Page 24 of Beneath the Beastly Duke's Mask
"I'm not going anywhere, Mrs. Cooper," he said. Henry didn't want to be away from her. "She is my servant, so I'll wait right here."
However, she didn't feel like just a servant to him. Henry was unexpectedly attached to Arabella and couldn't think of Euston without her. She may have only been on the estate for several months, but she had become an important part of it.
Arabella had affected him from the moment she spoke to him, and she continued to draw him toward her with every cheerful smile. Her sincerity and openness whenever she talked to him was like a salve for his tired soul. Henry felt he could behimselfaround her, not the man he was expected to be.
He wasn't a beast around her, but the man beneath the scars on his body. The thought that something might happen to her filled him with an almost crushing fear. It was ridiculous, but seeing her lying on the floor had proven that she meant something to him.
“I believe the physician has just arrived,” said Mrs. Cooper, intruding into his thoughts.
“Ah, good,” Henry replied, rising to his feet. “Please bring him here.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Henry gently took Arabella's hand while no one was around to see. “You have to get better, Arabella,” he said. “In fact, I know you'll be just fine.”
She had to be. He briefly touched her brow before releasing her hand and waiting for the physician to climb the stairs. Mr. Thornton appeared moments later with his bag and knelt beside him.
“I'm glad you're here, Mr. Thornton,” said Henry, shifting to the side to better see the physician.
“I heard what happened, Your Grace,” he said. “This young lady took a tumble down the stairs. Now, let me... Arabella?” he said, sounding surprised.
“You know her?” Henry asked.
“I know her very well,” Mr. Thornton replied, touching her head, neck, and spine as he examined her. “How on earth did she come to be here? I wondered where she had disappeared to, but I assumed she went with family. Dear me, and now the little thing is injured.”
“She works for me,” Henry told him. “How is she? Has she broken anything? Will she potentially have...” It wasn't easy to sayparalysisaloud.
The physician didn't answer his question but tapped Arabella's hand and cheeks. “Arabella? Arabella?” he said. “Can you hear me? Can you feel this?”
Arabella groaned and shifted, soon growing silent again. Henry couldn't tell if it was bad or good news, but he hoped for the latter.
“The good news is that her spine and neck seem fine,” said Mr. Thornton. “You can move her to a room.”
“Oh, thank goodness!” Henry cried, overcome with relief. “Mrs. Cooper!” he called out.
The housekeeper was before him in seconds. “Yes, Your Grace?”
“I'm moving Arabella into a guestroom,” he said. “Which ones have been aired?”
His housekeeper's eyes widened very briefly. “A guestroom, Your Grace?”
“Yes, a guestroom,” he replied firmly.
He understood his housekeeper's surprise but wouldn't let Arabella stay in the attic when she was injured. He wanted her to be as comfortable as possible.
“Shall I get servants to carry her there?” Mrs. Cooper asked.
“No, I'll do it myself,” Henry told her. “Simply tell me which room is ready.”
His servants were going to talk about his behavior, but he didn't care at that moment. Henry only trusted himself to ensure Arabella was handled well.
“I'll take you there, Your Grace,” Mrs. Cooper said.
“Well, it would be good if we can get Arabella off the floor now and onto a more comfortable surface,” said Mr. Thornton. “The floor is not doing her any favors.”
Henry nodded, gently scooping her into his arms. She was a tiny thing, but with a good amount of weight that felt good in his arms. Henry wasn't the tallest man around, but he was big. He often feared hurting others, so he learned to be gentler with fragile things. While Arabella was tiny, he appreciated how solid but soft she felt in his arms. She was strong, and perhaps that had helped her avoid permanent damage.
He carried her up the stairs, noting her subtle floral scent. It could be her soap or perhaps a perfume. Not many commoners could afford perfume, but that didn't mean they couldn't make it themselves. Mrs. Cooper turned left at the top of the stairs and entered the fifth room on the right.
