“Very well,” she said, taking a tighter hold of his arm. “Francis, please try to stand.”
He did as she asked, using her arm to help lever himself up, but the moment he was standing he wobbled, completely unable to stay stable. Her arms went up around him, taking his waist to try and steady him. It was difficult, for he was much taller than her, but she managed to make it work. Until he looked down at her in surprise.
“What?” she asked.
“Any other time I would make a jest about this,” he said with a small smile.
“You really are dazed,” she said, finding she was unable to smile out of fear for him. “This way.” She released him with one arm, keeping the first around him and steering him through the woods, as he leaned across her shoulders. He stumbled a few times, before managing to get some kind of footing and heading with her toward the horse.
As she stopped beside Cantante, she felt Hayward shake his head.
“I can’t get up there.”
“Why not?” she asked. “Please?”
“If I get up there, I’ll just fall off,” he said, turning his gaze through the woods. “I am sorry, Phoebe. Can you support me walking through the woods?”
“Of course, I will,” she said, pulling him forward again. She left the horse where it was, expecting to come back for him later, but Cantante seemed to take the cue and followed behind them anyway, with his nose turned down in their direction.
The two of them made slow progress, both quiet with Phoebe occasionally struggling when Hayward faltered slightly on his feet.
“I thought I wouldn’t be found,” he said after a while. The words made Phoebe’s arm that was around him tighten.
“I have been so worried all morning,” she said, still feeling the tremble in her other hand, though she tried her best to hide it.
“Thank you, Phoebe.”
“What for?” she asked. The two of them came to a pause between the trees, both getting their balance. Hayward reached out and took hold of a tree nearby with his other hand, using that to steady his weight to and take some of the pressure off of Phoebe.
“For this,” he said, “all of it.”
“You can’t stop walking now,” she said, watching as he leaned off her completely and rested against the tree.
“It’s too hard.”
“No! You cannot stop here.” She followed him as he leaned on the tree, resting his back against it. “Your Grace, please –”
“No more Your Grace,” he said again, pleadingly as he turned his eyes on her. She reached up toward him, gently taking his chin and angling it down to her.
“Francis,” her use of his name made him breathe deeply within her grasp. “You have to keep moving.”
He said nothing for a minute though he leaned a little further down toward her.
“You may have saved me,” he said, whispering.
“Not if you don’t keep walking!” she said, yet he kept leaning down toward her anyway. She didn’t realize right away what he was going for, not until she felt his lips against hers in a gentle kiss.
All her objections faltered as she thought only of that kiss. It was different to the kiss the night before, just as soft, yet this one made her heart ache, for now he was in danger, and she stood the risk of not knowing such a kiss again.
“What was that for?” she asked as she parted from him a little, looking up and connecting their gaze.
“Just in case I don’t have the chance to do that another time,” he said with a sad smile. The words made her breath hitch.
“No, you will. You’re going to keep moving, we’ll get you to a physician, you will recover and…”
“And there will be more kisses?” he said with a dazed smile.
“Yes! Now please, move,” she begged of him. He nodded, then gritted his teeth as he moved off the tree, showing how painful it was for him to keep walking.
