The horses seemed to recognize their nearness to shelter. They jolted into a faster pace, meeting the men on the front drive of the massive house.
“The carriage overturned a mile back,” Mr. Lewis announced as the men reached the buggy and kept pace alongside. “Marty's injured. We need to get him inside.”
The younger of the two men, who had dark curls like Marty, shot a look to the unconscious man. “We need the doctor?”
“The doctor won't make it here,” Mr. Lewis responded, drawing the buggy to a stop. “And we can't make it there. Case, follow me to the stables.”
The younger man nodded.
“Taylor, take Miss McAdams inside and let Mother know we'll be carrying Marty in.” He gestured toward Kizzie. “And ask Mrs. North to prepare a room for Miss McAdams. I'll explain everything when we settle Marty inside.”
The older of the two men, probably more like Kizzie's daddy's age, glanced at Kizzie before turning to Mr. Lewis. “Yes, sir.” The curl of his accent gave off a similar sound as Mr. Angus from the mountain. Was he from across the pond?
“I'll have your trunks brought to you, Miss McAdams.” Mr. Lewis’ attention raised to the man he'd called Taylor. “And Taylor, I'll need some assistance getting from the stables to the house on account of my own minor injury.”
“Yes, sir,” Taylor responded with a nod.
“Allow me to help you down, Miss McAdams.” Mr. Lewis turned to Kizzie and offered her his hand.
She stared at his outstretched gloved hand, the simple movement hinging in her mind like the courtly gesture she'd sung about in old ballads back home. Her gaze raised to his, the man's pale hazel eyes holding hers with the same patience as his outstretched hand. With the slightest hesitation, she slid her fingers over his, and he assisted her to a stand.
“Taylor?”
Kizzie turned at Mr. Lewis’ word to find Taylor ready to help her to the ground.
The snow reached to the top of her boots as her feet landed on the ground. She glanced back up at Mr. Lewis before turning toward Taylor, her palm rising to the place where Charlie's head rested. Her little bundle began to wiggle beneath her touch, warning of his coming need for food. Mr. Taylor led the way as Mr. Lewis and her buggy disappeared around the side of the house, presumably to find the stables.
Stables.
Even the Morgans, in their relative wealth, didn't have stables.
Their few horses went into a barn like most everyone else's.
Her gaze trailed back up the length of the house. But, she supposed, folks who lived in houses the size of hillsides could afford stables.
Mr. Taylor held the door for her to pass, his posture stick straight and his expression, well if an expressioncouldbe stick straight, his was.
A small entryway, with stained glass windows on either side, led through double doors into a large room with a grand spiral staircase of dark wood that twisted up and out of sight. Her attention caught on a chandelier dangling from two stories up, three times bigger than the one in the foyer of the Morgans’ house.
“Please wait here, miss.”
Kizzie looked over to find Mr. Taylor gesturing her through an arched threshold into one of the prettiest parlors she had ever seen. Lush green furnishings, thick ornate rugs, and a fireplace big enough to fit a horse greeted her from the first room, with another arched separation opening into another elegant room to the left. Another sitting room? Even larger?
Kizzie glanced behind her, where a doorway led to a hallway, hinting at more rooms.
“May I take your cape, miss?”
Kizzie stared at the man as if he spoke some foreign language. She understood the words, but somehow, they didn't fit the position she'd held her whole life: mountain girl and servant girl. Maybe it was his accent that caused the trouble.
She pushed up a smile and unfastened the clip at her throat. “Thank you kindly.”
He took the cloak and was in the process of dipping his head when his attention fell to Kizzie's chest. She followed the shocked man's attention and found Charlie peering back at Mr. Taylor with a similar wide-eyed expression.
“This here's Charlie, Mr. Taylor.”
And, as if on cue, Charlie unrolled one of his biggest smiles for the man.
Mr. Taylor's brows shot even higher.
