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Lily launched herself at Thomas, wrapping her arms around him. “Thomas, that’s absolutely wonderful!”
Thomas stood in the warm embrace of his devoted sister for a moment, but then quickly broke out of it, feeling quite lightheaded. Dark spots appeared in his vision. And then…
Thomas felt his body fall to the ground, and a black curtain draped over him.
32
“I’m not leaving him, Mummy,” Tricia said as she sat next to Thomas’s bed.
“The physicians have treated his burns,” her mother said. “He simply fainted from exhaustion. He’s absolutely fine, and he will wake up in time. Right now I need to sleep, and so do you, darling. You’ve been through so much.”
“The doctor examined me and said I will be fine.” But then a fit of coughs took over Tricia. She had inhaled a lot of smoke, and according to the doctor, she would need to rest her body to allow her lungs to recuperate fully.
“You must come with me, love,” Lady Clementine implored. “I shall make sure that Mr. Longbottom contacts me as soon as the earl awakens.”
Tricia coughed again and then let out an earsplitting yawn. Her mother was right, of course. She needed to rest. She finally relented and went to her own bedchamber, where Kat was already sleeping.
Lady Clementine herself helped Tricia out of her garments—the lovely violet ensemble had been ruined by the fire—and she had barely lain into her bed when sleep took her.
“Tricia.” Something nudged her.
She opened her eyes. Her mother stood next to her bed. “The earl is awake, Tricia, and he’s asking for you.”
Tricia gasped and scrambled out of bed. “Where’s Trudy? I must dress. What time is it anyway?”
Her mother grabbed her by the arm, stroking it gently. “Only seven in the morning, darling. Trudy is here and will help you dress in your morning gown.”
“That will take too long, Mummy. Can’t I just put on a robe?”
Lady Clementine wrinkled her nose. “That would be highly improper, and you and I both know that.”
Not quite improper, as Thomas had seen her in nothing, but her mother didn’t know that. At least not yet.
Tricia huffed. “Fine, then.”
Once Lady Clementine had left the room, Tricia washed her hands and face in the basin and then stood as Trudy helped her into her garments. She sat at the dressing table to have Trudy do her hair. Trudy grimaced.
“What’s wrong?” Tricia asked.
Trudy widened her eyes. “I’m sorry, my lady, but your hair smells so much like smoke. I believe you should have a bath and wash your hair.”
Tricia shook her head with vigor. “There’s no time for that. The earl is asking for me, Trudy.”
“If you’re sure.”
“I shall have a bath later. After I’ve seen the earl, and I know that he’s all right.”
“As you wish, my lady.”
Once she had finished with Tricia’s hair, Trudy curtsied politely to her. “Your mother is waiting outside the room to escort you to the earl’s chamber.”
“I hardly need an escort,” Tricia said. “Everyone here saw Thomas kissing me last night.”
“You shall have to take that up with your mother, my lady.”
Lady Clementine was indeed waiting outside the bedchamber.
“Mummy, may I see him alone?”
