Page 135

Lucy. And the house. They needed saving.

“Stop the carriage!” he barked, shoving open the door before it had even stopped. He jumped down and raced around to the front of the carriage, thrusting a hand toward the footman. “I need the horses. Now!”

The men wasted no time in unhitching the horses. Theo motioned to the young footman. “Ride for help. There is a fire at the manor. Go now!”

He took the other horse, his heart pounding fiercely in his ears. Thank the Lord for the days he had ridden bareback as a boy. He gripped the horse’s mane and directed her toward the house. The animal moved at a fierce pace but not quickly enough.

She could be in there. Could be breathing in the thick smoke as he rode. Tonight, he could lose the house and her.

Her and the house. The house could be damned but…but damn it, it was a part of her. If anything happened to it, she’d be devastated.

He’d likely never ridden as hard or as fast, but it took too long to reach the house. Smoke seeped out from the window—Lucy’s window. He clenched his jaw tight and uttered silent prayers for her safety in his mind, over and over. By the time he reached the front of the house, most of the household was gathered outside.

Dismounting, he rushed over to Barnes. “Is anyone else still inside? Where is Lucy?”

Barnes glanced around, his normally stoic manner replaced with shaking hands and sweat on his brow. “I…I have made a headcount, but Miss Jameson…”

Damn it. Theo balled a fist.

Theo motioned to a few of the men. “Get the sand buckets. Help is on its way. We need to get the fire under control.” He took Barnes by the shoulders. “Do another headcount, Barnes.”

Theo tore off his cravat and wrapped it about his face as he ducked into the house. Smoke drifted down the elegant staircase, but there was no sign of flames. With any luck, the fire could be contained.

But he still did not know if Lucy was safe.

Taking the stairs two at a time, he raced down the corridor, and the smoke thickened, making his eyes water. Heat touched his skin, and the amber glow of flames mingled with the gray of the smoke, making it difficult to see.

“Lucy?” he bellowed. “Lucy, are you here?”

He turned into her room, his arm lifted to shield his face from the heat. He squinted into the gloom and fought a choking cough as smoke flooded his lungs. A shadowy figure cut through the smoke—small enough to be Lucy.

“Lucy!”

She twisted, a blanket in hand. “Theo?” A cough wracked her. “Help me. We can put it out. Please!” She moved, and he realized she was trying to beat out the fire.

He snatched her arm. “It’s too big a fire. They will be bringing in sand buckets soon and help is on its way.”

“But the house…” she cried.

“Will be fine,” he promised. “I will make sure of it.”

She relented, dropping the blanket and letting him pull her away. Wrapping an arm about her, he tugged the cravat fromhis face and held it over her mouth as he led her to the stairs. Her legs buckled underneath her, so he lifted her swiftly into his arms and bolted down the stairs, bursting out into the fresh air.

Air hit his lungs, and he swallowed a ragged cough before it could take hold, then he eased Lucy to the ground. Her lady’s maid came to her side and brushed her hair from her face. “Oh, miss. You silly thing. You could have been killed.”

Lucy gave a weak smile then gripped Theo’s arm. “What will happen to the house?”

“It will be fine. I promise. I will save it for you.” He nodded toward Lizzie. “Look after her.”

Coming to his feet, he stopped one of the men with the buckets of sand and took it from him. “Tell the others the fire is contained to the one room. We should be able to tackle it, but we need to be quick. Stay low and wrap something about your face.”

Theo did not wait for a response before heading back into the house. His house. Lucy’s house. He needed to save it. For her.

Chapter Thirteen

Lucy immersed herself in the cold water, sinking deep under the surface of the pond with her eyes closed. Perhaps if she went deep enough, she could wash away the scent of smoke that seemed to linger everywhere. Perhaps she could also wash away that feeling of foolishness.

The fire had been utterly her fault. A silly moment of leaving a candle lit while she watched Theo drive away. While she felt her heart break. She’d rushed to the gallery to watch him go, and the candle had caught—likely on a curtain or the bedding. It was hard to tell from the remains of her room this morning.