Reid noticed her figure as she bent over to retrieve some bandages from a cupboard. She was at once both softer and stronger than the women he had encountered in polite society. He was pleased to see she was shapely and had a bosom and stomach with just a bit of padding, as if she were not concerned about remaining thin—unlike the countless women he knew who refused to indulge in pastries at tea, wishing to maintain the svelte form that was fashionable at the moment. She also had arms that were toned and strong from labor, not soft and pale as many ladies possessed from lifting little more than a sewing needle.
Setting down a large, shallow bowl filled with warm water, Lady Elise sat down beside Reid and held her hand out for his arm. Her manner was all business, not looking at him as she began to push up his sleeve. Muttering indecipherably under her breath, she shook her head. “You’ll need to take off your jacket. It’s cut too tightly for me to access your arm.”
Standing, Lady Elise helped him ease out of the coat so his arm would not be jostled too greatly in the process. Settling down again, she gently rolled up the ruined sleeve of his fine linen shirt and picked up his arm. Sucking in a breath at the sight of the angry cut, she shook her head again. “This may sting a bit,” she said as she poured something into the water. Soaking a cloth, she placed it against his arm to clean out the wound.
Reid gritted his teeth at the burn as she delicately pressed and prodded at the cut to remove the debris and splinters from the fence post that had caused the damage. Now cleaned, the bleeding had almost stopped, and he watched as she bent her head close to the arm, examining the edges of the torn skin more closely, scouring for any remaining particles. His skin tingled from the touch of her fluttering fingertips which hovered over his skin so lightly, he wondered if she had even touched him at all, even as he simultaneously felt the grip of her supporting hand like a brand. Leaning in ever so slightly, he drew closer to the crown of her head and breathed in a sweet floral and herbal scent wafting from her hair.
Lady Elise looked up from beneath her long, dark lashes at the same moment. Eyes widening, she seemed startled to find him so close, and Reid was drawn into their deep, chocolate brown depths. As their eyes connected, he was lost in her gaze and noticed they were not just brown, but held flecks of cinnamon and gold in their umber depths, making the brown that much richer, and the lashes framing them lent an elegance to her face. Catching her breath at the intimacy of the moment, she looked away from him, breaking the contact, and returned to her detached manner.
“It’s rather deep next to your elbow, I’d like to place a few stitches before wrapping the arm,” Lady Elise said.
Reid nodded his permission, too bewildered by the emotions she was stirring in him to speak. He watched her in silence as she gathered a few jars along with a needle and thread.
“This will numb the skin so you won’t feel the needle as acutely,” she said calmly while scooping out salve from one of the jars before massaging it around the wound, avoiding looking at him directly again.
Reid had never heard of such a thing, but as she went about sterilizing the needle in a candle flame and cutting a length of thread, he felt the stinging subside. If he had not observed the needle piercing his skin, he wouldn’t have known she had started the procedure. Incredible.
“Where did you learn to do all this?” Reid asked, curious as to how a lady of the aristocracy would know how to tend to a wound.
“I took care of my mother for several years while she was ill,” Lady Elise responded, eyes firmly set on her work.
“Yes, but nursing is different from doctoring,” he persisted in his questioning. “I’ve never encountered a numbing cream before. How did you learn it would do that?”
“I did not trust the doctor to see to my mother’s comfort, so I began to read books from my father’s library. Looking for ways to ease her pain, I researched the medicinal qualities of many plants, and with the help of a local nurse and Nora, I learned how to make soothing creams and tonics.” She picked up another jar and started to spread a lightly scented mixture over the entirety of the cut. “This will help soothe the injured flesh and prevent infection,” she said, wrapping his arm in a clean length of cotton.
“Thank you,” Reid said, not knowing quite how to read the woman in front of him. She merely gave a curt nod, still refusing to look at him. Other than their brief moment of connection, he’d felt a distinct chill from her ever since Nora had referred to him as ‘my lord’. Though her touch was tender as she cared for him, her stiff posture made it clear she did so out of obligation and nothing more.
