by Wendy Vella
Phoebe felt sure there would be a tantrum from the youngest Wooller when Hannah would take no more arguments from her and demanded they were to leave at once; however, Bridgette declared she was happy with her evening.
“We shall assist you to the carriage, Phoebe,” Alex said as she regained her feet. She had intended to refuse their offer, yet her head felt light and her shoulder ached; therefore, she allowed them to escort her down the stairs and out into the night air. The Wooller’s trailed behind, with Bridgette chattering as fast as she could about what she had seen this evening.
Phoebe closed her eyes and leaned back on the seat in the carriage as they traveled to Will’s townhouse. Why had someone pushed her? Who was it? Was it an accident, how did someone accidentally push you down the stairs?
Livvy fussed when she arrived. Will helped her upstairs followed by Bella. She was soon in her nightdress and in bed, nestled against the wonderful cool sheets and soft pillows.
“How is the pain feeling?”
“Don’t fuss, Livvy. It really is not too bad. Eww, what is it? It smells ghastly.” Phoebe wrinkled her nose as she sniffed the contents of the glass Livvy handed her.
“It will ease the ache in your shoulder and head and help you to sleep.” Livvy pushed it to Phoebe’s mouth.
She drank and gagged.
“What a baby you are, sister,” Bella teased as she placed the now empty mug on the bedside table.
“How is the patient?” Will walked into the room seconds later.
“Shouldn’t you knock when entering a woman’s bedroom?” Phoebe said.
“You’re not a woman, you’re my sister,” he said, waving his hand around as he moved to stand beside Livvy and look down at her.
“Now I want to know how you fell, Phoebe.”
“I tripped on my skirts.” Phoebe looked down at her legs. She wouldn’t tell them her concerns with Bella in the room. It would horrify her.
“Bella, would you have a cold compress readied for Phoebe’s head?” Will said as if he had read her mind.
“Of course.” Phoebe heard the door close softly behind Bella.
“And now you will tell us the truth please, Phoebe.”
Phoebe looked up as Will spoke. He moved to her side, his hands bracing themselves on the mattress beside her so his eyes drew level. She looked at him and then up at Livvy.
“I think someone pushed me.” She heard Livvy inhale.
“You think?”
“It may have been an accident, Will.”
“How can someone accidentally push you down the stairs?”
She didn’t say anything, just looked at him.
“Alright, we will talk of it no more tonight, Phoebe. Rest now.” Placing a kiss on her head, he soon left and after making sure she had everything she needed, Livvy sat with her until her eyes grew heavy and she drifted off to sleep. Her last thought was of a hand in her back, and the memory of falling down the stairs.
Finn was opening mail in his office when his brothers entered. He looked to Alex first, wondering at the reception he would get. They had not spoken much since their confrontation in the carriage, but there had been a thawing between them over the last day or two.
“This is an invitation to the Earl and Countess of Samson’s house party, brothers. Are we to attend?” Finn waved a piece paper at them as they came forward and dropped into the two chairs he kept across his desk for this purpose.
“I like him, the Earl, and he has a very pretty daughter,” Ben said.
“Wonder if Miss Wooller will attend?” Alex added.
“Miss Wooller?” Finn raised a brow. “Now that is an interesting development, Alexander. Although you do seem to get on well with her when you are together.”
“Not so interesting, Finn. She’s pretty and has a sharp intellect. Why would I not be interested in her?”
“How was The Royal Amphitheatre?” Finn said, deciding not to pursue the matter further as it would only annoy Alex, and they had enough angst between them without adding more fuel.
“A lot more exciting than it should have been,” Ben stated, replacing the invitation on Finn’s desk.
“Did some fool fall off a balcony?” The next piece of mail was from his steward detailing the costs of re-roofing the tenants’ houses before winter. Not overly expensive. Therefore he would send word to get it done immediately.
“You really should have this room redecorated, Finn. It’s depressing.”
Alex was looking around him, his face screwed up as he took in the dark furnishings.
“Yes I wouldn’t want to spend too much time in here,” Ben agreed.
“Which is a perfect reason to keep it as it is,” Finn added.
“We saved Miss Langley last night, Finn. Could have been quite nasty had we not.”
Finn’s head shot up so quick he was sure he’d put his neck out.
“What! Which Miss Langely, Alex?”
“The beautiful one,” Ben took up the story. “Of course not that the other ones are not, it’s just she has-”
“How!” Finn snapped.
“We,” Alex said pointing to Ben and then back to him, “were just walking up the stairs to visit with her and the Wooller family.”
“Long bloody walk that, hardly surprising-”
“Ben!” Finn thundered.
“Sorry, Miss Langley was at the top starting to walk down when we saw her. She was calling to Lord Wooller who was in front of us, and then suddenly she was falling.”
“Christ!” Finn stood upright, the paper falling from his fingers to land on the desk.
“Yes, quite a moment. We ran up the stairs together, rushing past Lord Wooller, and managed to catch her before she’d fallen too far,” Alex added. “Damned near made my heart stop, especially as I’m very fond of Phoebe Langley. We both had to use the railings to brace ourselves and Lord Wooller placed a hand in each of our backs to steady us.”
