By the time she was awake enough to gain her bearings, the carriage came to an abrupt halt. She vaguely heard the sound of horses running in the distance, and water trickling… Trickling right through the carriage.
“Mrs. Mossant?” The sound of Mr. Waverly’s voice brought with it some reassurance. “Are you hurt?
Ah, her head rested on his chest. And they both seemed to be lying on the ceiling of the carriage. “I am unhurt, but what of you?” He’d taken the brunt of the impact.
She was afraid to move. What if they dangled over the side of a cliff? What if the carriage were to begin sliding again? Or rolling?
“I believe I shall live.” Mr. Waverly moved gingerly. “Be careful, there’s broken glass all around.”
Pushing off of his solid chest, Eve did her best to free him without shuffling about too much.
“Umph.”
“I’m sorry. Oh, dear.” She’d planted her knee in a most unfortunate place. He groaned and then gripped her hips when she went to push herself off again.
“Hold on, woman. Not there.”
Of all things. She was grateful for the semi-darkness so that he couldn’t see the heat rising to her face. If she could only move her knee. “I’m— Mr. Waverly—”
Before she could finish, he’d efficiently released her from her skirts and moved her leg to one side.
Only now, she straddled him.
Her breath hitched. They lay on the brink of death and she was most certain that he’d become aroused.
Or perhaps it was merely his coat folded up awkwardly.
“Do you think we are in danger of falling farther?” She whispered the words, almost as though the sound of her voice, in and of itself, might send the carriage careening farther down the hill.
Mr. Waverly stretched his neck in order to examine their situation. As best he could, anyhow, what with her pinning him to the ceiling of this blasted contraption.
A tree branch protruded into the interior, the culprit that broke the window, no doubt, but the other was intact.
“I think we have quite safely landed at the bottom.” His voice sounded tight. In that moment, she realized his hands remained upon her hips.
But moving was going to be a tricky endeavor, indeed, what with all the broken glass and what not.
“Don’t move yet. If I can get my coat opened up, it might protect you from crawling on the glass.”
“Oh, yes.” And then, “You’re bleeding.” He must have hit his head in their fall. Dark red oozed onto his face from the top of his head.
“I’m fine.” But he grimaced as though in pain, and for the first time since she’d known him, he sounded annoyed as he tugged his coat out from beneath him.
In doing so, the fabric of his pants met with the naked skin of her inner thigh. Somehow her skirts had tangled up in his coat. While purposefully avoiding his eyes, she struggled to ignore the very solid part of him protruding from behind his woolen pants.
“If you can climb over there…” He indicated the safe mound he’d arranged with his coat. “Perhaps I can open the door.”
“Oh, yes.” A solid idea indeed.
This time she moved with extreme care as she shifted her weight off him to kneel.
“Can you get up now?”
She stared intently at his hat, which had landed in the corner near one of her gloves. A tremor ran through her. “I hope the driver isn’t hurt! And the horses!” This was all her fault. If only she hadn’t insisted on leaving today.
“I believe he cut the tether when we started sliding.” Mr. Waverly didn’t sound overly concerned as he crawled toward the exit. Noises erupted outside. Shouts and scuffling.
“You two all right in there?” The driver tugged on the door at the same time Mr. Waverly gave it a solid push, sending them both tumbling into the mud.