“Have I done something to offend you?” he asked, vexed as to why she seemed to be upset with him when he did not even know her.
“Not at all, Lord Weston,” Lady Elise answered, letting him know she knew exactly who he was, even though Nora had never called him by his full title. She then completely shocked him by stating, “I’m just hoping you won’t kick me out of my house.”
CHAPTER3
Elise could hardly believe that the man sitting in front of her was whom she was now dependent upon. She had been too shocked by his sudden appearance and tumble to initially wonder who he was, her concern more focused on tending to his injury as was her instinct. When Nora had recognized him and referred to him as ‘my lord’, she had been so shocked you could have pushed her over with a feather.
Once the shock had worn off, Elise’s fear had returned, making her close off her emotions while dealing with the man. She was not surprised he had noticed her cool demeanor and had questioned her about it. Her coping mechanism when it came to uncertainty was to shut down and draw into herself. Resenting she was not in control of her situation, she had been detached, and he was reading it as resentment towards him personally.
Realizing her blunt statement had rendered the man temporarily speechless, Elise sought to reframe the situation, saying, “I apologize for being so forward, my lord. I recognize you must be dealing with a lot, having lost your father so recently, but I’m feeling rather unsure of my place at the moment. You hold my fate in your hands, as you have the right to break the rental agreement I made with your father for the dower house. I apologize if I came off as rude.” She dropped her head as she finished speaking, as she didn’t wish to see how he would react to her vulnerability.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly. “I was unaware of the agreement you had with my father, so I apologize if my presence caused you distress.” With a small laugh, he added, “But it does answer my question as to why someone other than the dowager countess is living in the dower house.”
Surprised that he had not known of the arrangement, Elise looked at him again. “You mean you did not come here in order to evict me?” Relief flooded her at the thought.
“No, I was simply riding around the estate after tiring from trying to make sense of my father’s records when my bloody borrowed horse threw me at your mercy. I was unaware he had let the house. I’m quite surprised actually.” He smiled at her and it was entirely disarming. Why he should make her feel fluttery she could not understand. Looking at his handsome face, she spotted a small cut near his temple in need of mending.
Before she could return to cleaning his scratches, Nora re-entered the kitchen. “My lord, Jed finally found your horse and returned him to the stable. He’s rather jittery still and will need time to calm before you jump back on him. Why don’t you stay here for dinner? I’ll send our errand boy up to Cliff House with a note so they know where you are.”
“I don’t want to impose,” he said to Nora before turning to look at Elise, searching for her feelings on the matter.
After a beat, Elise realized everyone was waiting for her approval as the head of household. Although she could appeal to his good nature and show him the property improvements if he stayed for dinner, in her flustered state, she was inclined to end their interaction. But there was only one thing she could do if she wanted to remain in his good graces. With a forced smile, she said, “It would not be an imposition, my lord. Please do stay, we have plenty from the last of the summer fruits and vegetables.”
“If you are sure,” he said, still looking at her. Ruffled, she gave a simple nod.
“Well, that’s settled then,” Nora said with a satisfied smile. “It will be nice to catch up with you, Lord Weston.”
Needing a task to re-center herself, Elise turned toward Lord Weston and focused on what she was good at—healing. “I need to clean the scratches on your face, my lord, and then you can rest before dinner.” She wetted a clean cloth and stood to better angle herself as she dabbed the dried blood on his temple, realizing all too late that her breasts were now level with, and in close proximity to, his face. Not one to blush easily, she felt her cheeks grow warm.
He winced when she applied pressure to a small lump that was forming. “I’m sorry,” she said. “You must have hit your head when you went down. I’ll clean it quickly.” Elise noticed a thin scar running from his temple down to his cheek as she finished wiping off the dirt and dried blood, and she could not resist unconsciously tracing a light path over the scar with her finger. Hearing him draw in a sharp breath at her touch, she realized what she was doing and quickly withdrew her hand. “I’m sorry,” she repeated, not able to find any other words. Picking up the salve she had used on his arm, she gently rubbed a bit into the affected area.