“Is she unhurt?” His heart was thumping so hard it hurt.
Ben stared at Finn for several seconds before speaking. “Banged her head and shoulder but insisted on watching some of the show as they were with the Wooller’s, and the youngest is just a child, you understand, so she didn’t want to spoil her fun.”
“She was very brave, Finn, especially as she was obviously in pain. But that’s Phoebe for you, always thinking of others. Cracking lady that one,” Alex added.
“She was crying, of course,” Ben shot his brother a look when Finn growled. “Near broke my heart to see those silent tears rolling down her cheeks.”
“You two caught her before she did any serious harm to herself,” Finn said, trying to clarify that point in his head.
Alex nodded. “Thing is though, Finn, I know Phoebe well and I had not thought her clumsy.
Everything inside Finn went cold.
“What are you saying, Alex?”
“Well, I don’t see why anyone would want to but I did wonder at the time if she was pushed, Finn, because it seemed to me as if she was propelled forward.”
“But surely if you are falling, you’re being propelled forward anyway?” Ben queried.
“I suppose, but she seemed to lurch don’t you think?”
Finn came around the desk in three strides and hugged both his brothers hard, surprising them speechless. “Thank you for saving her,” he said, and then he left the room in long angry strides.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Phoebe opened her eyes and sat up slowly. She winced as her fingers touched the back of her head and the knot at the base of her skull. Lifting her arm hurt, but it was just stiff, nothing serious, just bruised and sore like her wrist.
Someone had tried to hurt her last night.
“So you are finally awake. How do you feel?”
Phoebe squinted at her eldest sister as she carried a tray into the room. Placing it on a chair, she then moved to throw open the curtains.
“Like someone threw me out the carriage whilst it was traveling at
high speed.” Phoebe tried not to moan as she sat upright. “Must we open the curtains?”
Picking up the tray, Livvy laid it across Phoebe’s legs before she could move. Taking a napkin, she then placed it on Phoebe’s chest.
“You will eat this before you rise.”
“I’d really rather dress and come downstairs, Livvy. There is no need to take breakfast here.”
“Your problem is that you do not like taking orders,” Livvy countered, buttering a piece of toast and holding it out for Phoebe to take. “You need to slow down, sister, and take some time to heal. You seem to always be rushing about organizing your business at the moment.”
“Don’t be silly, Livvy. I’m just not a person who likes to laze about the place,” Phoebe said, avoiding her sister’s eyes as her head filled with thoughts of Finn running after her and catching her in his big arms. She hated him of course, so there was little chance of that and she wondered if last night’s fall had shaken her wits about, to produce such a thought. He was to wed Lady Croxley, after all.
“I don’t remember you having a problem with doing just that whilst we lived in Twoaks,” Livvy countered.
“London is different,” Phoebe said around a mouthful of toast, as if that statement clarified everything and hopefully put an end to further questioning. “And I now have a business to run. Therefore, you will have to get used to it.”
Suddenly all the stiffness went out of Livvy and she started sniffing.
“You could have been taken from me last night, Phoebe, and I simply cannot allow that to happen.”
The tray was over her legs hampering her movements, so Phoebe grabbed her sister’s hand and tugged her closer so she could hug her hard.
“No one is ever taking me away from you, Olivia Ryder. We have been through too much for that to happen now.”
“I k-know, but I fear for you.”
“There is no need for that, Livvy. I firmly believe what happened last night was a chance thing. Someone saw the opportunity, perhaps a woman who dislikes me, and pushed. Or perhaps it was indeed an accident and someone bumped into me, Livvy,” she lied, remembering the hand in her back.
With one more sniff, Livvy rose and for several minutes she walked around the room folding and refolding clothes until she was once again composed. Making her way back to the bed, she once again stared down at Phoebe.
“I know there is much going on with you, Phoebe, and I am not talking of just your new business venture.”
Livvy had taken up many of their mother’s traits after she became head of the Langley family, and one of them was her stare. Even with red-rimmed eyes she could pin a person to the spot without raising a hand.
“There is nothing more than that, Livvy. I promise I am not keeping anything from you.”
Livvy took a corner of toast and sat on the bed to nibble it. “Is there something going on between you and Finn?”
Her lungs seized at the mention of his name and she reached for her tea to swallow the mouthful of toast before she choked.
“Will said he believed there is something between you.”
“There is nothing between us, Livvy, accepting that we cannot tolerate each other. Besides, I believe he will soon announce his betrothal to Lady Croxley.” Phoebe picked up her tea again to wash away the foul taste that thought left in her mouth. She did not care who he married but it would upset Alex and Ben.
“There is something about that woman that I do not like.”
“There is everything about her that I do not like,” Phoebe added. “The woman’s poisonous, Livvy, I swear it.”
“Should you not alert Finn to her character, then?”
“Absolutely not. They deserve each other, in my opinion,” Phoebe added. Did she really want Finn doomed to a life with that horrid woman?
“That seems a trifle mean-spirited.” Livvy stood and picked up the tray, preparing to leave.
