Steam & Sorcery by Cindy Spencer Pape

Author:Cindy Spencer Pape [Pape, Cindy Spencer]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: SteamPunk
ISBN: 9781426891281
Publisher: Carina Press
Published: 2011-03-07T00:24:03+00:00

“Miss Caro, please, let’s get you seen to before you bleed out on the nursery floor. I’ve no mind to clean that up.”

“I’m fine,” Caroline insisted to Sally for what felt like the thirtieth time. “I can tend myself once the girls are taken care of.” In the adjacent bathing room, Becky worked on cleaning Nell’s cuts and scratches. Wink sat in the nursery rocking chair, with Caroline at a stool, Wink’s swollen ankle across Caroline’s knees. She poked the inflamed joint, wondering whether it required a surgeon, but after a moment, she shook her head. Keeping her hands on the injury, she wondered if it would make any difference, if she really did possess some kind of ability to heal. “Sally, it’s just wrenched. Please fetch me something to wrap it with.”

Wink snorted. “Told you so.” Given the pain the girl had to be in, Caroline was in no mood to correct her manners.

“I’ll wrap it, miss.” Sally knelt beside Caroline’s stool with a roll of linen bandage. “Then can we take care of that cut? You’re still bleeding, and your face has gone awful pale.”

Before Caroline could protest further—her head did seem to be a little on the fuzzy side—Sir Merrick himself strode into the nursery. “Miss Bristol, what the bloody hell is going on here?” So much for last night when he’d called her Caro. “Debbins tells me you were attacked by footpads in Regent’s Park.”

“Then you’ve just answered your own question.” Lord, she sounded like an eight-year-old, even to herself. She drew in as deep a breath as her dented corset would allow and spoke carefully. “We’re all a bit battered, but there were no serious injuries, thank heavens. No—thank George, and whoever taught these girls how to defend themselves. There were four of them. Four.”

“Let’s see that ankle, then.” He squatted down, probed a little, and nodded for Sally to finish wrapping it. Using one gentle finger, he tipped back Wink’s chin and grinned. “That shiner’s going to be a beaut. Good thing I scheduled the photographer for later this week rather than tomorrow. Is that the worst of it?”

“I believe so. Nell has a lump on her head, but her pupils aren’t dilated and she isn’t dizzy.” Caroline’s world was beginning to fuzz around the edges again. What was that about a photographer? She couldn’t be bothered to ask.

“Miss Caro’s been cut.” Sally tipped her chin defiantly when Caroline scowled at her. “She won’t let us see to ’er till the girls are dealt with. Her wrist is swellin’ up right nice, too.”

“Caro?” He turned his critical gaze on her. “Damn, woman, you are pale. Why didn’t you say something?”

“I’m fine. It’s only a small cut and a twisted wrist.” Though both were starting to throb rather mercilessly. “Where are Piers and Jamie?” Though she was glad they weren’t complicating matters in the nursery right now, she wasn’t at all comfortable having them out of her sight.

“Debbins and the grooms are teaching them to curry a horse.

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