He couldn’t breathe without her.
Twining his arms beneath her limp form, he dragged her up tothe surface. His lungs burned with lack of oxygen, and he could only imagine how close his wife was to death.
Fear pulsed through his veins as he begged her silently to hang on.
For him.
For Aurelia.
He adjusted her so that she would breach the surface first. She looked so deathly pale in his arms as he dragged her to the shore, each movement a struggle as the bulk of her clothing dragged behind her.
She wasn’t struggling against him.
She wasn’t fighting for breath.
Beau and Michael waded into the water to meet them, soaking their breeches as they took her from Perry’s arms. A sob tumbled from his lips as he watched her being carried and carefully rested on the grass.
Barely catching his breath between ragged breaths, Perry closed the distance between them. Though fighting off exhaustion, he rushed to the shore, racing to Charlotte’s side.
“She’s ingested water; we must do something,” Perry shouted, as servants bustled around with blankets for the countess. Someone cut the ropes at her wrists. He waved away the fretful hands reaching to help them.
Touching his hand to her cheek, he willed her to awaken. He prayed he had arrived in time.
Why was she so still?
Silence surrounded them as everyone paused their frantic movements and watched with bated breath to see if the countess would awaken. He lowered his ear to her mouth, watching her chest for signs of breath.
“Please, Lottie. Please,” Perry begged, tapping her cheek with his palm. He wrapped his arms around her, tears beginning to fall as the hopelessness crept in. She needed to breathe. It had been toolong. Gathering her in his arms, he cradled her head in his shoulder and rocked back and forth.
“You cannot leave me now,” he whispered in her ear. “I have only just found you. Please, Lottie. Please, my love. You must breathe.” He buried his face in her neck as sounds of weeping floated around them. The world disappeared and it was only the two of them.
Tears flowed unchecked as his heart pleaded with hers to keep beating.
A strong hand pressed between his shoulder blades, attempting to distract him, but he shook his head. No distance would ever separate them again. Not even death. He would follow her to the gates of heaven and pull her back. He needed more time. God had no need for this angel when she belonged here on earth.
With him.
With Aurelia.
“Perry, perhaps we should bring her inside. The doctor has been summoned,” Beau spoke in a hushed tone.
Shaking his head, Perry continued to rock her in his arms. His sobs were muffled by the cold, wet fabric of her gown as it clung to her body.
“My lord, she needs to be warm. The countess will catch a chill,” Aamina begged softly, sobbing uncontrollably.
Perry shook his head, unable to let go. If only he held her longer, his warmth, his vitality, his strength, all might be infused into her, bringing her back to him. It was all he could believe. There was no other option.
He pulled back with sudden alarm as Charlotte’s chest heaved, making a dreadful sound as a deep-throated cough tore through her. Water came from her mouth, spilling between them, and her body began to tremble violently.
“S-s-so cold,” she muttered from stiff lips tinged with blue. Her eyes were wide and pleading as she clutched his soaking shirt.
The feel of her hand on him was pure bliss.
Perry brushed her hair from her face and watched her, tears streaming down his cheeks as he continued to hold her. “There you are. You gave me quite a fright, my Lottie.”
Releasing his shirt, Charlotte collapsed in his arms, the act of coughing up water seeming to have depleted all her strength.
The earl stroked his palm up and down her back, grateful to feel the movement of her back as her breath resumed. It was rough and shallow, but it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.