“He is not our concern, sister, and surely old enough to make his own choices.”
“Perhaps. However, I would not like to see him unhappy for the rest of his life.”
There is that, Phoebe thought.
“You rest now, sister, your body is battered and bruised.”
“I don’t like resting.”
“Finn is downstairs, Phoebe, and if you rise you will have to see him. He said he was here to see Will about business but I know better. He has heard about last night and it is you he came to see.”
Phoebe, who was still holding her cup, quickly took a large gulp of tea and choked on it. Several minutes later, after spluttering and cursing, she managed to regain control, although now her head and shoulder throbbed. Livvy gently took the cup away and placed it on the tray.
“Well, by that reaction I would say that, as Will suggested, there is something between you and Finn, sister, and I will add that I like him very much.”
“There is nothing between us, and for your information he finds me too outspoken!” Phoebe clasped her head in both hands in an attempt to stop the thudding. Life was really far too complicated, she thought as Livvy laughed instead of being indignant as Phoebe felt she should be.
“Does he? Well, I’m not surprised. You do tend to turn into a completely different woman when he is near.”
“Shouldn’t you be defending me and angry with him?” Phoebe griped. “After all, he insulted me.”
“To be fair, the man has not been able to keep his eyes off you since he first met you, and in return you have tormented him by flirting with other men and taunting him continuously.”
God, had she? Phoebe felt shame sweep over her, even as she felt a small burst of excitement over the fact that Livvy believed Finn could not keep his eyes from her.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re enjoying this thing, for want of a better word, with Lord Levermarch far too much?”
“I thought you said there was no thing,” Livvy said, a soft smile on her face.
“There is no thing, sister. He is lacking many of the qualities I would seek in my future husband.”
“He is not handsome?”
“No.”
“Wealthy?”
“No!” Phoebe snapped.
“Oh I know.” Livvy clicked her fingers. “He is not elegant and well-mannered and let us not forget that he is one of society’s most eligible bachelors.”
Phoebe glared at her sister. “Is there a point you are trying to make or is your intention merely to annoy me?”
“You’re very touchy about him, Phoebe, considering you profess not to care.”
Throwing back the covers, Phoebe swung her legs over the side of the bed in preparation of standing.
“I am not touchy about him. I merely have no wish to discuss him. And furthermore, I have told him several times not to talk to me, yet he continues to do so.”
“I believe the saying, ‘doth protest too much’, would fit this moment,” Livvy said, walking towards the door. She did not stop when Phoebe muttered something vile, instead sailing through and gently shutting it behind her.
Finn tried to calm down. He had run from his house when the twins had told him of Phoebe’s fall, called for his horse and galloped across town. He’d nearly run down a flower seller and scattered a group of young boys, but he had made it here in fifteen minutes and all the while he had the vision of Phoebe lying broken and bloodied at the bottom of some stairs.
“And you say she is unharmed but for a knock to the head and shoulder?” he asked again.
“Yes, Finn, and as I stated the previous three times I would have called a doctor had I thought it necessary, but she assured me it was not,” Will said from his position behind the large oak desk.
“You should have called a doctor, Will. Her head could be far worse than she is letting on.”
“Livvy and I checked on her every two hours during the night, if that soothes your nerves.”
Finn stopped his pacing to look at his friend. The man had a smug expression on his face.
&nb
sp; “What?”
“I have never seen you so ruffled over a woman, Finn. It warms my soul, and as you know, I believe Phoebe is a particularly fine young lady. I could not be happier.”
Finn scowled. “Happier about what, for pity’s sake? I’m not ruffled. I do not get ruffled,” he said, outraged at the very thought. “I have no wish to see her harmed. After all, she is Livvy’s sister; of course I take an interest in her welfare.”
Will coughed loudly, which Finn did not appreciate as he was sure it hid a laugh.
“And you would have raced across town at ten in the morning with no hat or gloves, to see any young lady who had fallen down the stairs last night.” Holding up one hand as Finn started to speak, he added, “Correction. I shall clarify that by saying, any young lady who is related to the wife of a friend.”
Finn pinched the bridge of his nose. He had never left his house without a hat or gloves.
“I came here to see you about a business proposition.”
“Of course you did.”
“I have chosen my future wife, Will, and it is not Phoebe.”
“As you have not even asked for my hand, Lord Levermarch, I hope that is indeed true.”
Finn felt his stomach drop to his toes as he looked to the door to see Phoebe walking in behind Olivia.
“Such a relief to know I was never your intended as I have to admit, you were never on my list, either.” Her words sounded light, as if sharing a joke. However, she was not laughing. Her eyes were cold as a bleak winter’s day. “Please let me be the first to congratulate you on your selection. May we know the name of your intended?”
Finn had said what he had to shut Will up. Yes, he’d believed he was nearing the end of his search for a wife, and thought that Lady Croxley could be that person, but he had as yet made no move to offer for her.
“I have asked no one as yet, Miss Langley. I have merely-”
“Narrowed down the names on the list? She must be quite a paragon, my lord, to meet your exacting standards.”
He felt the heat of everyone’s eyes on him as Phoebe spoke.
