Chapter Seventeen
“Sophie?” Tam’s heart skidded to a halt for the briefest of moments, and then he was racing for the opening in the ice. “Sophie!”
Her head popped up above the water. “Help!”
The sheer terror in her voice cut him to the core. “I’m coming. Hold on to the ice.” He veered away from the straight track he’d been taking, as cracks spread out around her in a snowflake pattern. The last thing he wanted was to crack more ice, or he’d never get her out.
“I can’t. It’s too slippery.”
Bloody hell. If he had to jump in with her, he would.
“Christopher!”
He glanced up for a second to find Rose sliding a broom across the ice.
“Give it a push then get off the bloody ice!”
“Tam? It’s too cold. I can’t…”
He snapped his head to Sophie. “You can. I’m coming.
Move your arms and legs and everything.” Not wanting to take his eyes off her, but also needing to grab the broom that lay a few yards away, he skated cautiously toward it while talking to Sophie.
“I’m going to get you out of there, but I need you to concentrate.
Think about the shipwreck of Robinson Crusoe.
He made it to the shore but then swam back to the wreck. ”
“Yesss…t-t-to…g-g-get…w-wood.” Her teeth chattered as she tried to reply.
He lifted the broom and approached slowly, listening to the ice. “Wood is helpful not only for building structures but also to float on.”
“I…I know…th-th-that.”
“Of course you do.” He studied the opening in the ice and moved to the side with the least cracks. “Now I need you to turn toward me and rest your arms upon the ice.”
“I…I’ll…t-t-try.”
There was no help for it—he would have to move over the cracks.
As quickly as he could, he lay down upon the ice over the cracks and held the broom toward Sophie, giving her the handle end, while he gripped the straw.
The scent of good scotch filled his nostrils.
Damn Rose! He focused on Sophie and held the broom out, but it didn’t reach.
Voices from the edge of the pond floated over him as he inched closer to her. “Try to grab the handle of the broom as I get closer.”
“It’sss…t-t-too…far.”
“Keep reaching and I’ll keep coming closer.”
“T-t-too…cold.” Her arms slipped from the ice.
His heart lurched. “Sophie, don’t give up. There are so many more books you need to read.”
She didn’t react, her lids lowering.
He moved the handle to just within her reach, but she needed to lift her cold limbs, and her movements to stay afloat were growing slower. “Come, Rosalind. You’ve never been one to give in. Show me that spirit.”
Her eyes opened fully and her gaze rested on the handle. One hand came out of the water and grasped it.
He held tight. “Now your other hand.”
Her chattering stopped for a moment as she gritted her teeth and lifted her other hand out of the frigid water. She got it to the handle but couldn’t grasp it and started to sink.
“No!” He was about to jump in when her second arm shot out of the water, and she slammed her hand down on the broom handle, forcing it into her frozen palm.
Relief washed through him. “I’m going to pull you toward me. The ice will crack under your weight, but you hold on.”
She didn’t try to speak, but he could see in her eyes that she understood.
He started to pull the broom, but the cracking beneath him told him the ice wouldn’t hold both their weights. Still, if he could just pull her close enough to grasp her, then—
A hand grasped his ankle and started to pull him backward.
He didn’t dare take his eyes off Sophie to see who’d understood his dilemma and had come to help, but he was thankful.
As he was pulled back, the ice before Sophie cracked.
Fearing she would be too cold to hold on, he pulled her closer until he could grasp one of her wrists.
Even through his gloves, he could feel how cold she was and fear rippled through him.
He couldn’t have just found her only to lose her.
As they were pulled to stronger ice, he was able to grab her other wrist and pull her up onto the harder surface. They continued backward a few more yards before they stopped.
“That should do it, Lord Tamworth. We’d best get the lady into the house at once.”
At the sound of the pugilist’s voice, he finally looked behind him. The man released him and sat upon the ice, wearing no coat himself.
Christopher quickly sat and pulled Sophie into his arms. As he tried to stand, her wet weight started to pull him over until Mr. Billings grabbed his arm and helped him remain upright. They both moved to the edge, cheers erupting around them.
Mr. Billings let go of his arm and waved at the crowd. “Get you all back into the house. You ladies will catch your death out here.”
