“Thank God,” he murmured, crushing me against him. He kissed me fiercely on the top of my head and cupped a palm over the back of my neck, anchoring me to his chest.
“What happened?” I croaked. My arms and legs felt numb, and my mind was fuzzy.
Edward leaned over us, his weathered face drawn with concern. “You fell through the ice. Richard saw you go under. He called for help and went in after you. I found some rope in the shed. By that time, Derrick had returned, and we pulled you both out of the water.”
I peered over Derrick’s shoulder at Isabelle’s father. His clothes were drenched, and he shivered beneath a wool blanket wrapped around his torso. There was no sign of Mae.
When our gazes met, a look of warning flashed in his eyes.
Did he know what I saw?
And more importantly, was he the person standing above the ice, waiting for me to drown?
“It’s a good thing I took a walk around the pond this morning. No one else could have gotten to you in time. You’re lucky to be alive.”
“That’s enough, Richard,” Derrick snapped. He shrugged out of his jacket, his hands shaking as he draped it around my body.
He was rattled—I could see it in his face. I tried to comfort him, but my teeth chattered so hard my words sounded like gibberish.
Derrick slipped his arms under my legs and picked me up before walking off the ice. With the wet clothes sticking to my skin, I couldn’t get warm, and my bones felt like icicles.
“I get to pick the next trip activity, and it won’t be skating,” I mumbled, making a lame attempt at lightening the mood.
Derrick wasn’t having it. His grip tightened. Not that I minded—I was just happy to see his face. Not even the expression I’d come to know as “I’m furious you almost died—again” could upset me.
“Did you see where Mae went?”
“Mae? Why are you asking about one of our housemaids?” He walked faster as we neared the house.
“Because she was with Richard when I fell. I saw them together.”
“Tessa, now is not the time.”
“No, listen.” I dragged my arm from out of his jacket and tugged on his shirt until he met my gaze. I whispered, “They were arguing about something. It was strange. Why would they be meeting in the woods?”
Derrick didn’t have time to answer. The front door swung open, and Cynthia stood on the threshold. She ushered us in, ordering a servant to fetch blankets and another to heat water.
“We saw the commotion from the window. What happened?”
“Tessa fell through the ice. Richard went in after her, but he’s okay. The others are right behind us.”
Cynthia instructed Gerard to look after Richard, who staggered up the steps and into the house.
“Bring her in here, where there’s a fire,” Cynthia said. She looked frightened, and a little of my animosity toward her melted. After all, she had lost a daughter not too long ago, and any accident was bound to bring up terrible memories.
Derrick placed me on the sofa and peeled off the jacket he’d wrapped around me. He was so focused on getting me warm and helping me divulge my clothes, he didn’t notice when his mother laid a hand on his arm.
“Go check on Richard. Make sure he has everything he needs.”
“I’m not leaving.”
“Step outside. It isn’t proper.”
“I don’t give a damn about propriety!” he seethed.
Cynthia flinched but held her ground. Derrick and I weren’t married, and I was simply a guest in their house. Impropriety seemed ridiculous given the situation, but I sensed Cynthia’s need for control. Societal rules made her feel safe, and she wasn’t ready to let them go.
The tension was mounting, and I couldn’t bear to be the catalyst for another fight. I reached for Derrick’s hand.
