He resumed walking. “Maybe I should go to my master then. I don’t want to cause you trouble with your father. Will he beat you?”
She gave him a horrified look. “My papa? Goodness, no. He would never, ever physically punish me. Oh, he grumbles andmutters a lot, but he’s never hurt or scared me. His punishments are more about restricting activities I love or my freedom, but he would never lay a hand on me or his servants, for that matter. You’ll see for yourself.”
Another scowl. Perhaps he didn’t believe her.
“You can lean on me,” she said as he tottered again. “I won’t let you fall.”
“It’s hardly appropriate, and we’re alone.” His tone could cut glass.
“I only mean to help.”
He didn’t say anything, and she didn’t insist. Besides, he had a point. Her body pressed to his, and they were practically hugging. Anyone looking at them would think they were a couple. Thank goodness Hampstead wasn’t London. Her reputation wouldn’t be ruined simply because she helped an injured man, and well, no one was around aside from them.
He groaned in pain as they trudged through the snow. They sped up a little once they reached the clear path that led to her house.
He breathed heavily, rubbing his ribs. “I think I broke a rib.”
There. All because of her. “Dash it, I’m sorry. But fear not. Papa will fix you. I learnt a little from him. A broken rib will take a couple of weeks?—”
“A couple of weeks?” His voice rose. “Sir Howard will kick me out if I can’t work for a fortnight.”
She cursed her decision to go to Windy Ridge again. “I’m sure my papa will find a way to help you.”
A deep, deep furrow marred his brow. “You have too much faith in what yourpapacan do.”
Right. She wouldn’t push the subject further. He would see it for himself. The more they walked, the more he grimaced. He shuffled his feet onwards, and a tremor went through him. The incident couldn’t be the sole reason for his weakness.
She rolled her bottom lip between her teeth. “I don’t mean to pry, but you…” Bad idea. How was she supposed to tell a boy he looked frail without offending him? “Never mind.”
“What?” He leant against her, and she had to focus on remaining straight and not trip on her feet.
“Nothing really. We’re nearly there.”
He shivered in his worn jacket. “I know how I look,” he said through yet another grimace. “When my master isn’t pleased with my work, he doesn’t feed me. He’ll be even less pleased after today.”
“Maybe if he fed you properly and treated you well, your work would be to his satisfaction. Just because he’s rich and powerful, it doesn’t mean he’s better than you. It’s the nineteenth century, for Pete’s sake. Social classes—” The words rushed out of her mouth before she could stop them. “Sorry. It wasn’t my place.”
Her words were potentially dangerous. One might think she sympathised with the anarchists who were bombing London and killing people. She sympathised with their ideas but not with their methods.
He flushed either in shame or anger, but if he was offended or instead shared her view, he kept his opinion to himself.
They walked the rest of the way in silence. Along the path, his breathing grew more laboured and his legs weaker. She hoped the sledge hadn’t caused any internal damage. Papa had told her of soldiers who had died because of the internal bleeding from wounds not visible from the outside.
The more she thought about all the possible injuries Keith might suffer, the more her pulse spiked. By the time she arrived home, she was frantic to see her father. Keith cried out when she helped him up the short flight of stairs to the back entrance.
“I can’t…” He panted. “I must stop.”
“Sit here.” She nearly lost her balance, helping him onto the bench in the hallway.
He rocked back and forth, his hand on his ribs. His mouth was twisted in a grimace.
“Don’t die. Please.”
He gave her another glare. “I’ll do my best.” The words stammered out of him.
She rushed along the corridor without caring about the trail of mud she left behind. Even the housekeeper would be angry with her. The parlour was empty. The sitting room was deserted. Where was her papa?
She reached the main entry hall and spotted him. “Papa!”
