Linette following only moments behind, clearly not caring in the least that she wore only a dressing gown with a sash wound around her waist as she ran to the bed.
Estelle doing her best toreassure them all that she was fine, just sore on her left side from pitching off the horse…though in truth, she’d found it painful to breathe from the moment she’d hit the ground and feared herself, that she might have broken several ribs.
Valentin exiting the room with Robert as Mattie and Linette helped to undress her down to her shift so Adam could examine her.
Valentin’s gaze so torturedas he took one last look at the bed, Estelle longing to reassure him but gasping instead when Adam prodded her rib cage.
At least now she knew that nothing was broken. Her fingers strayed to her neck where Gaston’s knife had pierced her, though she didn’t remember him doing so at all. Everything had happened so fast…
“You must follow Adam’s orders and get some rest, Estelle,” Linette admonishedgently, glancing at her husband who had gone across the room to the window. Sighing heavily, she met Estelle’s gaze. “Today’s events have been such a shock for all of us…but especially for you. When I think that you might have been taken across the border by that terrible man—”
“I would have died first.”
At Linette’s sharp intake of breath, Estelle heaved a sigh, too.
“When Gaston wouldn’tsay that he’d release me, all I could think of was when you, Marguerite and I were abducted years ago and then what happened the day you were shot—and something snapped inside me. I had to get away—”
“Thank heavens you did!” Linette sank onto a chair that Mattie had pulled up to the bed for her, and visibly shuddered. “Thank heavens, too, that Valentin stopped that awful man before he could stilltry to hurt you. His own cousin…”
Shaking her head, Linette grew silent and glanced over her shoulder to where Adam still stood at the window, his expression as somber as before. Then she looked back at Estelle, and opened her hand to reveal a shiny brass button in the center of her palm.
“When Mattie and I undressed you, this button slipped out of your pocket. Mattie’s face grew so pale thatI pulled her aside and asked her about it while Adam examined you. At first she was reluctant to say anything, but then she told me she found the button on the floor of your room this morning.”
“Linette, I can explain. It’s one of Valentin’s—”
“Yes, I recognized it from the coat he wore last night,” Linette broke in, her expression grown so serious. “Oh, Estelle, it’s clear how much Valentincares for you, and you, him, but the two of you haven’t done anything rash—”
“No, no, we haven’t, I promise!” A blush burning her face at what her sister must be thinking, Estelle kept her voice at a whisper as she quickly sought to explain. “He was only here for a few moments, Linette. He came to my room last night to ask me to marry him!”
“Marry you?” Such relief filled her sister’s face,joyous tears welling in her eyes, and she reached out to grasp Estelle’s hand. “That’s such wonderful news—oh, my, is it? You haven’t told me how you answered him—”
“Yes, I said yes!” At her exclamation, Estelle wasn’t surprised that Adam strode back to the bed. He looked from her to his wife, a dark brow rising.
“What have I missed?”
“Only the most glorious news!” Linette blurted, jumpingup from her chair to embrace him. “Valentin has asked Estelle to marry him!”
“Yes, but we mustn’t say anything yet,” Estelle insisted, raising herself on one elbow. “He said we must wait until after the coronation when no one can alter his wishes—”
“So such an announcement clearly will not be well received.”
Stunned that Adam looked so solemn instead of pleased at her news, Estelle slumpedback onto the pillows. She felt more than a little deflated while Linette gazed with confusion at her husband.
“Adam, whatever do you mean?”
“Princess Hortense.”
Linette glanced at Estelle, understanding lighting her face as she and Estelle sighed in unison.
“Oh, dear, Estelle, I forgot about that disagreeable woman. After what she did to you last night at dinner, seating you virtually aloneand so far away from Valentin—”
“Exactly,” Adam said heavily, shaking his head. “I believe she has plans for her brother that don’t include you, Estelle.”
“Yes, I know, her husband told me as much last night,” she murmured, not surprised that Linette gasped. “I haven’t had a chance to tell you. The baron said his wife doesn’t like me and can’t wait for us to return to England.”
“He did?”
Estelle nodded at her stunned sister. “He said I should steer clear of her. I haven’t even told Valentin yet—”
