“Please, help us!” she yelled at the top of her voice.
“Miss Priscilla, dear. Do you hear someone?” the dowager asked.
Priscilla glanced inside the coach. “I heard a horse, but I don’t know if it is one of ours or not.”
Both the dowager and the housekeeper wore discouraged expressions. Priscilla glanced back up the hill. In between some trees, there was a movement. Her heartbeat quickened.Please, Lord. We need help.
“Hello! Is someone there?” She yelled so loudly, her voice squeaked.
The sun shone on the horse as it appeared through the trees, but this time, she saw the outline of a rider. She waved her arms frantically. “We are down here.”
The hopeful gasps of the other two ladies ripped through the air, but Priscilla kept her eyes on the rider, who maneuvered the horse down the slippery slope. Finally, when the rider moved out of the sun’s brightness, a happy sob clogged her throat.
“Gavin!” she cried out as tears filled her eyes.
The other two women cheered and loudly praised God.
Concern etched lines in his handsome face as he assessed the accident. He made it to the side of the coach and stopped. He reached out, and she practically jumped into his arms as he pulled her from the wreckage and onto his horse.
“Oh, Gavin.” She wound her arms around his neck and buried her face against his chest, sobbing with relief.
He stroked her back and long hair. “Shh, my love.” He kissed her head. “Is anyone hurt?”
She lifted her head to look at him. “Nobody is injured. We are just very frightened.”
“Gavin?” the dowager shouted from the vehicle. “You might need help to get us out. You will be pulling two women out of this overturned coach, and trying to get us to safety.”
“Grandmother? Don’t you have confidence in me?” He grinned at Priscilla and winked. “Because I think my fiancée does.”
Priscilla’s heart fluttered. “Yes, I do,” she whispered. “However, you can count on me to assist.”
“As always.” He stroked her cheek. “What more can a man ask for besides a sweet woman by his side?”
The strong urge to kiss him soundly came over her, but she pushed it away. This was definitely not the time to show her appreciation for him.
“I hope I don’t lose your admiration,” he said to her, then added in a loud voice so that the other women could hear, “but I did bring help.”
She glanced back at the top of the hill. Now she could clearly see another coach and the man who was unbridling a horse. He didn’t stand directly in the sun’s light, so she could see him slightly better. She couldn’t understand why he seemed familiar.
“Who is it?” she asked, but seconds later, the man mounted his horse and recognition struck. Surprise bolted through her. “Adrian?” She met Gavin’s endearing gaze. “You brought mybrother-in-law?”
“Indeed. We are cousins, and I ran into them an hour ago as I was leaving the estate to find you. Your brother-in-law said he would like to come with me to search for you and my grandmother. I hope you don’t mind, but I invited them to the estate. I knew you would want to see your sisters.”
“Mysisters?” Priscilla’s voice rose happily. “They are here?”
Gavin nodded. “Well, only your older sister and one named Felicia.”
“Oh, Gavin.” She wrapped her arms around his neck again, hugging him tightly. “You are incredible. Thank you. This means the world to me.”
She loved the way his strong arms held her so gently against his body. It was too bad she couldn’t stay like this longer, but they needed to get the dowager and Mrs. Jones out of the tipped vehicle.
“My dearest Cilla,” he whispered. “Do I hear correctly? You now feel differently about me?”
She pulled back and looked into his glorious eyes. “Differently?”
He winked. “We shall talk later. Right now, I have some women to save.”
She couldn’t believe how breathless she felt, and how excited she was that he cared enough about her feelings to invite her family to the estate. Indeed, she would have to find time to be alone with him to show him how grateful shereallywas.
