A Lady's Guide to Courtship

XXI. The First Sight

Dearest William,

I am afraid I cannot perfect the waltz although I do enjoy dancing.

Perhaps, in time, you might teach me? I shall try not to step on your foot.

Your friend,

Lady Weis

*****

Ysabella had never attempted to carry any of her brothers—all five of them—for she never found a need to. They spent countless nights foxed on the floor of a drawing room and she never had to take the task of taking them to their rooms.

Yet now here she was, carrying a limp man as the rain thundered down toward them.

Oh, she would have enjoyed the rain, even danced under it, if not for the heavy weight she had to drag toward the cabin!

"Blood!" she cried, sputtering rainwater. "Not even my advances work on you, yet you swoon at the mere sight of blood!"

Wakefield moaned as the raindrops became heavier, soaking them both.

"Good! You're finally awake!" she cried out, dropping him on the wet grass to regain her strength. His hand moved but soon dropped back on the ground. "Oh, Sweet Mr. Jones, help me," she prayed as she bent back down to grab Wakefield by his coat over his shoulders and started dragging him toward the cabin once again.

By the time she reached the door to the cabin, Ysabella was breathing hard and both of them were completely soaked.

Wakefield opened his eyes with a moan and she rolled her eyes, resting him to the side of the cabin to open the door. Once done, she went back for him and this time he was able to regain a bit of strength and she managed to help him stand up.

"I came to Bertram for a relaxing respite, not for this," she told him as she guided him to the small bed, one probably used by the workers to rest. With a grunt, she helped him down on the bed none too gently.

"Water," he muttered.

"There are quite a lot dropping through the holes outside," she snapped, backing away from the bed, hands on her hips, her chest heaving. "I am afraid there is none here," she added, looking around the cabin. It was filled with tools but she doubted there was any food or water.

The rain was heavily pouring and she feared of going out to call for help. Flood had always been a problem to plantations such as this. She would not risk her own life to get him a bloody drink!"

Looking about, she saw a small fireplace and winced. She did not know how to light a fire. They never needed one in Wickhurst, but she understood why this particular cabin needed it. It was under a hole and one could say it was almost the same as living aboveground where they could be vulnerable to many of its elements, snow in particular.

Looking for something else to help the both of them get warm, she looked under the bed and found thick blankets. She wrapped one over her shoulders and proceeded to help Wakefield by tugging at his hands to make him sit. Taking off his soaked coat and leaving his damp shirt on, Ysabella wrapped another blanket around him.

He was almost back to consciousness as he was able to finally keep himself upright in bed while she proceeded to find anything to help clean his wound. Finding clean cloth in one of the drawers, she went outside the cabin to soak it with rain water.

When she returned, his eyes were fully open and he was staring at her with confusion.

"I did not know you are sensitive to blood, my lord," she said as she approached.