“I tumbled over the neck of my horse onto some sharp rocks and then fell down this horrible hole,” Deb said, her voice stronger. “My whole body is covered with dirt and bruises—but that isn’t the worst part. I felt something strange at the bottom of the hole in the night, and now that it is light, I am in a filthy pit with a skeleton. Did you hear me? A skeleton! Nothing but rags and nasty old bones.”
He was grateful for the loud voice of his sister, but when she said “bones,” he felt a shiver crawl down his neck. He prayed the skeleton belonged to a peasant from hundreds of years before, but he feared that they may have finally found the Countess of Manders. His eyes darted to Sarah, but her face showed only relief. His wife had not jumped to the same conclusion; perhaps he was merely being fanciful. He hoped he was.
“Is there anything in the pit with you besides the bones?” he asked.
“Mud and muck. It smells like a barn. I haven’t been able to get one lick of sleep all night long.”
Neither had he or any of their servants. He did not have much compassion for Deb’s sleepless state, nor did it seem that she had any thoughts about how her actions had affected those around her. And it was Christopher’s duty to teach her.
Following her voice, they found his sister in the bottom of a sinkhole. He pulled back the green overgrowth that covered the pit from their view. It was nearly eight feet deep. Deb was right; it was smelly, and there was a skeleton on the side opposite his sister. Without her voice, he never would have seen the sinkhole, as it was surrounded by a cluster of granite boulders and threethick trees. He wasn’t surprised that his little sister had said she was covered in bruises. It was a miracle that she had survived such a fall.
“Can you stand up, Deborah, and take a rope if we lower one to you?” Sarah asked. “Or does someone need to lift you out?”
His sister stuck out her chin defiantly. “I don’t need your help,Lady Sarah. This is all your fault!”
Christopher glanced at his wife and saw red blotches on her neck—he doubted she had ever been insulted to her face. “Well, I suppose that if you don’t want Sarah’s help, we will just leave then,” he said.
Sarah stepped back from the pit.
“Chris! You wouldn’t!” Deb shrieked, a slight tinge of fear in her voice.
Leaning over the sinkhole, he looked his sister in the eyes. “Yes, I would. For once in your life, Deborah, take responsibility for your own actions. Your foolish temper tantrum nearly cost you your life, and you have not taken one moment to think what grief your behavior has caused those around you. No person here has slept. They have all worked through the night, desperate to find you, and I have yet to hear one word of thanks or acknowledgment for their sacrifices.”
“They’re servants. It’s their job.”
Grimacing, he shook his head. “Servants are people, Deborah. Hardworking employees who should have received a good night’s rest and not spent it searching the woods for a spoiled young lady who thinks only of herself.”
His sister started to cry. “Papa would not have spoken to me thus!”
“No, he spoiled you, and so have I, but no longer. If you wish for help, you must ask for it nicely. But first you must thank every person here for their efforts in finding you.”
Wiping her eyes with her dirty hands, Deb spread the muck on her face. “All right! Sarah, thank you for looking for me—even though I never would have run away if it hadn’t been for you turning Margaret’s head.”
“Deb,”Christopher warned her.
She rubbed her running nose. “Thank you, Mr. Phipps, Guy, and the other grooms whose names I do not know. I can imagine if your night was half as awful as mine, it was wretched. And I am sorry for it.”
“Now will you answer Sarah’s question?” Christopher said. Her apologies left much to be desired, but they were a start. “Can we lower down a rope, or do you need someone to lift you?”
Deb pushed off her hands and tried to get to her feet, only to fall back into the muck at the bottom of the sinkhole. She whimpered. “I think someone will need to help me out.”
“Phipps, if you would get out your rope and tie it to the pommel of your horse,” Christopher said. “Deb, scoot back as far as you can to that side. I’m coming down.”
Guy put a hand on his arm. “You’re our employer, sir. One of us lads can go down the hole.”
“Thank you, Guy. But I would never ask an employee to do something I was not willing to do myself.”
Sitting down on the edge of the hole, Christopher turned and put his elbows down to bear his weight. He lowered his legs, keeping his hands and forearms on the ground, grasping the grass for some sort of hold. His feet still dangled, so he eased his arms over the side until he only held on with his fingers. Kicking the side of the hole with his boot, Christopher let his body drop. It was only a couple feet, but the impact jarred his exhausted form.
He felt two arms wrap tightly around him. Deb had managed to get onto her one good foot, and she was hugging him tightly. A surge of warmth filled his heart. He would love and protect Debfor the rest of his life. And as her guardian, he would help her become the very best version of herself. He turned around and hugged her back.
“I’m so sorry, Chris.” She sobbed against his chest. “I didn’t think. I was just so embarrassed, and I wanted to get away.”
“And hurt us a little too.”
Deb nodded with another wail.
“You are going to need to learn to control your temper and keep harsh words to yourself. Margaret is not your whipping post, and I have allowed her to be for too long. You’re right; she isn’t your mother. And I am not your father, Deb, but I am your guardian. Sometimes I will need to correct you. Not because I don’t love you but because I do. We will all need to do better, and I know that we can, together.”
