Wildfire Kiss (Sir Edward 1)

They went on in this chatty style as town slipped away and woods began to line both sides of the road. Babs strained to see a coach up ahead, for on the curve she rather thought she saw the crest on the door. “Corry,” she said on a tease, “I rather think you know the passenger in that coach up ahead …”

“Nonsense … how can you tell from here?” Corry said as she strained to see who Babs was speaking about.

All at once Babs laughed and said gleefully, as she pointed a ready finger (forgetting the proprieties once again), “There, I told you I saw him. ’Tis Sir Frederick … I saw the crest, and now I have seen his face when he looked out his open window back at our coach—it is him!”

“No … oh Babs … I am so … embarrassed … if it is Sir Frederick, it has nothing to do with us …”

“Yes, it does. I made a point of telling him that we were leaving for Brighton this morning … and oh … what a coincidence … here is his coach on the Brighton Road?”

“Oh, oh dear …” Corry’s voice tingled with a touch of excitement.

“My dearest pudding heart, one must make the effort, or one will find one’s self married to one that one does not love at all,” Babs teased unmercifully. “Now, do ride up with me …” Babs turned to find her cousin slowing her horse, patting her tawny-highlighted auburn curls, and adjusting her pretty blue top hat. “Come on—do!” Babs laughed. “You look ravishing.”

Babs passed her father’s coach with a wave. He smiled indulgently at her through his window, and she knew he had no objection to her enjoying a ride as long as she stayed nearby.

As she approached the coach, she saw the crest and smiled. It certainly was Sir Frederick, and she turned to see that her cousin was riding sedately towards her. She shook her head and steadied her horse. It was at that moment that the coach made a horrible creaking sound.

Suddenly the rear wheel was off and spinning towards the woods flanking the road. In the next moment everything happened so fast, Babs was only able to stare in horror!

The coach first leaned towards the ditch between the road and the woods, then slammed backwards, and finally, with the horses screeching in fear, went over onto its side and nearly toppled all the way over into the ditch.

The horses were dragged when the coach slammed into the earth but managed to remain standing and unharmed, and the driver was able to save himself from a fall by hanging onto the rigging. Babs heard him screaming, but it wasn’t anything intelligible as he scrambled to right himself and make his way towards his only passenger.

Babs was off her horse and pulling him along as she ran to the overturned vehicle. She soothed and patted the coach horses at their heads as the driver scrambled over the coach’s side towards the only door available for his passenger’s escape.

“Steady, lads,” Babs said softly to the large dark bay pair. Fortunately, they had quiet temperaments and took the incident in stride.

“It won’t budge!” called the driver. “The door be jammed …” He peered inside the carriage and called out, “Sir Frederick … sir … be ye hurt?”

No answer came from within.

“Do you need to break the glass of the door? Will that help?” Babs called.

“I’m not sure …” the driver exclaimed, greatly agitated.

“Break it … just go ahead … maybe that will jar it loose …”

“Oh … oh …” worried the driver, who began pulling and pounding on the door. All at once, the door flung open in his hand, nearly sending him flying backwards, and they saw Sir Frederick’s leg as it fell limply out.

Both could see Sir Frederick’s crumpled body lying on the floor of the coach.

By this time, Miss Bretton had arrived on the scene, and she took command. First she tethered both hers and Babs’ horses to a nearby tree, and then she gave the entire scene her scrutiny. “Do not move him.” She pointed. “He has sustained a severe head injury … see there?”

Babs could see the blood. There was so much blood pouring out of his head. “Corry, we need something to stop the bleeding!”

“Here comes your father’s coach now. Our driver can aid Sir Frederick’s driver, and hopefully between the two we can get Sir Frederick out without his sustaining any further injury.”

Lady Babs chewed her bottom lip. “Indeed, and then … we will need a place to take him, and a doctor. There is an inn just a short distance from here. I shall ride there and have them send for a doctor and prepare a room for Sir Frederick.” She was already walking towards her horse.

“Wait … Babs … perhaps your father should be the one to …”

But her cousin was already on her horse. “Tell Father to bring him to the Red Lion, and we shall all meet up there.” With that, she began trotting her horse down the road.

***

A great deal of road had been left behind when Babs reached the Red Lion in less than ten minutes. The inn was quaintly styled and brightly painted in red and white. It was landscaped with trimmed bushes and potted flowers. The total effect was most charming, and it was an inn Babs and her father often frequented in the past when on their way to Brighton.

A young groom came to take Babs’ horse as she dismounted, and she said sweetly as she dug into her pocket for a coin, “Do walk him a bit before you water him, and thank you.” She flipped him the coin and strode hurriedly towards the inn.