Forged In Love

Chapter Eleven

With all the commotion in the village, no one saw the cloaked figure make their way into the forest. The figure disappeared into the shadows before removing his hood and clasping onto a fallen log. Lord, what had he done? He hadn't meant to hit Miss Charlotte's horse, he was aiming for Henry's horse. At the very last moment, the horses had changed position and she had gone flying. If Charlotte didn't wake up it would be all his fault. On top of all that, he still had to tell Lord Atterbury what had happened. There was no way out of that and that man was surely going to kill him for his mistake. The man stood up and righted his cloak before heading to the lord's home to break the news. As he walked he prayed that Lady Charlotte would make a full recovery...for both their sakes.

Henry, Edward, and Arthur had taken care of Lottie in shifts throughout the night. They made sure she drank all the tea and that she was never left alone. After Arthur showed the dart to his father and Henry, they had decided that Lottie was to be under guard at all times. They had collectively decided that after the healer came, they would be taking Lottie home. They had never intended to stay in the village anyway. She should recover safely in her own bed. There were too many unknowns right now and too many suspects. Back at Cadishead they knew everyone and could work on solving this mystery without being distracted.

It was just about dawn when a knock came at the door. Henry called out, "Who is it?"

"Just Mrs.Longbottom, dear."

Henry opened the door and rushed the woman inside the room.

"My goodness, I assure you that I wasn't followed."

" It never hurts to be careful, ma'am."

"That is true. How is the young lady this morning?' She asked as she walked over to Lottie on the bed. Mrs.Longbottom began checking Lottie's forehead for fever, then moved on to checking her pulse. And on she went.

"We will be taking her home today. She can recover at home where she is safe."

"I thought you'd say as much, so I brought more tea. There is enough here to last a week. If she doesn't wake up by then..." Mrs.Longbottom trailed off there. They all knew what that meant. Lottie would never wake up if she didn't after a week. Henry was already planning on seeking a second opinion when they got back home. It wasn't that he didn't trust the healer woman but not every healer knew everything. Why risk Lottie's life on the knowledge of just one person?

"Thank you very much for all your help, Mrs.Longbottom." Henry then passed the woman two gold coins. She bowed her head and left. They then set about packing up what little they had with them and Henry sent Arthur downstairs to pay for the room and fetch the maid. It was only a few minutes later that the maid came up to dress Lottie. Once she was done, Henry pressed a gold coin into her and thanked her for help. She was surprised by the gesture and the amount he had just given her. Edward carried the bags and Henry carried Lottie. Arthur had the horses saddled and ready when the other men came downstairs. Henry handed Lottie to Edward so that he could mount his own horse, then hoisted Lottie onto his lap. Finally, they were ready. Henry wished he could ride as fast as his horse could carry them, but knew that slow and steady was better for Lottie. It was lucky that this village was only a few hours away from Cadishead. Henry kept most of his focus on Lottie while the other two were constantly watching the woods and the road behind them. It was as though their heads were swiveling all the way around. Clearly, they were taking no chances of anyone doing further harm to their mistress. No, not their mistress, she was their family member. Edward and Mary had practically raised Lottie and Arthur had known her his whole life. She really was a sister to him. During this trip, Henry had come to the conclusion that, at the very least, these two Winslows' were damn good people. And he was sure the rest probably were as well. He would have to familiarize himself with this family better, seeing as they would basically be his in-laws. He very much doubted that Lottie would all of sudden stop associating with them just because she was a married duchess. And Henry wouldn't want her too. Staring down at Lottie, Henry once again was taken aback by how lovely she was. The dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks, the rose tint to her lips and how full they were. And being this close to her, he noticed how dark and long her eyelashes were. She was breathtaking. When they topped the next hill, Henry sent Arthur on ahead to the manor to gather the necessary people to help with Lottie. By the time he and Edward rode through the gate, they were greeted by a small army of women ready to take her from his arms. Henry carried her into the house before he gave her over to Mary. Then Henry was alone in the foyer. Not really knowing what to do with himself, Henry went into the dining room and poured himself a glass of whiskey. As Henry sipped his drink, Nigel came into the room.

"How is Lady Charlotte, my lord?"

"Well, Nigel, she still hasn't woken up, and we have no idea who would want to hurt her. She didn't know anyone in that village. We are also unsure if it was a targeted attack or random."

"Shall I send for a doctor, sir?"

"Yes. In fact, send for a doctor and the local healer."

"Right away, my lord."

As Nigel left, Mary came in. Her eyes followed Nigel with suspicion.

"Yes Mary?"

"Lottie is all settled in my lord. Where is he off to?"

"I sent Nigel to get a doctor and a healer."

"Both?"

"Yes. More than one opinion might just save Lottie."

Mary nodded her head in agreement with Henry before making her way over to where he sat.

"Is there anything I can get you? I assume you didn't eat anything this morning. You must be starving."

"That is kind of you, but I can manage. I am sure Edward and Arthur would love a hot meal."

"They will find theirs in my kitchen. My daughter will have it ready for them."

"Oh, I just assumed you would want to take care of them instead of me."

"Those men may belong to me, but you are going to be the new duke and that outweighs a few things."

"I see. Actually, I wouldn't mind your company for a bit. Maybe you could tell me what Lottie was like as a child."

"Oh, goodness. She was the most beautiful little thing when she was a baby. She barely made a sound and was so even tempered."

"Really?"

"No." Mary started laughing. "She was a beautiful baby, that is true, but she had a set of lungs on her that would wake the dead. At the time, I worked here in the manor and would help Anne with her. For the first few months, it was as though nothing comforted her. It was like she knew her mum had died and that was all she wanted in the world."

"Poor thing. And her father had nothing to do with her?"

"Yes. That man was a waste of a man. He didn't want her but knew he would need her eventually. It didn't matter after a while. The whole village fell in love with her and raised her. And when she was up here, Anne cared for her like a mother."

"Does Anne still work here?"

"No, unfortunately she died when Lottie was five. After that she spend more and more time in the village."