, he took the stairs two at a time. When he reached the top, he ran down the hallway to Colleen’s room. His mother stood outside, her face pale, her eyes red-rimmed.

  “Mother?”

  “Oh, Sebastian.” For the second time in a matter of minutes, he had a female sobbing in his arms. “It is all so horrible.”

  The fear doubled. His mother was not a woman to dissolve into tears. “Mother…”

  “Sebastian.”

  He turned his head toward Cicely.

  “Colleen is just fine. The doctor is seeing her now, but it is just a bump on the head. There was a lot of blood.” Cicely closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. When she opened them again, Sebastian saw the worry, the pain. “But that is normal for head wounds.”

  Her rational explanation of Colleen’s condition eased some of his fears. He pulled himself free of his mother. “I have to see her, Mother.”

  She nodded and Sebastian watched her rein in her emotions. He knew now she would be okay, so he dismissed all thoughts of her and without knocking, opened his wife’s door.

  The first thing he noticed was how dark the room was. Odd that a doctor would be doing an examination of a patient in a room as dark as a cellar. He looked over toward the bed and found Watkins packing up his instruments.

  He glanced back over his shoulder at Sebastian and smiled. For the first time since he’d heard about Colleen’s accident, Sebastian’s stomach muscles loosened.

  The doctor continued to smile as he approached.

  “My lord.” His voice was low and soft. “Lady Penwyth is just fine. The tumble down the stairs has left her with a bump on the head, a little loss of blood, but that is normal for this type of wound. Nothing dire in that. Everything is fine. She is resting, but I want you to make sure you keep an eye on her. I didn’t give her anything for the pain. It isn’t a good idea with head injuries. Wake her up every hour.”

  Sebastian nodded, swallowing the well of emotion clogging his throat. He couldn’t decipher exactly what he was feeling. Relief most definitely, but there also was something so new, he couldn’t figure it out, and at the moment he didn’t care.

  “She may get sick to her stomach, so make sure she eats light tonight.”

  After Watkins left, Sebastian moved toward her. She was so still, tiny even, laying there on her bed, her hair a mass of curls across the pillows. Pale, especially with the large bandage covering the side of her head. Sebastian wondered if everyone had been lying to him and she really was dead. Then her lashes fluttered and her eyes opened.

  Relief poured through him, his heart finally dislodging from his throat.

  “Sebastian.”

  He had to lean closer to hear her. She swallowed and her hand rose. He hurried to the edge of her bed, but sat down gently so as not to jostle her.

  “Shhh, darling, everything is going to be all right.” And he would make sure of it. “Watkins said you were okay. Everything is fine.”

  A tear trickled from the corner of her eye. He reached for it, capturing it on his finger. It was all he could do. Taking her into his arms, holding her close, would hurt her. But the need to touch her, to make sure she was here and safe was hard to fight.

  “I know.”

  He hated to ask, but he knew he had to. “Colleen, do you know how you fell down the stairs?”

  She licked her lips. “I don’t remember much. I think I felt a hand against my back, and then I was falling.”

  Fury, pure and hot, crawled through him. His hands curled into fists as he thought of what could have happened to her because of him, because of their marriage.

  “Watkins said everything will be fine.”

  She said it as if she could tell he was in a panic, and he really wasn’t sure he was happy with that. A moment later, her eyes slid closed. He settled in a chair beside her bed, knowing deep down in his soul he would do anything to protect his lady. Even if it meant sending one of his own to the gallows.

  *

  Douglas, the Duke of Ethingham, settled against the cushions on the carriage seat and tried to calm the rage boiling in his gut. Someone had tried to kill Lady Colleen. He knew it as sure as he knew his own name. He closed his eyes, trying to forget the bone-deep fear churning in his gut when he saw her laying ther
e, her blood staining the carpet. Opening his eyes, he lifted his hand to his temple to rub away the headache and noticed it was shaking.

  Nothing, save a whole bottle of brandy, would calm his nerves. The day’s events drifted back into his mind, from the moment he found her until he left her in the doctor’s care. At first, knowing there was something suspicious about her marriage to Penwyth, he thought the bastard might have tried to kill her. It had been hard to not seek him out and beat the bloody hell out of him. But then when he saw him, his sister sobbing in his arms and panic in his eyes, Douglas had known that unless the man was a world-class actor, there was no way he had anything to do with her fall.

