Chapter Eleven
Bellwood Estate
Derbyshire, England
“Call Doctor Baker now,”
Gerald ordered, rushing upstairs, holding Selena, followed by Dutch and Connery. What had happened to you, Selena? It seemed much more than fainting. She had clearly been in pain—her head—before dropping into a dead faint.
“Right away, my lord,”
Wells said from behind him.
“Have Anna and Mrs. Evans meet us upstairs,”
Gerald said, taking the stairs two at a time to reach the parlor.
He pushed open the door and laid her on the settee. Grabbing a chair, he pulled it next to the bed. She was so still. He leaned over her face to feel her breath. Thank God!
Mrs. Evans and Anna rushed in behind him.
“What happened, my lord?”
Mrs. Evans asked, pulling a small vial from her pocket.
He struggled to push the lump from his throat. What if I’ve lost her…just when I found her? “I’m not sure. She gripped her head, as if it pained her tremendously, screamed, and then…fainted.”
The housekeeper uncorked the vial. Gently lifting Selena’s head, she waved the smelling salts beneath her nose. “Come on, child. Wake up.”
As Selena stirred, her hands thrashed above her, until Mrs. Evans gently took them and held them in hers. “Selena…darl’n girl…wake up.”
Selena opened her eyes. Her face was ashen. Trembling, she looked at Mrs. Evans and then over at Gerald. Her eyes filled with tears, and she began to sob. “He killed her. He killed my mother,”
she wept. “My mother is gone…and he wouldn’t let me see her. He poisoned her. I know he did.”
Gerald drew her into his arms and held her against his chest. “Who…who killed her, Selena?”
he whispered.
“Percival…my cousin Percival killed her. He’s a m…monster,”
she hiccupped.
“No, he didn’t,”
a woman’s voice said from the entrance to the parlor.
Gerald’s head swiveled towards the doorway to see Lady Fleur Bowles standing there alongside his father and mother, Lord and Lady Bellecote. Behind them, stood Gerald’s best friend, Lord Asher Wright, and the rest of his family—his brother-in-law, Christopher Anglesey, the Marquess of Banbury, and his wife, Gerald’s sister Diana, as well as his youngest sister, Gabby. Gerald immediately recalled the invitations to celebrate the holiday at his estate. He had for’otten about the holidays and realized he hadn’t done a thing towards readying the estate for the festivities. Selena’s unexpected arrival had consumed his thoughts. But with Diana and his mother here, he was sure that they could easily remedy the situation.
“Maman!”
Selena tried to get up, but Gerald stayed her with his hand.
“Selena, love, you just dropped in a dead faint, screaming in pain, in the stable. You could have reinjured your head. Let your mother come to you,”
Gerald said, softly.
He helped Selena to sit up as her mother rushed forward to embrace her daughter.
“How…? What happened Mamam ?”
she cried as she clung to her mother.
“ Ma chérie ,”
her mother said, pulling her daughter to her breast.
Needing answers and, at the same time, wanting to crush the head of Percival Bowles, Gerald approached his family and greeted them.
Wells appeared at the door. “My lord, Doctor Baker—.”
Before he could finish the doctor strode into the room.
Gerald quickly explained the situation and introduced him to Selena’s mother. Asking Anna to remain in the parlor to assist. Gerald ushered his family into the drawing to tell them everything that had happened in the past few days. Connery excused himself and said he would be in the stables. Mrs. Evans returned a short while later with Rosie, one of the kitchen maids, pushing a tea cart with refreshments.
Gerald wanted to ask his parents to tell him everything, but he could not do that in front of his infant niece and nephew, nor his younger sister Gabby.
“The rooms are all prepared,”
Mrs. Evans announced as she withdrew from the room.
“Please don’t think badly of me, sweet brother,”
Diana said. “But these babies are tired and need to be fed.”
“Son, we all need to get a good night’s sleep including you,”
his father said. “Tomorrow morning will be soon enough for us to talk about everything that has happened. Everyone is safe and sound, and that is the important thing.”
Gerald nodded, even though he knew he would get no sleep tonight.
Gabby rushed to Gerald and gave him a quick hug. “I’m so sorry about all the horrid things that have happened. But I’m so glad we’re here though. The house looks wonderful. I cannot wait to see everything...everywhere,”
Gabby said, lifting on her toes and kissing her brother.
“I’m glad too, Gabby.”
Gerald hugged his youngest sister tightly. “I’ll see you all tomorrow morning, have a good night’s sleep.”
Gerald made his way to the parlor. Just as he was about to knock on the door, Doctor Baker opened it.
“I was just about to call for a footman to get you,”
the doctor said.
“How is she?”
“Much better. Perhaps we could speak in private?”
the doctor suggested.
“Yes of course.”
Gerald led the way to this study and offered the doctor a seat.
“It appears she has regained her memory. I’m not sure what prompted the change, and it’s hard to say definitively that all her memories have returned, but it seems so,”
Doctor Baker said.
He looked at Selena lying on the sofa, asleep. “Is she all right?”
“I gave her a sedative to help her sleep through the night. It is for the best that she rests.”
After the doctor had finished filling Gerald in on Selena’s condition, Gerald thanked him and escorted him to the door.
“You’re welcome, of course. I’ve got a birth to get to. But send for me if anything changes. I’ll be at Mrs. Whitton’s. Miss Bowles has had a terrible shock,”
he said. “She needs to stay as calm as possible. Although, considering she hasn’t seen her mother in some time, it seems unlikely.
“Thank you, Doctor Baker,”
Gerald said.
Gerald returned to the parlor feeling a curious mixture of relieved, concerned and saddened to see Selena sedated on the couch. “Lady Bowles, I realized that I never properly welcomed you to Bellwood. We are very happy you are here.”
He looked down at the sleeping Selena. “Selena needed you and the timing of your arrival was perfect.”
She swiped at a tear that leaked from her eye. “I am glad I arrived when I did,”
Lady Bowles said, gently running her hand over her daughter’s forehead, pushing back a few strands of damp hair. “I missed my sweet daughter so much.”
“Selena is an amazing young woman. And I have benefited from the time this has given me to get to know Selena. I’ve found her to be a very determined, strong, and brave woman. I have come to care for her very much,” he said.
“That makes me happy. Phillip and I argued when he first brought up the idea of a betrothal. But he felt so strongly about it, even though we both wanted her to marry someone who would love her.”
She looked down at her daughter and it seemed to Gerald that there was more she wanted to say.
Instead, she looked up and smiled. “Thank you, Lord Lawrence, for taking care of my little girl.”
“I will take her to her room.”
He lifted Selena and carried her upstairs, gently placing her on her bed. Her mother tucked her in and kissed her forehead. As he turned to leave the room, her maid entered. “Anna, please escort Lady Bowles to her room.”
“If you don’t mind, Lord Lawrence, I should like to sit with my daughter for a bit longer.”
He nodded and exited the room, fighting the urge to run back to the bed, draw Selena close, and kiss her passionately.