Which drew a burst of laughter from Eve. Unconscionable of her to do so.
The two men scowled at her.
“I’m sorry.” She covered her mouth. There was nothing remotely funny about their situation. She must be in shock. How was it that she’d contained her emotions so well for the past twenty or so odd years, and yet today she had unleashed a torrent of tears on poor Mr. Waverly and was now finding amusement at his expense? He was bleeding! They all could have been killed!
The terror of their accident was likely settling on her now, otherwise she would never have found merriment at the expense of others. The driver had landed on his bottom in the mud, and brown splatter dotted Mr. Waverly’s face and coat. Her hands shook when she reached for her glove. She stifled another inappropriate giggle when she glanced back up.
Balanced on all fours in order to climb out, Mr. Waverly’s backside jutted alarmingly close to her face. Before she could avert her gaze, she inadvertently noticed sinewy muscles stretching the gray woolen material of his pants.
Once the doorway cleared, he crouched outside and beckoned for her to follow. They must not be sitting on a cliff then.
Careful to avoid the shards of glass, she crawled across his coat to the door, peeked out, and met Mr. Waverly’s gaze. “At least it’s no longer raining.”
“There is that,” he responded grimly, and then he added, “No one is injured, but the horses have bolted.”
“What should we do?” He’d have already developed a plan. He was an efficient, take charge sort of man.
He offered his hand and practically pulled her the rest of the way out the door. “Not sure how safe it is right here. More of the mud could come down at any moment. Best we find a way back up to the road.” Wincing, he jerked his head towards a steep incline.
“Dear heavens? Did we come down that?” The sliding grooves and crushed greenery created by the carriage revealed how lucky they were to have emerged unscathed. She could barely see the top, where the road must be.
If it still existed.
“The climb isn’t as steep over here.” The driver was already scampering out of harm’s way.
“My valise!” At least her trunks were on the luggage carriage, safely parked back in London. “And my hat.”
She shouldn’t bother herself with such trifles, but… a lady required certain accoutrements.
Pausing only the barest of seconds, Mr. Waverly dropped to his knees once again, and partially disappeared back into the carriage, allowing her another accidental glimpse of his fine—
“Anything else?” He’d backed up warily, in order to avoid the glass shards, no doubt. He’d retrieved her valise as well as her now crushed, velvet hat. He’d also recovered his great coat. Yes, that might come in handy at some point.
“No, that’s everything.” She took the handle of her small case and did her best to return her hat to its former shape before placing it upon her head.
Now. To find their way back to the road, the driver already having disappeared.
Standing, Mr. Waverly sent a somewhat puzzled glance in her direction. “Take my hand and have a care, the hill is slippery.”
For an independent lady, she most certainly was relying a great deal on her man of business. If only she could strike her early bout of weeping from his memory forever.
Warmth flooded her cheeks as he wrapped his fingers around hers.
“I’m sorry about earlier.” She didn’t wish to remind him of her weakness, but mortification forced the words past her lips. “I hope you’ll accept my apology. It’s not like me at all. I’m normally quite…”
“No need.” He gave her a not so gentle tug. “We really shouldn’t dawdle here.”
“Of course.” She managed a few steps before realizing something dreadful had happened. “Wait!”
What in the world? “The mud has eaten my slippers!” They were nowhere in sight. But they had been on her feet initially and she now stood in the mud, wearing only her stockings.
“It ate your slippers? Are you certain?”
“Mr. Waverly.” She lifted one foot. “I’d hardly say so if I was not. Well, perhaps it didn’t eat them, but it has consumed them.”
For the very first time since becoming acquainted, Mr. Waverly seemed slightly amused by her.
She feigned annoyance with him.