  The carriage drew to a halt in front of his townhouse. Coldness settled into him as he glanced up at the windows. Thoughts of his childhood drifted by, his stern grandfather, his disapproving parents, the myriad of servants who had raised him. He shivered. He’d always wanted a house like the Penwyth’s. A home full of warm, inviting people who wanted him there.

  He sighed, knowing he was getting melancholy. Dwelling on his envy would not get him anywhere, would not help him keep Lady Penwyth safe. One of his footmen opened the carriage door, and Douglas descended, his thoughts turning to the accident. There had been callers around, Penwyth’s mousy little cousin, his sister… Something was bothering him. Someone was missing. If he could figure that out, he would know who did it. And maybe then he could discover just why someone wanted the new Countess of Penwyth dead.

  *

  Colleen sighed and gave her husband a stern look.

  “Sebastian, it has been three days, and even Dr. Watkins said everything was fine. I can get up and move around on my own as long as I rest.”

  “Ah, but there is the thing I am worried about. You do not rest enough.”

  She bit back a growl and clenched her teeth. “I have been lying in this bed for three bloody days, and I want to get out of it. I want to take a bath, I want to sit in a chair to eat and I want to use the chamber pot without you, or anyone else for that matter, hovering over me.”

  His brow furrowed. “I have no idea what the problem is—”

  Victoria’s voice interrupted his argument. “Sebastian, leave the woman in peace for a few minutes. I am sure Colleen can make it to the chamber pot and back. You can take care of getting her bath brought up to her.”

  His lips turned down more and he crossed his arms over his chest. He looked like a little boy on the verge of a tantrum. He’d barely let her out of his sight for the past three days, at her side for every bout of nausea, every late-night chamber pot visit. And at times, she would find him looking at her strangely, a question in his eyes. But it would vanish as soon as he detected her regard. At first, she had been so overwhelmed with fear and pain, she welcomed the attention. Three days later, she was ready to throttle him.

  “Sebastian, Colleen needs a few moments of privacy. You can return posthaste.”

  He hesitated, but then uncrossed his arms and bent forward. After a quick, hard kiss, he headed to the door.

  “And don’t even think of leaving this room without me.” He tossed the ominous remark over his shoulder before shutting the door behind him.

  “I know he is being a bit of a pain, but Ware men are a bit protective.”

  Colleen looked at her mother-in-law and realized that calling Sebastian any number of names would not go over well with his doting mother. Victoria chuckled. “Go ahead. There probably isn’t a name I didn’t call his father.”

  Heat crept into Colleen’s face. “I didn’t know I said that out loud.”

  Victoria approached the bed. “You didn’t, but then I went through two deliveries with Fredrick and he was insane with worry. I believe with Anna they had to sedate him.”

  The wistful smile curving Victoria’s lips made Colleen jealous. “It was a love match then.”

  Victoria smiled down at her. “Yes. I didn’t want to love him, but he would just not go away. He was several years older than I, which is normally the way of it, and I wanted to have several seasons. Fredrick had other ideas.” She sighed. “I will leave you so you can get a few moments without one of us Wares bothering you. Just…be indulgent with Sebastian. You scared him half to death. If you had seen him run up the stairs, you would understand.”

  With that, she left Colleen to her thoughts. After relieving herself, Colleen settled in a chair next to the fire, amazed at just how much effort it had taken to accomplish the simple task. The warmth of the fire relaxed her, and she allowed her mind to drift back to her mother-in-law’s comments.

  A small slice of hope slipped through her. Maybe Sebastian was coming to care for her. Maybe his ability to love had not been ruined by Elizabeth. The practical side of her warned her heart not to fall for him. Hoping for something unattainable would end up causing her more hurt in the end. But the impractical side of her, the one that longed for a marriage like her parents, like Sebastian’s own parents, was winning the battle. She’d never thought to fall in love, but she had. And she wanted to build a relationship, to have a partner in her life, and she wanted it to be Sebastian.

