Belle nodded, agreeing, but couldn’t stop the knot of distress from growing tighter. She wanted Edward here. Now.
“The south barn is full of hay,” Belle said, her eyes on Crecy. Neither of them said anything. They both knew how fast that could burn if the fire took hold.
“I can’t sit here imagining,” Belle cried, getting to her feet. Crecy nodded and the two of them hurried to fetch their pelisses before rushing outside.
They could smell the burning, fierce and hot, long before they reached it, hearing the crackling fire as they turned the corner of the castle to see flames leaping high into the night sky above them.
“Oh my,” Crecy exclaimed, clutching Belle’s hand.
Belle was relieved to see a great crowd from the village had gathered to help. As far as she could tell, all the young men from Edward’s boxing club were there, shirt sleeves rolled up as they made a chain from the nearest well. Buckets of water were passed as fast as they could manage, but it seemed an impossible task, as the flames simply leapt higher.
Searching the crowd, Belle prayed for a glimpse of Edward, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Chapter 30
“Wherein lessons are learned, and our hero awakens.”
Edward’s rage took him down a familiar path until he found himself staring down into the hole he had dug himself. He gave a grim smile as he realised how apt the words were. He was forever digging himself holes, whether metaphorical or tangible. His anger left him by increments, draining away and leaving him weary and shaken.
Hauling in a deep breath, he looked up at the branches overhead and their haze of green where buds were showing evidence of the new season. He’d always loved the spring. It always seemed so full of possibilities, fresh starts and new adventures.
Belle had been right, of course. If he hadn’t shouted, she wouldn’t have fallen at all. Yet he’d been gripped by panic, and her name had been on his lips before his brain had time to catch up. Why in God’s named she hadn’t gone to fetch help instead of climbing that obviously rickety ladder by herself ... His guts clenched, but of course he knew the reason. Belle had to help there and then, because that’s what Belle did. She would never turn her back on anyone in need, least of all a child.
Edward concentrated on his breathing. Breath in, breath out. She was probably furious with him for being such a damned fool. He frowned and stared at the leaf-strewn floor. She was probably worried sick.
Picking his cravat up from where it lay discarded in the dirt, he tied it back around his neck in a hasty knot. He realised that it was growing dark already, and felt shaken by how much time had passed. Had he been standing here staring into this bloody hole for hours? He couldn’t remember it. It had only felt like moments ago he’d left the barn with panic clawing at his throat.
Turning around, Edward headed back out into the pasture that bordered the woods, and decided to go via the lane rather than tramping across the fields in the dimming light. It would be just his luck to put his foot down a rabbit hole and break his blasted ankle. He probably deserved it for being such a fool. Why in heaven’s name Belle bore with him was beyond him.
Because she loves you.
The knowledge wrapped around him, warming him against the chill of the evening. He smiled to himself. He was a fool, alright, but he was a lucky one.
Edward was so lost in his own thoughts that he almost didn’t hear the shout from the cottage that lay to his left. He looked up as Tommy Green hurried down the path, waving his one remaining arm and grinning at him, teeth glinting white in the twilight.
“Good evening, Lord Winterbourne.”
“Tommy,” Edward replied with a smile. “It’s good to see you. How are things?” He reached out to shake Tommy’s hand, grasping it firmly.
“Better than I dared hope after losing this,” Tommy said, indicating the empty sleeve that was neatly pinned up on his left side. “In fact, I was hoping you might spare a moment to come in and take a drink with us. We’re celebrating, you see.”
“Oh?” Edward replied, smiling, though he really wanted only to return and tell Belle he was an idiot, though she should know that well enough by now.
“Yes, my lord,” the young man said, blushing a little. “Well, you see, I had hopes of marrying Sarah Brown before I went off to war, but then ...” He gave an eloquent shrug. “A one-armed man with no job is no good to anyone,” he said, though there wasn’t a trace of self-pity behind the words. “But you changed that, my lord. Finding me that job overseeing the lads putting in that new drainage, well, you didn’t have to do that.”
“Nonsense,” Edward blustered, feeling uncomfortable with the man’s obvious gratitude. “After your experience in the engineers at the siege of Burgos, it would take an idiot not to put you charge of digging trenches,” Edward said with a wry grin. “So you can stop looking at me like I brought some kind of salvation. You’re over-qualified for the job and well you know it. I’m getting a bargain.”
“Aye, a bad one,” Tommy laughed, his eyes full of good-natured humour. “But let’s not argue over it. If we’re both of the mind we got a good deal, we should be happy enough to raise a toast. Especially as I’m about to become a married man,” he added with obvious pride.
Edward beamed at him and shook his hand again, clasping his good arm. “You lucky dog!” he exclaimed. “Isn’t Miss Brown the pretty young lady that works at The Lamb?”
Tommy nodded, quite unable to wipe the grin from his face. “That’s the one, but not for much longer. It’s a rough crowd they get down there, and my Sarah don’t like it. Now I can afford to keep her, and that’s your doing.”
Edward snorted, waving his words away. “Let’s not repeat that dance again, eh? You’d best show me in so I can toast your future happiness, then,” he said, regretting the fact that he would be late getting home and putting Belle’s mind at rest, but quite unable to dash the young man’s hopes. He was so obviously eager for Edward to share in his happiness.
Edward followed him up the narrow path to the cottage, staring at the tatty thatch on the roof.
“That needs looking at,” he observed, realising with a stab of guilt that he hadn’t attended to his duties to his tenants since he’d returned.
Tommy shrugged, looking awkward. “I know it. Normally I’d have it done by now, but ...” He trailed off and Edward’s guilt increased.
“It’s my fault, not yours. You should have told me sooner, though. I’ll get someone over tomorrow to take a look at it.”
“Thank you, my lord,” Tommy said, looking horribly grateful again. Edward cleared his throat.
“Let’s have that drink, shall we?”