Rebel Love by Scarlett Scott

Author:Scarlett Scott
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: 0
Published: 2016-06-06T05:00:00+00:00

ELLA HAD A KNACK FOR EAVESDROPPING on conversations. As a girl, she’d caught more than her share of the naughty gossip adults only indulged in when they thought no small ears could hear. It was another thing entirely, however, to find herself the topic of the overheard conversation.

“I’m afraid the blood loss was quite severe, my lady.” The masculine voice, low and mellow with age, unmistakably belonged to Dr. Redding, the country doctor her brother favored.

“Oh dear heavens, I feared that was the case.” There was a pause in the feminine speech that garnered Bella enough time to discern the voice belonged to her sister-in-law, Cleo. “There was a frightful amount of it everywhere. I cannot fathom all that blood from the small gash on her head.”

Blood. Gash on her head? Blessed angels’ sakes, what had occurred?

Foggy images flitted through her mind. Her body was in as much pain as if it had been flattened by a locomotive. Remembrance surged over her in waves. The storm. She’d saddled her mare, needing to escape the falsehood she’d been living, determined to ride away the awful hurt despite the portent of a deluge on the horizon. She recalled the sensation of launching through the air, her bone-crunching landing in the mud.

“Lady Thornton,” came Dr. Redding’s familiar voice once more, “I’m afraid this is a delicate matter.”

“Blows to the head are, no doubt,” agreed Cleo. “What shall we do for her whilst she recovers?”

The doctor cleared his throat. “You mistake me, my lady. The source of the blood was indeed, as you suggested, not Lady Bella’s head.”

“Has she other wounds, then?”

“Lady Bella was with child,” Dr. Redding explained, his tone hushed. “It was very early on, and the force of her fall was too much. I do, however, expect an eventual recovery. She will need to remain abed for a time.”

“With child?” Cleo’s voice was incredulous. “Surely you must be mistaken.”

“I fear I am not, Lady Thornton.”

She had lost everything. Her fall from grace was complete, as was her devastation. Bella’s heart physically hurt in her breast. How could she have been so foolish, so careless? In her childish anger, she had only served to spite herself.

Her sister-in-law’s voice grew hushed. “May I request your discretion, Doctor?”

The doctor’s response was equally quiet and grave. “You need not ask.”

Bella remained still while muffled sounds reached her ears, suggesting the doctor was taking his leave. She didn’t want to wake. She wanted to sleep again, sleep until all was well. If ever it could be.

The thud of a closing door echoed in the silence of the chamber, then the steady return of footfalls. “Bella, my dear.”

She weighed the prospect of feigning sleep. Truly, she did not want to see a soul at the moment. Her mind was a jumble of thoughts, her body a jumble of bumps and bruises. She wanted quiet and peace. She wanted to be left alone. She had never felt more miserable in her entire existence.

“Bella, I know you’re awake so you may as well face me now.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.