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When Isaac entered the room, Louisa was lying in bed, gazing sleepily out the window. Lloyd sat by her bedside with his head resting against the side of her hand, looking heart-wrenchingly worried about her.
She seemed relieved to see him. “Mr Quince,” she said quietly, “thank you ever so much for springing to my aide. I feel so foolish for having had an accident like that.”
“You have absolutely nothing to feel badly for,” Isaac said pleasantly, pulling up a chair beside her bed. “I am just so glad to see that you are all right. I was so worried ...”
Isaac was about to launch into his concerns for her, but then he stopped himself. So much had already happened today, and he did not want to make her feel anything that she did not want to, especially when recovering from such an awful fall.
“You were worried about me?” Louisa asked.
Isaac nodded slowly and then said, “Oh yes, of course. You fell, and so I worried ... as anyone would worry ... for someone who they hardly knew who had suffered a fall. No more or no less, of course.” Upon finishing talking, Isaac wanted to kick himself.No more or no less?!he shouted in his head.Why did you let yourself say that to this incredibly beautiful young woman? Why couldn’t you have just said ‘yes’?
Louisa looked as though she wanted to laugh, but she did Isaac a kindness and did not. “In any case,” Louisa responded, “I must thank you for that. And now, if you’ll allow me, I must return home, as I know that my parents must be worried sick about me.”
“No, no!” Isaac said a little too loudly when Louisa tried to rise from the bed. She looked very surprised and froze, and so Isaac explained himself. “The doctor requested that you rest here, and we monitor your condition for twenty-four hours. I’m sorry, but I’m afraid that you won’t be able to return home until tomorrow.”
Louisa looked annoyed at first, which concerned Isaac because the last thing he wanted to do right now was upset her, but then she seemed to accept what Isaac was saying to her. But before she could say anything else, he said, “Oh, and of course, I shall return to your home to inform your parents of what has happened so that they do not continue to worry.”
Finally, Louisa seemed contented. “Thank you very much, Mr Quince,” she said formally and respectfully, and then lay back in bed. “I do believe I owe you a great deal of gratitude for your actions today.”
Isaac couldn’t help smiling. “You are most welcome, Miss Louisa,” he replied. Then, he was seized by a bit of bravery and continued, “All that I ask in return is that you simply call me Isaac.”
Hearing this seemed to please Louisa greatly, for she responded, “That is very kind of you. I shall only do that, though, Isaac, if you refer to me as Louisa as well.”
“Not Lulu?” Isaac asked. Then, his eyes widened in panic. He hadn’t meant to say that out loud, and now he was terrified that Louisa thought he was teasing her. “I’m so sorry,” he stammered, “I didn’t mean to say that. I was in no way trying to make fun of you, and I shall never mention that nickname to anyone.”
Louisa’s face was frozen in surprise, and so Isaac braced himself for the impact of her anger. When her look turned to one of delight, however, Isaac had never felt more thankful in his life. Louisa laughed out loud rather uproariously, and then said, “That was quite well timed, Isaac. But yes, if you ever call me that again, there shall be far more serious consequences.”
Louisa looked so serious that Isaac knew he should take what she was saying seriously. “Yes, of course,” Isaac reassured her. “I shall leave you now to go and call upon your parents. I do hope that you will rest well here, and if you require entertainment ...” he trailed off and went to the bookshelves in the room. He grabbed an assortment of books that he thought she might enjoy, and then placed them at her bedside. “I hope that these shall suffice.”
“I think that I’ve thanked you almost as many times as you’ve apologized to me today, but I shall say it again: thank you, Isaac. Will ... will you be here this evening, or do you have plans already?” Louisa asked, suddenly shy.
Isaac was surprised by Louisa’s forwardness, but also utterly delighted. “I shall have nothing to tend to this evening. Would ... would you enjoy some company? Perhaps I could read some of my father’s thrilling law books while you read,” he replied to her.
“I would very much enjoy the company; thank you, Isaac,” Louisa said, picking up the first book. “And now I shall let you ride off to my home, and I will not thank you again for I do believe your ears are becoming tired of hearing my voice.”
Outwardly, Isaac chuckled and took his leave of Louisa, but inwardly, he denied that he could ever become tired of her voice. All of this business with Louisa’s accident had come about because he had wanted to hear her voice again; the truth was that the way he took through the woods was not a shortcut to his home. He was simply taking his usual shortcut, but then when he saw Louisa sitting by the brook, he had changed his course slightly.
And then Isaac remembered that when he had come upon her, Louisa had made a noise that sounded like she was thinking about ... well, something very pleasurable. Isaac couldn’t say for certain, but the possibility that Louisa may have been thinking about him was ... enthralling. He could not get his mind off of it for the rest of the day.
