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Morgan’s heart skipped a beat. ‘So do you.’
‘I have brought you nothing but trouble,’ she replied wryly. To her surprise and consternation, Morgan nodded sagely. She gasped and looked shocked. Morgan grinned.
‘Before we get into any of that, we have to go.’ His gaze felt to her now blue lips and all trace of mirth died. ‘My house is closer than yours. It is important we get you warm as quickly as possible. I can send Hargreaves to fetch your aunt just as soon as the weather eases. It isn’t safe for anybody to be out in this weather.’
Sissy took his gentle chiding with alacrity. She knew that running had been an incredibly foolish thing to do and nodded because she didn’t want to trouble him any more than she already had.
Morgan nudged the horse out of the shepherd’s hut. As if to chide them both for their foolishness at being out in the storm, thunder shook the sky overhead. Morgan nudged the horse into a canter and guided it home. There was nothing he could do about the rain that continued to lash down all around them, or the sodden state of them both as they raced through the storm. At least they were together.
All Morgan had to do now was find a way for them to stay that way.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
At the house, Morgan jumped down from his horse and lowered Sissy to the ground beside him. When he saw her hobble to keep her balance, he realised that she had hurt herself. Sissy clung to him when he swept her back into his arms and carried her into the house through the servants’ quarters. It took her a moment or two to realise what he was doing. When she managed to tear her gaze away from him, she glanced around and blinked at the kitchen staff, who were all staring at them in amazement.
‘Mrs Hall, get us something to eat, please,’ Morgan called to the shocked housekeeper as he stalked by. ‘And some warm water. And get the fire going in the pink room as well.’
‘Sir? Will the young lady be requiring a doctor?’ Mrs Hall asked, racing across the kitchen toward them.
‘We won’t know until I can check her ankle, but something warm to change into would help. Get Boris to find an old nightshirt of mothers or something she can wear,’ Morgan replied. ‘And get that bed chamber fire going!’
The kitchen erupted into chaos. Maids scurried around as they raced to carry out their new orders. Morgan left them to it and carried Sissy through the house. Without hesitation, he marched past Ralph who had come into the study doorway to see what all the shouting was about.
‘Need help?’ he asked.
‘Not yet,’ Morgan replied. ‘Just get Hargreaves on stand-by. As soon as the weather clears, get him to go and fetch Norma.’
Ralph stared after him but wisely retreated to the safety of the study having decided it was best to leave Morgan to sort out his love life by himself. As far as he was concerned, anybody with lips as blue as Sissy’s where was perfectly safe should Morgan have any lascivious intentions.
Sissy remained quiet as Morgan carried her down the long hallway at the top of the stairs to a room which, when opened, was not the room she had been shown to previously by Alicia.
‘Where are we?’ she gasped, looking about the opulent room with awe.
‘In the bed chamber beside mine,’ Morgan replied, carrying her over to the bed.
When he set her down, Morgan did so with such care that Sissy felt infinitely delicate. He barely had the chance to step back before the door was opened and a maid and footman hurried into the room. The maid bobbed a curtsey before heading straight over to the fireplace. The footman deposited the heavy bucket of coal he carried onto the hearth. Together, he and the maid set about getting the fire lit.
‘Set up a bath, please,’ Morgan ordered.
‘No, really. Don’t go to any trouble,’ Sissy gasped.
‘It is no trouble,’ Morgan argued. ‘Besides, it is the quickest way to get you warm.’
The footman hurried out of the room leaving Morgan to drape a blanket over Sissy’s shivering shoulders. She tried to gasp her thanks but she was s
haking so much she sounded nervous. She shuddered when her wet hair touched the back of her shoulders. It was then that she realised she was sitting on the side of the bed getting it just as wet as she was. Jumping up she turned around and looked in dismay at the wet patch she left behind.
‘Don’t worry about it. Just get out of those wet clothes.’
Mrs Hall charged in then carrying what appeared to be a nightgown. ‘Filbert said you wanted a bath arranging, sir.’
‘That’s right.’
‘For you or the lady, sir?’
‘The lady, Mrs Hall. She needs to get as warm as possible as quickly as possible.’ Without asking Sissy if it was all right, Morgan swept her off her feet again but only so he could deposit her closer to the now roaring fire. ‘I am just going to get dry. I will be back in a minute,’ he promised Sissy softly before quietly letting himself out of the room.
‘Now, miss, you cannot stand around in that wet dress while the bath is prepared for you. Let’s get you dry and you can warm yourself by the fire. I have got a pot of broth warming. It will be ready soon. How about you get changed first, eh? Then you can have something to eat while we get the tub sorted. I am sure the master will be back as soon as he can.’ Mrs Hall busied herself preparing the room leaving Sissy to hobble awkwardly over to the retiring screen.
