Page 6 of Lady Arabella’s Reluctant Hero

And that would be a relief.

That thought was jarring. But more startling was the sound of footsteps on the gravel.

The footsteps stopped and a low voice said her name.

She closed her eyes. Oh no. No, no, no. She couldn't be seen like this. But even as she thought it, she knew she couldn't move.

She physically could not move from her hands and knees. The effort of drawing in air was too much, and the world was still spinning.

When the spinning made her stomach turn, she squeezed her eyes shut even tighter.

The man said her name again. It was also closer this time, and she heard no particular alarm in it, which she could distantly appreciate. His voice was low and calm. It was the tone her mother's doctors so often used.

Maybe he was a doctor. That would be convenient. Doctor, I do believe I may be dying. Is there any chance you could be of assistance?

If she could breathe, she might laugh.

With her eyes still closed, she felt rather than saw him kneel in front of her. Then there were strong, steady hands on her arms, helping her upright so she was kneeling.

Her eyes stayed shut.

Then he was talking again. Or maybe he'd never stopped. "A slow breath, Arabella. With me. In…"

She tried.

"Out."

She tried.

"Again. In."

It wasn't working. A surge of panic had her flailing, but the hands on her arms gripped her tightly, and his voice stayed calm and steady. "You're getting it. Try again. Breathe in with me. Just like that."

On the third attempt—or maybe it was the fifth. It could have been the tenth. At some point, she matched his breathing, and for once the air seemed to reach the bottom of her lungs.

"That's it." He sounded so pleased when she managed a simple exhale. But to be fair, the effort had felt Herculean.

Then he stopped talking, and that was calming too. He breathed audibly with her, slow and steady, until finally the world steadied, and death didn't seem quite so near.

After a long moment, she opened her eyes. Then she lifted her face.

Lord Alderton was kneeling in front of her on the gravel. His trousers were getting dirty, but he didn't seem particularly worried about that as he studied her. "Better?"

She nodded. But her throat grew horrifyingly tight as the urge to cry took hold.

At least the tears did not come. This was already far too humiliating.

And yet, she couldn't bring herself to move just yet. She wasn't entirely sure her legs would let her.

But Lord Alderton did not stand either. He waited. And he seemed content to keep waiting as long as she continued to kneel here.

Some distant part of her brain kept pointing out how bad this was.

And this was bad. Very bad.

She understood that in the same distant way she'd contemplated her potential demise on this path a little earlier. But right now she found she was too exhausted to actually feel humiliated.

Her whole body was trembling in the aftermath of this latest episode. It wasn't really her choice when her head fell onto his shoulder.