He dismounted and rushed to Madeline’s side. “The doctor’s on his way!”
Madeline handed Diana down to John, who carried her to the house.
Hilary and Penelope must have been watching at the window, for they were already there waiting, holding the front door open for him. Madeline quickly led the horses into the barn and tethered them there, then she ran through the pounding rain to the house. She was never so glad to walk into a warm home and see candles burning, smell a fire in the hearth.
She unhooked her cloak and handed it soaking wet to Hilary. “Bring hot water and towels to Diana’s room right away. She’s badly hurt.” Madeline picked up her wet skirts and bounded up the stairs.
She hurried to Diana’s room. John was laying her sister on the bed, while Penelope lit candles. When the room brightened, Penelope froze at the foot of the bed, staring dumbfounded at Diana’s blood-soaked stocking. Her brown eyes were as big as saucers.
Madeline rested a hand on Penelope’s shoulder. “Sweetheart, go and watch for your father. He and Charlie are on their way, and they’ll need warm blankets and hot tea as soon as they arrive.”
Penelope pulled her horrified gaze away from Diana and nodded. Seeming grateful for a task to focus upon, she turned and left the room.
Madeline moved to the bedside and laid a hand on Diana’s forehead. “She’s chilled. Let’s get her under the covers.” John helped Madeline pull the quilt around Diana. “When is the doctor going to arrive?”
“He had to saddle his horse. He should be here any minute.”
Madeline tried to catch her breath. Everything had happened so fast.
“Why hasn’t Diana opened her eyes or moved at all? I’m so worried, John. Is this normal?”
“My uncle fell from his horse once, and didn’t move for two days.”
“Two days? Really? Then what happened?”
“He simply woke up one afternoon and said, ‘Who let the fire go out?’ He had a few bumps and bruises, but he recovered.”
Madeline gazed warmly at John. “Thank you for helping us. We were lucky to meet up with you.”
“It wasn’t luck. Mr. Coates came to my homestead. It wasyouhe was looking for. He was worried, and I offered to help him find you.”
She remembered that she had gone for a walk without telling anyone, and all this was surely her fault. Would she ever be able to forgive herself? What if Diana did not recover? Good Lord, she couldn’t bear to think of it.
Hilary appeared with the towels, and Madeline pushed her fears aside and proceeded to gently remove Diana’s stocking and begin to wash the blood off her leg.
There was some commotion downstairs, the sound of boots thumping over the floor and a lot of questions being asked at once. “John, go and see if that’s the doctor.”
John left Madeline alone with Diana to cleanse her wounds.
Perhaps it was better that Diana was unconscious, Madeline thought miserably, for if she were awake, the pain would be excruciating. It was obvious to Madeline that bones were broken. How many and where, she couldn’t tell, but no normal leg ever looked as misshapen and swollen as Diana’s leg looked now.
More footsteps came thumping up the stairs, and the doctor—a distinguished, gray-haired man with gold spectacles—entered the room carrying a brown leather bag. He set it down on the floor and approached the bedside, immediately checking the pulse at Diana’s neck, then feeling her head for a fever. His intelligent eyes assessed Diana’s full form and settled on her leg. “That looks serious.”
Madeline could tell by his voice that he was a Yorkshireman. She moved out of his way to allow him room to examine her sister.
A swell of fear squeezed Madeline’s heart. “How is she?”
“It’s too soon to tell.” He squeezed Diana’s calf and all around her knee. “She hasn’t regained consciousness at all?”
“No.”
He continued to apply pressure in different spots. “The leg is definitely broken. In at least three places.” He shook his head ruefully. “Four places.”
Madeline tried to keep her voice steady, even though inside, her stomach was rolling with queasiness. “She’s not going to lose her leg, is she?”
The doctor glanced up at her only briefly. “I’ll do my best, Miss Oxley.”
He moved around the bed and pulled Diana’s lower eyelids down with his thumb, then checked around her scalp for a head injury. “Things look fine here. Perhaps she fainted because of the pain.” He went to his bag and pulled out a couple of splints. “I’m going to try and set the leg now, while she’s still out. Will you stay? I could use your help.”
