The Perils of Presumption (The Conclave Series Book 1) by Sarah Sokol

Author:Sarah Sokol [Sokol, Sarah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-10-06T05:00:00+00:00

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Charlotte frowned, her nose twitching. Something was wrong. Her instincts urged her to wake up, to leap out of bed. Her body was still too exhausted and struggled to swim to the surface of awareness.

People were shouting. That smell was smoke. It was...

"Fire?" Charlotte gasped, and lurched upright. She pried her eyes open, rubbing at them, and whipped around the room to gather her bearings.

It was quiet, dark and still.

There it was again. The faint shout from outside her window. "Fire! Help, fire!"

Surging to her feet, Charlotte ran to the window and pushed it open, clamping her hand over her mouth at the sight that greeted her. The storm had blown past in the night, the skies were clear, but the north-eastern corner of the stables was crackling with flames that lit up the pale pre-dawn light in an eerie glow.

Duncan was the one shouting, his small form running towards the main house, before he stopped, turned on his heel and ran straight back to the stables. Charlotte spotted Stephen in half-done-up trousers hobbling across the field after the boy.

I hope the horses are all right, was all she had time to think before she picked up the hem of her nightgown and ran for her bedroom door. Bolting down the stairs two at a time, she skidded to a halt, reversed directions and charged for the back door. Through the kitchen, down the back steps, squishing through the garden, she hurried towards where Duncan and a few other of the servants were gathering near the well, beginning to form a chain, passing buckets from hand to hand to toss over the flames. Such a small amount of water, it seemed so futile, but at least the flames were not spreading yet.

Charlotte stopped once she reached the line, panting. "What happened? Where are the horses? Is anyone injured?"

Duncan wiped his forehead. "Horses are inside, milady, Stephen said to work on puttin' out the fire and he'd go get 'em. Pardon milady but we have to keep workin'."

"What? Inside?" Charlotte felt a surge of terror through her stomach. She pushed forward through the line towards the stables. The doors were open but inside the air was thick with smoke and the occasional flicker of flame. She wrapped her elbow over her mouth and nose as she stumbled forward, too sick with worry to think straight.

She had just reached the door when she heard a loud crack, a whinny, and the thundering of hooves; Arkle and his compatriots came storming out through the smoke, wheezing, prancing, spooked, but unharmed.

Charlotte exhaled in relief, watching the open doorway for Stephen's return. Worry built as with each passing second; the fire crackled higher and there was no sign of him. She was just about to throw caution to the wind when finally, she saw his slumped figure staggering back out wheezing and coughing.

"Oh, thank God. Stephen," Charlotte had to stop speaking as tears sprang to her eyes, and she ran to his side. Placing her

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