Chapter 6 #2
The maid scurried off, leaving him alone with Jaclyn.
He sat beside her, holding her hand gently, his eyes never leaving her face.
His mind raced. How had this happened? The events from earlier were still too fresh in his mind.
Her struggle in the water… He could not erase the sight of her body being pulled under the surface, and the terror he had felt in those moments…
It was not something he would soon forget.
It had taken everything in him to reach her in time, to pull her from the water, but now that she was here, he had to pray she would wake. Pray that she would be fine.
Lady Easton appeared at the door. “What has happened?” Her voice was full of panic as she stepped closer to them. She lifted her hand to her chest as she stared down at her friend.
Kingston barely nodded at her in acknowledgment; his gaze still fixed on Jaclyn.
He could not make sense of the emotions swirling within him.
He had thought he wanted revenge, and perhaps he still did, but for now he could set that aside.
Jaclyn meant something to him. Something he was not ready to identify.
He had never imagined himself feeling anything but disdain for her, yet here he was, unable to shake the feelings that had risen with every heartbeat.
The more he thought about it, the clearer it became.
She had been a part of his life for such a short time really, and only in scandal—but something had shifted.
Something important and he could not lose her before he unraveled it all.
“Will she be all right?” Lady Easton asked.
Kingston glanced at her. He could see she was concerned, and he should offer her some comfort, but he had little answers to offer her.
“She’ll be fine, I think. The doctor will know more once he examines her.
” He offered her a faint smile. “Your husband had gone for the doctor. A maid is preparing a chamber for her. We will settle her there once it is ready.”
Lady Easton stared at her friend. “I will check on the progress. She will be all right. I will not accept anything less.” She turned and left the sitting room.
Kingston exhaled a slow breath, and for the first time since the ordeal began, he allowed himself a moment of reprieve, but his thoughts were anything but calm.
Pushing aside the tumult of his emotions, Kingston leaned closer to Jaclyn, brushing a stray lock of damp hair from her forehead.
"You are stronger than you seem," he murmured, though he did not expect her to hear.
"And I swear, I will not allow you to leave me. "
Minutes later, the Lady Easton rushed back into the room. “The chamber is ready. Follow me, Your Grace.”
He lifted Jaclyn into his arms and fell in step behind the marchioness. They went up a grand staircase and headed up to the west wing of the house. She stopped outside of a bedchamber that was not far from Kingston’s own room. He couldn’t help wondering if Lady Easton had arranged that on purpose.
They went inside and he settled Jaclyn on the bed. “Her wet clothes need to be removed,” he said.
“I will see to it,” Lady Easton told him. “Once you leave the bedchamber.”
He did not want to go, but he knew he had to. It was not proper for him to be in the room as her clothing was removed. “I will wait for the doctor downstairs and direct him where to find her.”
Lady Easton nodded. “Thank you, Your Grace.”
He jolted. “For what?”
“Saving my friend,” she said softly. “I cannot lose her.”
He did not respond to her gratitude. Kingston did not know what he could even say to it.
He had not saved Jaclyn for Lady Easton.
He had not even considered what his motivations were when he dove into the pond after her.
Instead of trying to find the right words, he turned and left her alone with Jaclyn and headed back down to the sitting room.
Not long after he returned to the sitting room, the marquess returned with the doctor. They entered the room with a sense of urgency. “Where is the patient?” the doctor asked.
“We have her in a bedchamber,” Kingston responded. “I can show you where to find her.”
The doctor nodded at him, and they rushed up the stairs. He rapped his knuckles on the closed door. “The doctor is here,” he said loudly. “May we enter?”
“Come in,” Lady Easton told them.
The doctor immediately went to work, checking Jaclyn’s pulse, her breathing, her temperature. As he did so, Kingston stood back, keeping his distance, though his eyes remained fixed on the woman whom he could not stop thinking about.
After a long, tense moment, the doctor straightened. “She will recover,” he assured them both. “She was fortunate—very fortunate. With rest and care, she will be well.”
A wave of relief washed over Kingston. But at the same time, a thought lingered, one that he could no longer ignore.
He had nearly lost her, and that realization had changed everything.
There was no denying the deep affection he had developed for her.
He had tried to keep it at bay, tried to convince himself it was merely the circumstances of the moment.
But now, as he watched her stir on the bed, he knew that it was more than that.
But what exactly that entailed… he wanted to discover it.
He wanted to become closer to her and for that he needed her to be well.
Easton turned toward him, his voice quiet. “You did a good thing today.”
Kingston looked at his friend, surprised. “It was nothing.”
“We should leave them alone,” Easton said. “Charlotte will see that she is taken care of and she has everything she needs.”
Kingston’s gaze returned to Jaclyn, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully.
His heart tightened as he stared at her prone form.
It was time, indeed. And when she was well, he would put his plan into action.
Not just his plan for revenge, but his plans for her specifically.
He would not let fear steal this chance from him. Not again.
“You’re right,” Kingston said. “She will be fine here with your wife. Let’s retire to your study.” He turned and met his friend’s gaze. “I do not know about you, but I could use a spot of brandy. But first I need to change out of these wet clothes.”
The marquess clapped his back. “I will meet you there. Do not tarry too long, my friend,” he said.
Easton left and went down the hall toward the stairs.
Kingston glanced one last time at Jaclyn before he turned in the direction of his own bedchamber.
He would check on her later when there was not an audience to overhear or see anything he did not wish them to.
She would likely be at Easton Abbey through her recovery, and he fully intended to use that to his advantage.
He went into his bedchamber and removed his wet clothing quickly. He had not lied when he said he could use some brandy. Now that Jaclyn’s care was seen to, he felt cold to his bones. He could use something to warm his blood and erase the stark fear that had held him in its grasp.
He moved to the large mahogany wardrobe that stood at the far side of the room and pulled out a fresh set of clothes.
He shivered as he removed his soaked garments, feeling the weight of the cold still pressing on him.
His hands shook slightly as he pulled on a clean shirt, the fabric soft against his skin but doing little to stave off the deep-rooted cold.
He could not wait to have that glass of brandy in his hand.
He anticipated the burn as it traveled down his throat.
He needed it for more than its warmth, but also to help him gain some sort of balance after the harrowing encounter.
Once he was changed, he left his bedchamber and went to join the marquess in his study. Later, he would check on Jaclyn and set his plans in motion. He still did not fully know what he wanted from her, but he knew one thing with certainty. He wanted her… and he would have her.