Page 6 of Adoringly, Edward
But even as he slowed his mount to a trot to try to regain some of his breath, his head felt light and dizzy. His heartsqueezed painfully, stealing the remaining air from his lungs. He tried to dismount when black dots shrouded his vision. But his lightheadedness won. And rather than dismounting smoothly from a moving horse, he ungracefully lost control of his limbs, tipped precariously to the side, and landed with a painful heap on a bed of grass and dirt.
He gasped for air, but the breath struggled through his lungs, making the fight for consciousness difficult when his lungs spasmed and his heart raced.
“Edward!” Cedric’s voice floated far away. “Edward!”
He clawed at the grass, trying to get himself into a sitting position. He nearly gave up when a pair of strong arms lifted him enough to help him sit, and they kept him upright even as each shallow breath struggled in and out of his body.
“Stay with me,” Cedric ordered in a terse tone. “Slow breaths. There you go. That’s it.”
Although his breathing still came quickly, his heart calmed, and the shadows in his eyes slowly dissipated until finally, he gained enough control of his lungs to take unhurried breaths.
Edward exhaled a long sigh and slumped exhaustedly against his servant. “I’m sorry,” he murmured. It was all he had strength enough to say.
“Your sister will want to know—”
“Tell her and you’re fired.” The threat sounded weak at best, especially when no force lay behind it.
“You have no jurisdiction over whether I keep my job, Eddie. I have your best interests at heart.” The man patted his shoulder. “The doctor will want to see you again.”
“No.” He struggled to sit by himself when his body was plagued by weakness. “I need to find her.”
“And you shall. Just not like this.”
With an aching chest and bleary eyes, he gazed toward the path leading into the city. If he hadn’t found her by now…he feared it might somehow be too late.
HOW MUCH MOREseencould Vivienne make herself?
She huffed in frustration as she twirled the umbrella she held in wrist-length white gloves, carefully watching passersby in the royal gardens as she conversed with several other ladies of the court. Four weeks had passed since she’d said goodbye to her mysterious masked man, and ever since, she’d gone out of her way to attend every social event possible. Including dreary tea-time activities all around the kingdom.
Unfortunately, Sir Mask was elusive, a difficult man to catch. She’d practically scoured the entire kingdom for him, under the guise of being socially enthusiastic, of course.
Yet, it was as if he’d disappeared entirely. She would have run into him if he were looking for her, too.
If, she emphasized in her mind.
A part of her feared the sparks that had flown between them was only one sided. But she refused to give up hope. That night,she’d wanted more than just one evening with him, and the feeling had only grown stronger in their time apart.
Several men only a few years older than her passed by, dipping their heads in acknowledgement. Vivienne tipped her umbrella down to cover the top half of their faces while watching their mouths move in greeting.
A despondent sigh escaped her when she recognized none belonging to Sir Mask.
Queasiness rolled through her stomach at the thought of not finding him at all. This was supposed to be a fun game. But she hadn’t expected the game to stretch more than a week or two. She should have asked him his name. She regretted not doing so.
What if he left Edilann? she silently asked herself.What if he’s gone?
Bile climbed her throat, and she took several deep breaths to calm herself. Unfortunately, the queasiness refused to abate as regret became her constant shadow.
A chilly autumn breeze picked up around her skirts, the bite of the air and the white of the skies promising a storm. Big, fat snowflakes drifted down from the heavens, twirling and leaping and flurrying around her in a dance of white powder.
She’d always loved the snow. It was cold and mysterious and filled with unspoken adventure. But now? It caused panic to race through her. Soon enough, she wouldn’t be able to venture outside at all. If she didn’t find the masked man before the snow started to stick, she might never find him at all.
“Shall we head back inside?” one of the other ladies suggested. Despite the threat of cold the snow offered, the other woman’s gaze trailed the men as they traveled down the path.
Vivienne waved the others away. “I will be but a moment. I simply would like to admire the snow for a while longer.”
The others left her in the garden, giggling as they fell into step with the men.
She lifted her gaze to the flurries of snow, watching how they danced and twirled like performers on a stage. The movement was soft and beautiful and also filled with immense loneliness in the accompanying silence.