  Her hand stole to her abdomen. Dr. Watkins was not sure, but he suspected she might be pregnant. He’d told her the first few hours would tell if she had lost the baby, and since nothing had happened, he’d assured her the baby was fine. She was only a week late for her monthly, but she had always been on time. Now, she had to figure out just how to tell the father. She sighed. He would be even more protective of her if he thought she was carrying his heir. So until she was absolutely sure, she would wait, holding the secret close to her heart and hoping that it might come true. With that hope came the determination to win Sebastian’s love.

  She drifted to sleep, visions of tiny babies with dark hair and brilliant blue eyes filling her dreams.

  *

  Sebastian found her in exactly that position when he returned a few minutes later. Curled up in the chair, she looked so innocent, so young. The knot on the side of her head was now free of bandages and made her skin look even paler.

  A knock sounded at the door, signaling the footman with her bath. After the men brought the tub and the buckets of steaming water in and left, Sebastian approached his wife. He hated to disturb her, but he knew she would be sore at him if she didn’t get a bath. When he reached her side, he sank into a squat and stared. Two months ago he didn’t know this woman, but at the moment he was hard-pressed to remember life without her. Just the thought of losing her sent a sliver of panic to his gut.

  Reaching out, he brushed the backs of his fingers against her cheek. She stirred, leaning into his caress. A second later, her eyelids fluttered then she opened her eyes. The sleepy, contented look in their grey depths caused Sebastian’s heart to skip a beat. Her lips curved into a smile as she rubbed her cheek against his fingers. A simple gesture, really, but that one movement sent a curl of warmth to his heart, and Sebastian was hit smack in the face with the fact he loved his wife. He loved Colleen. He waited for the panic to return, the utter and absolute terror of being in love. It had ripped him to shreds last time. Elizabeth had taken his love, torn it asunder and then trampled on it as she hopped from bed to bed. But this was different. This wasn’t something that made him sick, that scared him into being a tongue-tied fool. It just felt…right.

  “Sebastian? Is there anything wrong?”

  He shook his head, still unable to find his voice. How had it happened? She was difficult, judgmental and downright sharp-tongued. But she was also honest to a fault, loyal and as beautiful on the inside as on the outside.

  “Sebastian?”

  “What, love?” His voice was whisper soft. He was fighting back the need to shout his revelations to her. Pledge his love and demand hers in return. He knew he had no right. She’d saved his life and then had her life completely disrupted. There was no way she loved him, or at least she didn’t know it at the moment. He would make sure he spent the rest of their lives proving his love and earning he
rs. “Everything’s fine. Your bath is ready.”

  He helped her to her feet. Sliding his arm around her waist, he pulled her body next to his. The feel of her soft curves against him sent a rush of heat racing through him. He bit back the urge to draw her into his arms, to make love to her until neither of them could think straight. Colleen was too weak for anything of the sort. When they reached the tub, he moved aside a bit to help her undress, but she stayed his hands.

  “I can handle this myself, Sebastian.” The embarrassment in her voice amused him. Since she was looking at her toes like they were the most interesting objects in the world, he felt safe smiling.

  “Colleen, I have seen you naked before.”

  Her head shot up, her eyes wide behind the lenses of her spectacles. “I know that, Sebastian. It’s just that…well…”

  He chuckled, and she sighed, her irritation with him evident. “Well, it is different when it is just the two of us, and it is so much brighter now.”

  “How about I get naked also and then you won’t feel alone?”

  She colored even more, and he realized that teasing Colleen was really a lot of fun.

  “No?” he asked, to which she shook her head. “Well, I am sorry, but you are stuck with me helping you.”

  Her shoulders fell in defeat. He finished undoing the sash on her robe, pulling it back from her body and allowing it to slide from shoulders to puddle on the floor. The chaste, white linen nightgown she wore was far from alluring. She had some very delectable silk confections he’d had the honor of slipping off of her, but even this made his body stand at attention.

  Slowly, he undid the ribbon on the neckline and pulled the gown over her head, leaving her bare to him. Good God, she was a work of art. He wondered how he had ever thought her plain. She’d been covering up the body of a goddess, and now it was his. Her nipples pebbled against the chill in the room, and he licked his lips. It made him feel like an animal. Wanting her while she was weak and in no condition to make love. But there was something else, an underlying tenderness, a desire—a need—to show his love. Up until now, he’d only shown her that through lovemaking. His control was being sorely tested. He took her arm and steadied her as she stepped into the tub.