Beauty and the Beast of Thornleigh by Kate Westwood

Author:Kate Westwood [Westwood, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780648400738
Publisher: Indigoskies Press
Published: 2019-03-16T04:00:00+00:00

Seventeen

Still attributing her vision to delirium, Georgiana gazed at the face before her in confusion.

Her vision spoke again. ‘Manfred! Here man, quickly,’ it cried. Suddenly she was being scooped up into strong arms, and the air around her was warm. It woke her to partial recognition. ‘Julia! Outside, under the trees.’ Her voice was weak, and faint, but it was enough to spur action.

‘Manfred! Make haste! There is a young lady— try the trees, man!’

Georgiana was too weak and cold to struggle against the arms which held her so firmly, and she slumped into their warmth. She felt the rhythmic sway of his steps as he carried her. They were going up a staircase, and now, into a warm room. Candles created a strange, soft light which painted the walls with writhing figures. ‘Where is the horse-wolf? Is it gone?’ she heard herself ask. Then she slipped into unconsciousness.

It could only have been an hour later that she awoke. The room she found herself in was half in shadows, and partially lit gently by a dancing fire in the grate of a large fireplace. Several landscapes decorated the walls, a large dark cabinet lay against the left wall, and drapes were drawn across two large windows. She herself lay in a huge four-poster bed, covered with a white embroidered counterpane, and a crisp white pillow under her head.

He sat opposite in an armchair, his back to her and his face toward the fire. Golden flames danced over his mane of hair. She moaned involuntarily, and on the sound, he half turned his head toward her.

Captain Brandt rose from the chair and came to the bed. ‘Miss Hall. I trust you are feeling better?’ His countenance was polite, unreadable.

She could not face his gaze, and lowered her own. ‘My sister? Is she — is she harmed?’

‘Sleeping. Manfred cleaned her wounds — nothing to alarm, I believe. I suspect you are both suffering more from shock and cold, than from any injury.’

She breathed out. ‘Thank you.’

‘Miss Hall, forgive me, but I must ask — how came you here? To Thornleigh? Was it by design?’

She closed her eyes, overcome by confusion and mortification. ‘No Sir, indeed, it was not!’ She struggled to rise. ‘I must see my sister; I must leave this place!’

He put out his hand. ‘You are not well enough to leave your bed. Your sister is cared for. I only wish to know how came you here; I can hardly think it was with the wish to seek me out!’ This he added with a bitter smile.

She shook her head, a little involuntary gesture, as if to reject the harshness of this judgement against her character, but which he seemed to take as confirmation of his statement. She tried to collect herself. ‘We were on the way to my aunt’s house, in the north of this county. Our man, John, drove us — Julia and me, that is — and we did not expect snow. I had no idea of your house being in this vicinity, I can assure you.

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