Page 10 of To Tempt Lady (Victorian Outcasts #10)

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Emma was thoroughly impressed by Marcus’s behaviour as they worked at the firth of the River Tay. From the moment they’d arrived, he’d rolled up the sleeves of his shirt and jumped on a boat to join the search parties scouring the water for survivors.

No one believed any of the passengers could have survived the fall or the raging river for the whole night, but the search had to be done, and Marcus hadn’t backed down from the gruesome work.

The view of the bridge’s broken parts torn apart by the wind was horrifying. The jutting pieces of metal looked like the broken spine of a giant snake. The sea beyond was deceivingly calm, blue and flat in the sunlight, all innocence.

She stood on the inlet, watching the river but at the same time trying not to. Ripped pieces of fabric, hats, and shoes floated on the surface, carried gently by the current. Each item was a life that had been lost. A chill took her when a ragdoll washed ashore.

Marcus and Trevor were on the same boat with Sir Albert and a man she didn’t know, while Papa and another group were searching the other side of the river. Sir Horace had retired, claiming to feel indisposed. But who didn’t?

As she waited for her turn to join a search party, she wondered if she had the courage to go through with the job.

Behind her, volunteers served tea in a large tent. The relatives of the train passengers cried and sobbed on the benches as bodies were recovered, tearing her heart.

She turned around when a boat landed, only to allow the rescuers to deliver a body to the shore. A bitter taste filled her mouth as someone started crying loudly.

Trevor moved his boat into the inlet close to her and tied the rope to the cleat. “Emma, we have a free spot. Mr. Drummond wishes to take a break. Do you want to help us?”

Shaken and pale, Mr. Drummond hurried to disembark so quickly he almost tripped on the edge of the boat before speeding towards the tent.

“Yes.” Her voice sounded scared to her own ears.

Marcus offered her his hand to help her onto the boat. His palm had calluses that scratched her skin. His serious expression held its usual composure laced with sadness, and his quiet desperation weighed her down.

Sir Albert looked worse for wear, seemingly aged a decade in a night. He rowed the boat to the middle of the river without a word.

From that point of view, the damage to the bridge was even more frightening.

The fall from the railway to the sea had to be around fifty feet or more.

How terrified had those people been? Had they realised what was happening?

They hadn’t seen much between the storm and the darkness.

They must have felt the train falling without reason.

Sir Albert’s dark-circled eyes seemed lifeless. Other rescuers on other boats had similar lost expressions.

No one talked as they worked with long wooden rods, turning around bits of flotsam in search of survivors or bodies.

The movement of the boat and the endless amount of personal items floating around her made her stomach churn.

As her head spun, she had to pause the search.

She lowered her rod and took deep breaths, inhaling the scent of the sea and death.

“Are you all right?” Marcus dipped his head to stare at her.

She shook her head, a hand on her stomach.

“Maybe she’s seasick,” Trevor said. “Can we get her to the shore?”

“I don’t want to cause trouble.” She closed her eyes. “It’ll pass.”

“No trouble at all.” Sir Albert rowed back towards the shore. “I understand. It’s hard to watch.”

Marcus helped her out, and she leant against him shamelessly, her legs quivering. He stiffened immediately though.

“Marcus, would you please stay with Lady Emma and escort her to the tent?” Sir Albert asked. “She’s very pale.”

“I’m all right,” she said, but so low she doubted anyone had heard her.

Marcus’s eyes flared wide, hard to say if in surprise, fear, or shock. “Of course.” It came out forced.

Trevor opened his mouth but didn’t say anything.

“I’ll take care of Lady Emma,” Marcus said.

“I’m fine.” But she wasn’t.

On a cart, the rescuers had piled up the bodies recovered so far, and a sob escaped from her. Her head spun again, and she grabbed Marcus’s arm for support.

He held her up. “Don’t look at the cart.”

“I’m trying not to.”

He helped her to a tent where the police officers, medics, and volunteers scanning the river could have a cup of tea and a blanket. She sat on the bench, her legs like rubber. The sky was clear, but the chill clung to the air, and she shivered in her coat.

“Here.” Marcus handed her a steaming mug.

“I’m not sure my stomach can handle tea.”

“You’ll feel better. Trust me.” It didn’t sound like an order but something similar. He sat next to her and watched the river.

She closed her hands around the mug. At least she would get warm. “I’m sorry you had to stop for me. That wasn’t my finest moment.”

“I needed a break as well. And seasickness can be debilitating.”

“Actually, it wasn’t seasickness, not exactly.” She took a sip, forcing herself to swallow the sweet, lemony tea. “It was the view. So many people.”

He regarded her in a new light. “They said that at least fifty people died, maybe more. Some passengers didn’t have a ticket, so their presence on the train left no evidence.”

“What exactly caused the collapse?”

He raked a hand through his midnight hair.

“The wind might be the culprit, or the train might have derailed, and the impact caused the collapse. The deck spans are still standing while the high girders broke, so that would point to a structural failure, but if the train hit the posts, the impact, combined with the force of the storm, might be the cause. But whatever happened, an incident like that should have been avoided. Bridges are built to endure storms and strong impacts, or at least they should.”

“Your father didn’t sleep or rest.”

He scratched his chin where his dark stubble grew. “I’m worried about him.”

So was she.

He hunched his shoulders and exhaled. “He’s everything I have,” he whispered, staring at his hands. “After my mother died, we both had a hard time dealing with her passing. He hasn’t recovered yet, and this tragedy will weigh him down further.”

She put her hand on his, and he tensed. “I know how you feel. We both lost our mothers. I wouldn’t know what to do without my papa.”

“My father is a good man and an excellent engineer. He would never…” He took a deep breath. “He would never be negligent about his work.”

“Try not to think of the worst.” She closed her hand around his, feeling the rough skin on his knuckles.

He didn’t react though, and she slowly withdrew her hand, but he took her fingers gently.

“Thank you.” He stared at her with his solemn gunmetal grey eyes.

She’d stared at them other times, but that moment was different. She knew the man behind them better. He hid his emotions well behind those deep pools although little signs belied what was happening in his mind.

“I’m sorry if I hurt you the other night,” she whispered.

He sucked in a breath and held her fingers more tightly. “You were honest.”

“I didn’t mean to say you aren’t good enough to be my suitor. That’s not what I think at all.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed, and for some reason, she was fascinated by it. “Please,” he said without looking at her, “can we not talk about that now?” The pain in his voice was a punch to her stomach.

“Of course.” She held his big hand in both of hers.

She wanted to tell him she would do anything to help him and that, after that moment passed, they would discuss his suit. He wasn’t as she’d imagined. He wasn’t arrogant but shy, not cold but contemplative, not distant but careful with her emotions. Yes, she wanted to spend more time with him.

If there was one thing she’d learnt about him in the past few days it was that he appreciated the silence more than too many words. She would talk to him when he felt better. She shouldn’t have brought up the subject in a moment like that to start with.

“Thank you.” His hand was warm, warmer than hers and radiated safety. They held each other’s hands for a long time, staring at the river.

She finished her tea. “I’m ready to face the water again.”

“You can stay here if you want.”

“No, let’s find a boat and keep searching. I want to help you.” Now and in the future.