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Groaning, I start up the stairs.
“Ma’am, are you ready for your bath?” my maidservant asks, causing my heart to leap as she appears behind me. “Oh, I’m sorry, ma’am…” she starts.
“It’s all right, Tabitha. Please, call me Olivia,” I respond.
“Right. Pardon me. I keep forgetting, ma… Olivia. If you don’t mind me asking, are you all right, Miss Olivia?” Tabitha inquires. “You appear a bit faint.”
Now that she mentions it, Lord Everton’s presence did overwhelm me. With a press of my fingers to my head, I detect a cold dampness. “Oh, I suppose I’m feeling unwell.”
“Is it a cold, ma’am?” she asks.
I shake my head and smile. “I just need to lie down. Don’t worry yourself about my bath. I can fix it myself.”
She lowers her head, and her face drags in uncertainty. “I must insist, ma’am. That’s my job.”
Gulping, I’m not sure how to respond. I’m not sure if I’ve embarrassed her by suggesting that I do it myself. So, I just nod, smile, and head up to the room of the baths. The large basin of water and lavender helps to relax me and eases my thoughts of marrying Heath.
Chapter Four
Townes
Rollinghills,treesofgrandeur, tall grass being trampled by Chance’s hooves, and heaven help us, a blizzard that will soon turn the evergreen landscape ghostly white. It’s curious how a land, only three hours away, such as Lhyrenia from Colderidge, can be so vastly different in weather.
“Hyuh,” I command Chance, hoping to inspire him to move faster. He does, but I’m not helped by the speed. In my efforts to make it back to Colderidge in a hurry and avoid being trapped in the barbarous storm, I’m being whipped in the eyes by the stinging snowflakes. They come at me strikingly fast and surround my face like a swarm of bees.
With closed eyes, my balance is altered, and my body sways with every move forward. Grabbing for the reins is like reaching for air. Spluttering snow from my mouth, I narrow my eyes, forcing them open to see which way I need to steer my horse. I hadn’t brought my winter clothes with me, and my body shakes vigorously.
“Chance, my boy, let us make haste.” I lean forward so my words travel with ease to his ear, but the action shifts me. I risk crashing to the ground if I don’t get a proper grip on the reins. The bag of goods, including the books I have for Olivia, is dislodged in the chaos and plummets in the soft layer of snow gathered on the ground. With a groan, I consider whether to retrieve them but think against it as my lids grow heavy and frosted.
The wind howls, and it bears a likeness to a wolf. Or it’s a wolf. Soon, more howls join the one, and Chance screeches to a halt, cocking up his two front legs, screaming in fear. Of course, I’m thrust backward with a thud into the thin layer of snow, howling in pain from the impact. My hat has fallen upon my face and as I pull it away, hoping to steady myself and mount my horse once more, I bear witness to his departure.
“Chance! You silly boy, get back here at once!” I call, but my weight seems his biggest obstruction in the way of speed as he dashes even faster, disappearing through the trees.
“Chance! You can’t leave me here!” I cup my hand over my mouth, projecting my voice farther. There’s movement through the trees, and I sigh. The silly horse has come back for me. My riding cloak serves me well in removing the snow from my eyes though they shake, twitching uncontrollably. Following the tracks in the snow, I seek the bag of goods.
“Ah ha! There you are. Olivia will be happy after all.” I grin to myself, hoisting the bag over my shoulders before spinning around in hopes of seeing Chance.
Instead, I’m greeted with a sight that makes my legs tremble far harder than the cold snow. A pack of wolves surrounding me. The bag falls from my body when my shoulder slumps.
“Hello there,” I whisper, holding my hands out before me and slowly backing away. I even smile at them. A foolish move on my part. Baring my teeth seems to be what incites their teeth baring and well, they display the least pleasing smiles I’ve ever seen in my life.
Oh, dear. They won’t hesitate to consume me, and I’ll be dead within the hour. “There, there,” I whisper to the brown, black, white, and grey beasts, but the mere utterance of my voice provokes them, and they advance toward me.
Falling to my knees, I’m struck by an idea and scramble through the bag for the newspaper I purchased earlier. In my pocket is my tinderbox. This is my only hope. Hopefully, the fire will frighten the beasts. That’s as far as my plan goes. I don’t know what I’ll do after that. My fingers shake as I open the box, and the wind threatens to rob me of my tinder, but I grab hold of it. The flint is stubborn upon the steel, and I swear, muttering to myself as the wolves grow near.
Oh, blast. My breath is still, and the sharp edges of the stone digs into my palm as I strike and strike and strike, until my head may very well explode. And alas, there’s light. Light so sweet, I may cry from the sight of it.
The wolves growl, and the wind seeks to make an enemy of me. A gentle breeze might have helped the flames along but a wet, barking wind threatens to put it out. Oh, please, I beg for some mercy, shielding the lit tinder so I can fold the newspaper and set fire to it. An even larger flame is birthed, and I don’t waste time. Waving it at the wolves, their growls become whimpers.
“Ha ha!” I grin in a fit of madness and desperation.
Joy is quickly snuffed by the death of the flame. The wind’s persistence is successful, and I’m back where I was a few moments ago.
Being eaten to death must surely be the worst way to die. There isn’t anything so unfavourably barbarous as being ripped into and torn apart by several animals at once. My pulse quickens, and my breaths shorten. I’m soon overcome by a wave of dizziness. A merciful failure of the heart has taken the place of what could’ve been an awful death. My limbs grow numb, my sight wavers and soon, there’s nothing but absolute darkness.
Adam
The bang from my pistol is enough to send the mutts running for their lives.
