The Book of Scandal by Julia London

Author:Julia London [Julia London]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 2008-07-29T22:00:00+00:00

Nathan and Frances heard the explosion as they raked Robert’s grave. Nathan jerked upright at the sound, turning in the direction from which it had come. He could see the smoke billowing, and for a moment, he tried to understand where it was. It was too far to the east to be part of the house, and too close to him to be the stables. It could only be the orangery.

The orangery…Evelyn!

Something almost preternatural came over him. He dropped the rake and started running, oblivious to Frances’s shouts, or those that were now coming from the house. He ran, vaulting over the iron fence that surrounded the graveyard, hurling himself into the trees and vegetation that grew between the graveyard and the orangery, his legs powered by the strength of his fear.

When he reached the orangery, it looked almost completely engulfed. Evelyn was on the outside, wildly pounding on a window. Her gown was streaked with ash and her hair had come partially undone. Nathan quickly shrugged out of his coat. “Evelyn!” he shouted as he reached her, and tried to pull her away, but she fought him.

“Mr. Gibbs is inside!”

Nathan pulled her back, all but tossing her into Declan’s hands, who had rushed to help him. He wrapped the coat around his arm and took a swing at the window. The glass shattered, cutting his skin as a rush of hot air and smoke blasted his face. Using his arm as a battering ram, he knocked glass away and climbed in through the window.

Thick, black smoke made it almost impossible to see. The fire had covered the walls and the ceiling. But somehow, by some miracle, he saw Mr. Gibbs’s crumpled figure near the door. Nathan fell to his knees and rolled the man onto his back, saw that Gibbs’s nose and mouth were smudged with smoke, his eyes closed.

Terror rose up in him. “Gibbs!” he shouted, and slapped his face.

Gibbs coughed. Thank God, he was alive. Using his coat, Nathan felt for the door handle. With one mighty tug, he opened it.

“What the devil!” he heard Lambourne shout, and then there were hands on Nathan, hands on Gibbs, pulling them out.

The servants had gathered and were queuing to form a bucket brigade under Benton’s quick thinking. Every other free hand was beating the embers that flew from the building onto the grass around them, or digging a fire line between the orangery and the other outbuildings. As men carted Mr. Gibbs away, Nathan spotted Evelyn sitting on the rise, and groped for one of the blankets someone had tossed to him.

He hurried to put the blanket around her shoulders. She looked stunned. “Dear God, Evie, are you all right?” he asked desperately as he ran his hands over her body and limbs looking for any blood or broken bones. “Are you hurt?”

Evelyn responded by coughing.

“Water!” he shouted at a groomsman running by. He cupped Evelyn’s face in his hands. “Can you speak? Can you tell me what happened?”

She shook her head, grabbed his wrist, and coughed again.

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