“I will bring Livia to you in the morning.”
Lady Wyndham nodded as she walked to the window overlooking the gardens. Then she suddenly tensed and sucked in a breath.
“Lady Wyndham, what is it?”
“Caroline, dear, I need you to remain calm,” she said slowly. “You cannot rush out there, do you understand?”
She had no idea what Lady Wyndham meant and slowly crossed the room to see what had Lady Wyndham worried.
“Sterling is there,” she said quietly.
“I do not under…”
Her blood ran cold and she turned to run from the parlor but Lady Wyndham grasped her wrist.
“Calm, Caroline. If you rush out there…”
Oh God, how could she remain calm?
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Sterling stepped outonto the Terrace and took a deep breath and intent on finding Hallaway for instructions for tomorrow when he noted Caroline’s daughter, Livia, standing near the gardens.
As she was the most important person in Caroline’s life, and Caroline was important to him, it would be remiss of him to not come to know Livia better, but as he took a step forward Sterling realized that she was not simply standing there, but she was as still as a statute, which was very odd for a five-year-old. And it was only then that he noted what she was facing and his blood ran cold—a cobra, risen from the garden, its hood spread and ready to strike.
Sterling did not dare approach or he may be seen as an aggressor. Instead, he held his place and hoped that he did not startle Livia when he spoke, though she likely heard him exit the house and hoped that whoever was behind her would come to her rescue.
“You are doing well, Livia,” he said only loud enough for her to hear and kept his tone gentle and calm. “Now I want you to do as I say. Do not answer me. Do not nod your head. Just do exactly what I tell you.”
He took a deep breath and hoped that the lessons from his childhood and what he had been told to do in this situation held true.
“With your left foot slowly step back.”
Olivia did exactly what he said.
“Now very slowly step back with your right foot.”
Again, she did as he said.
“Very good. Now your left foot again.”
She followed his instructions slowly and carefully each time he told her to move. Sterling’s heart pounded against his chest as fear rose that the cobra would strike before she was far enough away.
He repeated his instructions, but her steps were smaller than his and it took twice as long as it would have taken him. Anxiety and fear filled his being. Livia would not survive if she was bitten, and Caroline would not survive losing her daughter.
The door opened behind him and he feared that it was Caroline and when she realized what her daughter faced that she’d panic. She hoped she would remember to remain calm until Livia was safe.
“You are doing very well, Livia. Now, slowly step back again.”
He kept calling instructions for her to step because she did not do so on her own. Whenever he paused, she remained still.
She trusted him and Sterling could not fail her.
“Another step, Livia.”
And, just as she did, the cobra disappeared into the foliage, likely putting as much distance as possible between it and the humans.
“You are safe now. It is gone.” At his words, the child turned and ran to him, tears streaming down her face. Sterling bent down to catch her as tiny arms wrapped around his neck as she sobbed on his shoulder.
