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Henry broke away from the kiss to press his lips against the skin of her neck. The woman keened, throwing her head back against the rough bark, not caring what it was doing to her hair.
“Oh, my lord! Please…”she cried.
Not needing to hear her words, Henry’s hands were already on her hips, squeezing the soft flesh of her curves. While her plumpness appeared to be suitable for fondling at first, Henry was disappointed by what he discovered. She lacked the forgiving nature of a fullerframe, and the rigidity of her body put him off. Where he had hoped for lusciousness, he found only sharp edges.
Henry was more than aware of her yearning from how sloppily she was kissing him, yet something within him had hoped her age would spell greater experience and finesse. While his interest began to dwindle, he knew he could keep it short and walk away with his mission accomplished for them both. He had gone so far, he might as well finish what he had started.
The woman clutched her dress and slid it up her thighs, allowing his hands to replace her own. They landed on her stocking tops. She leaned into the tree, a wanton grin on her painted lips, anticipating Henry's intention to give her exactly what she desired.
Hesevered the link between his senses and his compulsions, allowing the latter to take control. Tighteninghis grip on the woman's body, he grewimpatient for his release—for an excuse to bid her farewell and return home.
But his senses rose to the surface the moment the wind carried a faint, yet familiar scent to his nostrils. He pulled back from the woman and inhaled deeply. He could practically feel the warmth and hear the crackling of fire despite the distance.
Then, the woman’s eyes widened before Henry could even get the question out. The skirt of her dress fell once again, and her finger pointed over his shoulder, her brows pinched in concern.
“I see smoke!”
Without wasting a second, Henry turned around to see for himself. Soon enough, he too noticed the dark, billowing column of smoke rising in the distance. A connection began forming in his mind, cloaking him in panic.
Henry’s eyes blown open in fear, and he faced the woman again. “It’s coming from my brother-in-law’s estate!”
Helen, his only sister, and her husband,the heir to the Earl of Ingleby, their young daughter Agnes, as well asHenry and Helen's parents, were all in bed at the house. Fear of what might happen to them if the building caught fire galvanized him. He jumped up, fumbling with trembling fingers to fasten his clothes.I have to get there!
The woman swallowed hard and went to speak, but Henry was already running across the meadow. She picked up her skirts and hurried after him, clearly just as anxious to see the outcome. Kicking off her shoes, she snatched them up and pushed on.
Henry was no longer bothered by the sticky summer humidity, andpaid no attention to the long grass that nabbed at his feet, attempting to pull him down. Rather, he was only aware of the sheer terror swimming within his belly. The sickening worry only fueled his running.
He had almost forgotten the woman was behind him until they both reached the stone driveway of his brother-in-law’s estate. It was then when Henry truly saw the devastation with his own eyes—something he would never forget.
The pair was startled by what they saw beforethem. Henry's legs felt like they were filled with lead, and thefuror within himwas impeding his ability to act quickly.
While flames ate at the inside of the house, darker, more saturated smoke rolled out of the windows and curled above the roof. Even from adistance, the fire was scorching.
Henry's ears rang and he lost all sense, almost as if he had fainted. Despite this, he stood there dumbfounded, a terrible ache spreading throughout his limbs. He had never imagined anything more cruel than that moment.
A rampant static filled his senses until, at last, the woman’s voice broke through his trance. “My lord!”
Henry blinked hard and found her standing directly in front of him, clutching her dress in preparation to run once more. Finally, he appeared to snap out of it.
“I will hurry back to the village and fetch help!”she cried, her face frantic.
That was the moment everything clicked inside Henry’s mind. In contrast to his previous inaction, raw energy suddenly ripped through his body, urging him to move. He looked at her for a brief second, his face expressing the heavy burden of what he needed to do.
“Go!” Henry shouted, watching as she ran off before he turned and raced into the house.
His family was in there. He couldn't just waitand hope that by some incredible stroke of luck, they'd find their way out.
The intense heat of the fire licked Henry's face as he kicked open the front doors. He paused long enough to notice that most of the first floor had already been consumed, with the exception of the nearest stairwell. Despite the fire's rapid advance, it remained unharmed.
He was able to block the majority of the smoke and barely see the ground beneath him by raising his arm to cover his eyes. Henry ascended the stairs and breathed through his sleeve, not wanting to risk inhaling too much smoke before freeing even one person.
Everything moved past him in a blurred haze, yet he did his best to navigate the house through the heavy smoke and blinding flames.
“Agnes!” Henry yelled until his voice went hoarse. He kept an eye on the raging flames on the far side of the hall, which were already blocking some of the doors, and hurried to the nearest one.
“Mother, Father!”
Henry heard muffled responses from some of the rooms, but the raging fire and its rolling smoke disoriented him. He banged on a door and heard nothing, so he pushed on to the next one.
