She quickly repositioned her gloved hand from where it had landed near the top of his thigh, her murmured apology sounding in a whisper.
“Are you injured?Are you able to move?”
Helen furrowed a brow, sure she hadn’t seen Tom’s mouth form the query.“I think so.”Then she realized it was David who had asked the questions.“Are you all right?”she asked, directing her query to Tom.
He nodded.“David stepped on my leg is all,” he said.“And you?Are you hurt?”
“I...I don’t think so, but you’ll have to let go of me,” she whispered.
Unaware of how tightly he held her, Tom released his hold.“Apologies,” he murmured.
A number of voices from outside made it apparent at least one other hantour had turned around and made its way back to join them.Now instead of a single horse’s whinnying, there was another sounding its complaint.
David gripped her around the waist and pulled out of the hantour.When she was finally free of it, her skirts settled around where she was left seated on the ground.
Then she stared at what was causing the horses to rear and whinny.
A snake slithered sideways atop the sand, its scales gleaming in the morning sun.
Without thinking, she gripped her reticule by the drawstring ribbon and slammed it down on the creature, over and over until the loudpopof a gunshot sounded.
She reared back, a cry of fright sounding before she scrambled backwards.
In front of her, the snake no longer had a head, and the rest of its body stilled its movements.
She heard a lady’s scream and a man’s shout before strong hands pulled her away from the carnage, her hand still holding onto her reticule.When she turned around, she was once again in Tom’s arms.He had managed to climb out of the equipage after David had pulled her out, and he had paid witness to what she had done to the snake.
“Are you all right?”Tom asked, his eyes wide with fright.
“Whatwasthat?”she asked, attempting to turn her head but unable to do so given how he held her.
“A snake,” he replied.“A viper of some sort.”
“No.That...thatsound.”
Tom furrowed his brows.“A gunshot.Your father shot it,” he explained, before Harry joined them, his manner frantic.
“Did it bite you?”he asked, his manner suggesting more than just fatherly concern.Stella appeared at his side, one of her hands in front of her open mouth as her eyes widened in shock.
Helen shook her head.“I don’t...I don’t think so,” she replied.“Mother, I am fine,” she added.
“It would have hurt,” her father said.“A sharp pain.”He lifted the arm that still held onto the reticule, pushing up her sleeve to examine her skin for puncture marks.
“No, Father.I am fine.Truly,” she insisted, rather glad Tom still held her, for her legs suddenly felt rubbery.“My gown is...”She used a hand to brush away some of the dust from the skirt, pulling it out to see that the fabric hadn’t torn.“Surprisingly undamaged.”
Stella already had a hanky out and was brushing away the desert dust from the back of her gown.“As long as you’re not damaged,” she murmured.
Diana appeared on the other side of Helen.“Take a drink,” she urged, holding a flask to her lips.
Helen did so, wincing at the metallic taste of the water.“Oh, that’s awful,” she said.
“Can you walk?”Diana asked.
Tom let go his hold on her, and Helen stood of her own accord.“I...I think so.”
“So nothing broke or bent or twisted when you tipped over?”she went on, her attention going to the overturned hantour.Although the wheels appeared intact, the harness was ruined.The horse, long since released from the yoke, was being led away by the driver.
“What about you?”Diana asked, turning her attention to Tom.
