Page 21 of Captivating the Earl (Lords and Ladies in Love 5)

Wycliff and Hawk headed back to the house. “Do you have any ideas, Hawk?”

Hawk shrugged. “None at the moment, but I plan to have a conversation with Miss Moore as soon as she feels up to it.”

His instincts had been right. Something was not right with Lord Wycliff’s governess. A hunch worth investigating.

Chapter Nine

Lizzie opened her eyes and groaned. The nap she’d taken after the physician had examined her had only increased her headache. Since he said she could not take laudanum with a head injury, the only solace she had for the pain in her head was a lavender-soaked cloth.

“Are ye awake, Miss?” Young Bernice, a tweenie in Wycliff’s employ, studied her with concern. “Ye gave us all a scare, you did.”

“I apologize. I don’t remember too much, except the physician examining me. What happened?”

Bernice’s eyes grew wide. “Why, Miss, you was thrown from yer horse, and Lord Hawkins had to carry you back on his horse. Knocked unconscious you were.” She nodded, crossing her arms over her slim body.

Lizzie closed her eyes. The light bothered her. “Oh, yes. I remember now. I was taking a jump over a hedge and lost my seating. Strange, that. I’ve done that jump—with Magpie—dozens of times.” She opened her eyes. “Is Magpie all right?”

“I don’t know for sure, Miss, but I haven’t heard anything about the horse.”

Both their attentions were drawn to a light scratch at the bedchamber door. Bernice hurried over and opened the door. Lord Wycliff and Lord Hawkins stood there. Lizzie was immediately embarrassed to death to be lying abed, in her nightgown, with the two men staring at her.

“We won’t come in, Miss Moore, but when you are feeling up to it, we would like to speak with you,” Lord Wycliff said.

“Is Magpie all right? She wasn’t injured, was she?”

“No,” Wycliff said, moving farther into the room. “She is fine. And how are you feeling?”

“My head hurts, and my muscles are a bit sore, but otherwise I am well. Perhaps I can dress and meet you in the library, so we may speak?”

Lord Hawkins turned to Lord Wycliff. “You stated the physician suggested a couple of days of bed rest. I don’t think it a good idea for her to be up and about already.”

Wycliff rubbed his chin. “Y

ou are right.” He turned his attention back to Lizzie. “There is something of importance that must be discussed.” He considered her for a minute, then addressed Bernice. “Please help Miss Moore into her clothes and assist her to sit up in the bed. We shall return when she is ready.”

The two men left, and Bernice walked to the armoire and pulled out one of Lizzie’s day dresses. “Will this suit, Miss?”

“Yes, that is fine.”

While Bernice removed her nightclothes and helped her into her undergarments and dress, Lizzie considered Lord Wycliff’s words. There was something of importance that needed to be discussed. Whatever could that be? She’d taken a tumble, true, but certainly he wasn’t about to withdraw her riding privileges because of that?

And even if that were the case, why was Lord Hawkins with him, in a joint interview? She shook her head at the thoughts running through her mind, and immediately stopped and placed her hands on her head. No, she should not move her head too much. The pain had gone from throbbing to excruciating.

Bernice finished up, brushed her hair, put it up in some fashion without pulling too much on her scalp, and left to tell the men she was ready. Once she closed the door softly, Lizzie leaned her head back on the headboard and closed her eyes. Hopefully, this would not take too long because the light from the windows was making her head hurt more.

She had dozed off when a soft tap on the door woke her. “Come in, please.”

Only Lord Hawkins entered, along with Bernice. “Wycliff had an emergency come up on the estate, but I decided to go ahead and speak with you.” He nodded to Bernice. “Please leave the door ajar and stay in the room.”

He dragged a chair from in front of the small fireplace and set it next to her bed. Bernice moved away from the bed and sat in the corner, her hands clasped in her lap. Lizzie was grateful that Lord Hawkins had asked Bernice to stay. Even though he had no idea she was a lady, speaking alone with her in her bedchamber would ruin her.

Not that she would ever need to worry about that, certainly, but years of training reminded her of propriety.

“Miss Moore, the reason you took a spill this morning was because the girth on your saddle was cut.”

“What?!” She was certain she must have misunderstood. “My girth was cut? You mean on purpose?”

He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. “That appears so. It was a clean cut, made with a knife, about two-thirds of the way through the strap. Any stress on the saddle would have made the girth snap, and the rider tumble from the horse.”