Thankful to the man, Christopher quickly sat Sophie on the bench and unhooked her heavy, wet cloak.
He pulled off his greatcoat and wrapped her in it.
After ripping off his blades, he lifted her in his arms again and ran for the house, passing the students who’d come out to see what was happening.
He’d just reached the servants’ door when it was opened by Lady Rose.
“Upstairs, to her room. Follow me.”
He didn’t have to be told twice, ascending the stairs as fast as Rose to get Sophie warm again. Once inside her room, he moved to the bed to lay her down.
“No. Not there. On the settee. I need to get her out of those clothes and wrapped in blankets until the bath is ready.”
He turned around and laid Sophie down. She was listless, her head lolling to the side. His heart stopped hard in his chest. He put his ear closer to her lips, to make sure she still breathed. The lightest of breaths touched his cold ear.
“Now get out, so I can make her well.”
He spun around as fury filled him. “You did this.” The words were barely ground out.
Rose’s confident look of a moment ago crumbled. “I did. But you have to let me help her. Please.”
He swallowed as much of his anger as he could. “Do not let her die.”
Rose’s eyes widened before she nodded.
He turned back to Sophie and kissed her on the lips, then whispered, “Live, my Rosalind. For me, live.”
He thought he saw her lips move, but wasn’t sure. He’d just stood to leave when Lady Sommerset bustled in, followed by his brother.
The lady was clearly upset. “What has happened here?”
“I’ll let Lady Rose tell you while you help Lady Sophie.” He stepped aside to allow his sister-in-law to view Sophie. Immediately, she went to her. Since there was nothing more he could do, he pointed to the door. “Let’s go, brother. They have a life to save in here.”
For once, Andrew didn’t question him.
“I need a drink and a fire.”
“Then follow me.” Andrew led the way down another corridor and opened the door to a sitting room.
Christopher had no idea where he was, but there was a fire and he stepped to it, his wet clothes feeling cold and heavy.
“Here.” Andrew handed him a whisky, and he tossed it back. The liquid filled his veins with warmth, but his heart remained frozen.
Andrew moved to a connecting door then returned with a dressing gown. “You better get out of those clothes. Here.”
Christopher took the dressing gown his brother offered and dropped it on a nearby chair.
His back wasn’t wet, and still it was almost impossible to peel off his clothes.
He hoped the ladies were intelligent enough to cut Sophie out of hers.
As he tied the dressing gown he’d donned, he thought about going back to tell them, but his brother was between him and the door.
“Don’t worry. She couldn’t be in better hands. Lady Rose has studied medicine under the duchess. She’ll get Lady Sophie warmed up. Here, have another. You need to warm up, too.”
He took his refilled glass from Andrew and sipped it.
“Now, you want to tell me how you and Lady Sophie came to be skating on the pond alone together?”
Christopher scowled at his brother. “We weren’t skating.
Lady Rose had planned a prank for me by weakening the ice with my scotch.
” He held his glass aloft for a moment to let that information settle.
“Lady Sophie found out and tried to warn me but ended up breaking through. We weren’t alone, as Lady Rose had followed Sophie out, as did Mr. Billings, who must have seen the commotion from the faculty dining room, as well as a handful of other students.
Not that it matters. I plan to ask the lady to marry me. ”
The glass decanter rattled against a glass as Andrew turned in surprise with his own drink. “Excuse me? You know you don’t have to, since, as you said, you had plenty of company.”
“I know I don’t have to. I want to.” Christopher turned to face the fire, rolling the stiffness from his shoulders. He couldn’t get the image out of his mind of Sophie disappearing beneath the frozen surface and into the black, watery abyss.
He heard Andrew move to a chair behind him. “No need to be so honorable, unless you’re thinking this would be a good opportunity to add a dowry to your coffers. I just have to caution you that you will be miserable unless there are some mutual feelings.”
Once again, his brother underestimated him, but instead of being angered, Christopher found himself indifferent. It didn’t matter anymore. Only having Sophie mattered.
He turned and shook his head at Andrew. “There are very strong feelings between us. The problem is that I doubt her father will accept me with the way I make an income.”
“Wait a moment. When did you develop feelings for Lady Sophie? I wasn’t aware you knew her, except possibly from being here. But she isn’t a first-year student, so how could your paths have crossed?”