Page 5 of The Moonstone Major
He remained beside Lady Chloe, an arm still wrapped around her while she looked as though she was about to faint.
She had to be in terrible pain.
He moved another chair closer and very carefully lifted her swollen foot onto it. “Keep it there for now. Having it elevated will help ease the discomfort.”
She emitted a breathy sigh. “Thank you.”
Mrs. Halsey’s tea shop was still crowded with onlookers, most of whom were wringing their hands in worry. Lady Chloe and her sisters, Henley and Phoebe, were beloved in this village, and no one ever wanted to see them come to harm.
He stared at her in dismay. “Do not think to put your elegant boot back on. Just sit quietly while I gather your things, and then I’ll escort you home.”
She cast him another charming smile.
He was little more than a street rat, but even lowborn wastrels like him knew true beauty when they saw it. If he were one to believe in angels, then Lady Chloe was surely one of their best sent to Moonstone Landing to watch over his wretched soul.
Fionn shook out of the thought, for he was not a churchgoing man. However, if the Good Lord found him worthy to hold Lady Chloe in his arms and keep her there for the next hour while he helped her home, who was he to argue about it?
He’d started to rise in order to leave her side and fetch a carriage when she suddenly turned ashen and moaned. “Major Brennan…wait… Oh, dear.”
Her head fell against his shoulder.
“Lady Chloe!”
“I…I…” The pain was obviously making her dizzy, and she was struggling not to faint. Poor thing.
Where was Mrs. Halsey with her tea?
He stroked Chloe’s hair and held her against him so she would not tumble out of her chair. “Try taking small breaths. Gently, now. Not too deep or you’ll hurt your ribs.”
She managed a few, inhaling lightly and wincing each time. Then she began to laugh softly against his neck, her lips lightly brushing his skin. “You are better than smelling salts. What is your scent? It is quite nice.”
He chuckled, relieved she seemed to be reviving. “Now I know you must be addled. We both landed in a puddle of mud and our clothes reek of stale water.”
“But you don’t, although perhaps I do.”
“No, you are lavender and roses, Lady Chloe,” he said in a whisper, not wanting the crowd to overhear.
“Hardly, but thank you.” She breathed him in again. “Do I detect a hint of bay spices? It blends nicely with the warmth of your skin.”
She sat up with a groan, appearing to have survived her fainting bout as the color returned to her cheeks. “Major Brennan, how can I ever repay you for saving my life?”
The comment startled him, for he hadn’t thought twice before rescuing her from those panicked horses. “None required. Your safety is all the reward I need.” He gave her cheek another light caress. “Do not try to get up. You are still too wobbly on your feet.”
“All right. But I must say, you are quite modest for a savior.”
He wanted to tell her that he would protect her always, but how could he make such an admission without giving away what was in his heart? “All in the line of duty, Lady Chloe.”
She clutched the sides of her chair and stared down at her foot. “I am trying very hard to hold myself together, but I fear I will come undone in another moment. I was a heartbeat away from dying until you came along. I will never forget this…or you.”
They stared intently at each other, as though sharing a special moment. He supposed it was a common enough thing for a rescuer and the person rescued to feel something pass between them. One might call it a forever connection deep in their souls.
He certainly felt this way about her.
In truth, he’d felt a connection to Chloe long before this incident. He often passed through Moonstone Landing while on assignment with the army and regularly encountered Chloe and her family.
Then, a month ago, he’d found himself promoted to the rank of major and put in command of Fort Arundel, the local army outpost here in this charming seacoast village. Chloe had come with her family and the village leaders to greet him on the day he arrived. The world and everyone in it had melted away in the precise moment he saw Chloe walking toward him, all grown up now and beautiful beyond belief.
He’d lost his heart to her in that moment, and the realization struck him like a hammer blow to the head.
