‘Harriet used to help my sister in this way,’ she whispered, ‘and it always worked. Just keep breathing.’
Her soothing tone was so at odds with the fear threading her veins, as she listened to the child dragging in each hoarse breath, before expelling it on a rattling wheeze. She pushed her closer to the fresh air, rubbing her back and willing her lungs to ease. Josephine had rarely suffered so acutely, and certainly not for a long while. And suddenly, all of Phoebe’s own troubles seemed so insignificant as to barely warrant a second thought. How she could even think herself stifled, or in want of adventure, when a young life could dangle so precariously, was beyond her comprehension. All that mattered was this moment, and each breath she managed to preserve. Silently, she waited and counted, watching the hollow at the base of the child’s neck depress with effort until, finally, just when she was beginning to think it might all be in vain, the little girl inhaled deeply, and a tide of colour flushed her face.
‘You can have … some of mine … if you like?’ the child whispered tearfully, finally able to finish her earlier thought.
A flood of relief filled Phoebe’s limbs as she smiled down at the little girl, who seemed entirely oblivious to her predicament.
‘I’ll let you in on a secret,’ Phoebe whispered, taking care to keep her in the fresh air. ‘I would turn back the hands on our nursery clock, when I didn’t want to go to bed!’
At this the child exhaled such a gurgle of laughter, that Phoebe worried she might actually set her off again.
‘What is the meaning of this?’
The arctic voice startled them both into silence, before Phoebe lifted her gaze to find the viscount regarding her stonily.
‘Why are you up here? With Florence?’ he barked, striding across the room until he towered over them both.
‘Alex! Alex!’ Florence bubbled happily, stretching out her arms as though she hadn’t just narrowly escaped a violent lung seizure.
‘Alex is my big brother!’ she confided. ‘Look, Alex … a pretty thief came … and smashed my window…!’ She grinned as though that covered everything.
It took all of Phoebe’s reserve not to roll her eyes as the viscount bent to scoop Florence up, and even more so when the ungrateful creature proceeded to throw herself around his neck, and proclaim him the best brother in the whole wide world.
Instead, she inhaled deeply, and resigned herself to the fact that this was probably not going to all end well at all for her.
‘I apologise for the window,’ she began, ‘but when I heard Florence…’
‘This is not the first time I’ve discovered you somewhere you really shouldn’t be, Miss Fairfax!’ the viscount interrupted in a searing tone. ‘You have clearly endangered my sister, and damaged my property! Might I remind you, this is my private home?—’
‘Dr Kapoor!’ Florence squealed, just as a large flare of indignation tore through Phoebe. ‘I had a cough, but then a thief broke the window, and saved me!’
To Phoebe’s great surprise, Captain Elliot’s friend, Lieutenant Kapoor, appeared in the doorway and was across the room in a few swift steps.
‘Hush now, Florence, we must remain calm if this is true,’ he murmured. ‘Miss Fairfax?’
He smiled kindly while Phoebe flushed, vacillating between the shame of discovery in the viscount’s private quarters, and the downright injustice of his wrath.
‘There was no tonic, honey, ginger, anything!’ she garbled in a rush. ‘Even laudanum – much as I detest it – would have been a help! I had no choice but to break the window!’
Phoebe caught her breath, aware it sounded lunatic even to her own seasoned ears, before looking up into the viscount’s face. His jade eyes had never glittered so coldly, and all at once she knew it wouldn’t matter what she said.
‘You had no choice but to expose my sister to the cold night air, which could have killed her?’ he replied crushingly.
‘Yes… No! It wasn’t like that!’ Phoebe fired, unable to believe she’d ever wondered if she’d misjudged him. ‘I have a … sister with the same condition.’ She exhaled, the events of the evening finally threatening to topple her. ‘Cold air can exacerbate the problem, but it can also help!’
‘With respect, Viscount Damerel,’ Doctor Kapoor frowned, ‘Miss Fairfax was not wrong to act as she did. There is much research to suggest that altering the air temp?—’
‘I don’t care about your damned research!’ the viscount snapped, rounding on Dr Kapoor. ‘I brought Florence back to Bath as you suggested, and not one of your measures have improved her seizures!’
Phoebe stared, suddenly recalling the viscount’surgent family businessat The Swan Inn, and then his mention of the same when she arrived in Bath. Could it have all been to do with Florence’s condition?
‘Again, with respect, sir,’ Dr Kapoor tried valiantly, ‘we’ve yet to implement any of my measures. For example, my research indicates eucalyptus, ginger, and garlic can all have a positive?—’
‘Not now! I must remove Florence from this draught,’ the viscount cut in abruptly. ‘Dr Kapoor, please escort Miss Fairfax back to her party immediately, I am sure the earl will have missed her.’
Then he turned and strode from the room, as though the moment beneath the magnolia never happened at all.
ChapterEighteen
