Page 50 of The Tempting of Thomas Carrick
Thomas bolted for the steps leading down. Two flights; he leapt down the latter, landed in the lower corridor, then raced toward the still room.
The screams had stopped.
He rounded the last corner and saw Lucilla. And his heart started to beat again.
She and Alice were backed against the corridor wall, their gazes locked on the still room door—which was closed.
“Lucilla?” He forced himself to slow as he reached her—forced himself not to haul her into his arms, to lock her against him just to reassure himself that she truly was safe.
The face she turned to him was white—unnaturally so. Her eyes were huge pools of green.
He struggled to rein in his reaction; regardless, one hand rose to touch her upper arm. “What is it?”
Beyond Lucilla, Alice started gasping as if she couldn’t catch her breath. Niniver pushed past Thomas and went to the healer. Murmuring soothingly, Niniver took Alice in her arms and rubbed her back.
Lucilla gulped; her gaze hadn’t left his face. “Adder.” She shuddered, then weakly raised a hand and pointed to the door. “It was just suddenly there, around our feet.”
She took another, deeper, gulp of air. Then abruptly she clutched his jacket and turned into his arms. She pressed her forehead into his chest as his arms instinctively closed about her.
Adder?He fought to simply hold her and not crush her to him. In his mind, he heard Manachan’s voice from long ago, warning him that adders were at their most deadly on emerging from hibernation—as they would be at that time of the year.
Lucilla’s fingers fisted in his shirt. He dipped his head and heard her hoarsely whisper, “Ihatesnakes.”
Most people did. Holding her against him—he wasn’t sure he could force his arms to let her go—he glanced back at Ferguson, who had rushed down, too.
The butler had heard; he looked grim. “You and Miss Niniver get Miss Cynster and Alice upstairs.” Ferguson reached past them for the doorknob and checked that the door was shut tight. He glanced down, and Thomas and Lucilla followed his gaze. There was a gap between the base of the door and the worn stone floor.
Two footmen arrived, clattering down the corridor.
“Just in time.” Ferguson beckoned them forward. “There’s an adder’s got into the still room. I want you two to stand here and make sure the slithery thing doesn’t come out.”
Alice had finally caught her breath. “It’s a big fat one,” she said. “I don’t think it could squeeze through.”
Ferguson nodded. “We’ll hope not, but meanwhile”—he looked at the footmen—“you two keep watch while I go and fetch Fred and his spade.”
The footmen didn’t look happy but nodded.
After one swift glance at Thomas, Ferguson turned and strode off.
“Come on.” Keeping one arm about Lucilla, Thomas urged her in Ferguson’s wake. “You might not have heard, but Ferguson rang the luncheon gong just before you and Alice screamed.”
Walking slowly beside him, Lucilla managed a nod. “I heard.”
After a moment, she drew in a breath and glanced back, confirming that Alice was following with Niniver, then looked forward and, her spine straightening, raised her head. “As it happens, I really could do with a cup of tea.”
Her tone was a reasonable facsimile of her customary imperiousness.
Taking that as a sign that she was recovering from her shock, Thomas let his arm fall as they reached the top of the steps. A few paces more brought them into the corridor off the front hall. At the far end, Ferguson, aided by Mrs. Kennedy, was shepherding a flock of maids and footmen, no doubt drawn by the screams, back to the staff quarters.
Thomas and Lucilla turned in the opposite direction and walked into the front hall; behind them, Niniver called to Mrs. Kennedy and handed the still-shaken Alice into the motherly housekeeper’s care.
Nigel, Nolan, and Norris were standing in a loose group in the hall.
Nigel frowned. “What was that all about?”
Thomas told them, adding that Ferguson and the staff were dealing with the adder.
Nigel humphed and exchanged a glance with Nolan, then the pair turned and headed for the dining room.
