How To Treat A Lady Part 13

aMy beloved Persephone,a he whispered in her ear, aI want to show you something.a His lips trailed down the side of her neck.

Harriet could barely think. She wanted him so badly, her entire body was aflame now. She wanted to roll over, to lock her legs about him and let him fill her. But instead she was held, stomach down on the blanket as he tortured her with long, slow kisses in the most indelicate places.

aLift your hips,a he whispered.

Harriet frowned. aHow can I turn over ifa"a aLift for me, sweet.a His hands about her waist, he tilted her hips up.

She did as he asked. If shead felt exposed before, now she was indecently lifted, her b.u.t.t cheeks arched in the air.

Chase lifted himself above her and found her wetness. She was moist, swollen, squirming ever so slightly beneath him in a way that was driving him mad with l.u.s.t.

He splayed his hands over her back, marveling at the muscles that were displayed there. She was beauty and feminine strength, delicacy and exotic enticement. He lifted himself and pushed into her wetness, his mouth never leaving the back of her neck as he nipped and teased.

aOh mya"Chase!a She arched beneath him, lifting her hips higher, pressing back against him. G.o.d, but she was hot and tight and ready for him. Her hot wetness held him in a velvet-sleeved grip, tormenting him mercilessly. Beads of sweat dotted his upper lip and brow as he moved into her, slid deep, then withdrew to the tip.

Harriet groaned and pressed back as if eager for him to resume his pace. He thrust again. And again. And each time she met him, writhing enticingly beneath him. He could feel the excitement building inside her, feel the tremors of her as he thrust deeply. He fought for control, but the more he fought, the more she drew him onward. Finally, with a gasp, she said his name and broke his tenuous control. She swept him with her over the edge of pa.s.sion and beyond.

Chapter 24.

If we go to all of this trouble just to find Chase snuggled between the sheets with a woman, I will personally haul him outside and beat him to within an inch of his life.

Marcus St. John, the Marquis of Treymount, to his brother, Mr. Devon St. John, as they climbed into the Treymount coach Chase collapsed, cradling Harriet in his arms as he fought for breath, for the ability even to think. In all of his days, head never experienced such a sensuous woman. Never.

He pressed a kiss on her neck and then turned her so that she faced him. She had her eyes tightly clenched, her breath ragged between her lips.

aHarriet?a he whispered against her bare skin.

A s.h.i.+ver trembled across her.

Chase took her hand and threaded her fingers with his, then leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth. aYou are magnificent.a Her eyes cracked open at that and to his relief, a faint smile touched the corners of her lips.

He smiled and pressed another kiss to the spot below her ear. aAnd I think I loa"a He stopped.

Had he almost saida"it was impossible! Why the h.e.l.l had he almost said that?

She blinked, her eyes now wide open. aWhata what did you say?a aNothing,a he said hastily. He pushed himself upright and raked a hand through his hair, unwilling to admit how shaken he was that head almost let such a thing slip. aI was going to say that Ia love the way you kiss.a She arched a brow in disbelief. aMy kisses are nothing special.a aOh yes, they are.a He smoothed the hair from her forehead, noting how the sun had kissed her cheeks with even more freckles. He traced a path from freckle to freckle with the tip of his finger. It would soon be time for him to leave, and yet here Harriet would be, fighting to make Garrett Park a working, living estate for her brothers and sisters. aI worry about you.a aMe? Why on earth would you worry about me?a aYou work too hard.a Her smile disappeared. aI donat work any harder than the others. Chase, donat make me out to be a saint. Iam afflicted with far too many faults to be considered anything other than human.a aWhat faults do you have?a She snorted. aWell, letas see. Iam short-tempered. I have a dislike for doing anything whatsoever inside the house; Mother despaired of my watercolors and embroidery years ago. Oh andaa She peered up at him, a twinkle in her eyes. aIam apparently not a woman of virtue, either.a He winced.

aNot that I mind,a she added swiftly. She placed her hand on the side of his face. aIn fact, Iam glad weave had this time together. Iave enjoyed every second of it. Especially today.a aToday?a aYes, the last round left me feeling quitea exuberant.a Despite his misgivings, he found himself smiling down at her. aI feel the same way.a aI know. I could tell.a She eyed him for a moment. aWell?a aWell, what?a aI confessed my shortcomings. What are yours?a G.o.d, what he would give to be able to answer that question. aWeave all done things weare not proud of.a She glanced up at him, curiosity bright in her brown eyes. aYou sound almosta sad.a He was sad. And sorry. He had to move, to get up. He pushed himself to his feet. aHarrieta Iave done things Iam not proud of. Onea one thing in particular.a She met his gaze solemnly, and to his surprise, there was no condemnation in her expression. aWhat?a He opened his mouth to tell her, but no words would come out. All those months of not saying, of not facing the truth, seemed to have melted into him until he could not break free.

She lifted onto her elbows, her gaze never wavering. aWhatever it is that you did, did you make amends?a aAmends?a He grabbed up his breeches, and yanked them on. aThere was no way to make amends for this.a She sat the rest of the way up and wrapped her arms around her knees. In the indirect light, her brown hair falling over her shoulders, her eyes wide and solemn, she looked like a pixie. aBut you tried to fix things?a He nodded once, hating himself, hating that he was having this conversation with Harriet, of all people. b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l, life was not fair. He found his s.h.i.+rt and yanked it over his head.

She shrugged. aThen thatas all you can do.a He had just picked up one of his boots. He stopped and turned to face her. aDo you believe that?a aIf you try your best, then no one can ask for more.a Chase looked at her for a long moment. aI wish I could believe that. And maybe itas true for other people, but Iam a St. John, born with every conceivable benefit. There are no excuses for my actions.a aWhat exactly did you do?a aIaa The words pushed at him, begging for release. He swallowed, then closed his eyes. aI killed someone.a Silence. He forced his eyes open, ready to read the condemnation in her eyes.

She met his gaze, her face pale.

aI didnat mean to,a he gritted out. aI didnat. I was careening drunkenly through the streets of London in my new carriage. I ran over a woman. Sheaa He gave a helpless shrug as his eyes grew hot.

Harrietas eyes were already wet. aOh, Chase,a she whispered. aIam so sorry.a aSo am I. I was witha not a friend. But a person I knew. When the accident happened, I pulled the horses to and started to get out to see if the woman needed a.s.sistance. But my companion panicked and began screaming at me to drive on. I was drunk and frightened anda I did.a aDid you go back?a aAs soon as I was sober enough to realize what had happened. The man I was with, he helped search for her, too. He visited the hospitals and I spoke to every person I saw on that street, but we never found her.a Chase turned away from Harriet and pulled on his boots. He didnat think he could stand seeing the disappointment in her eyes. aI was on my way out of the country when I came here.a aOut of the countrya Why?a aThe companion I was with that night has been steadily draining me of funds ever since the accident. I decided the time had come to face my demons.a aBy running away?a aBy protecting my family from scandal. My brothers and sister do not know the truth. I couldnat tell them.a Chase picked up Harrietas gown and s.h.i.+ft and draped them over the edge of a stall.

aYou need to tell them.a aIt is better if no one knows.a She regarded him steadily. aYou are the one who told me that I was not doing my family any favors by taking care of them. Perhaps you should heed your own advice.a Chase wiped a hand over his eyes. He had said that. And for Harriet, it made sense. But for him? aIam not sure why I told you about it. I-I havenat told anyone.a aPerhaps it is practice, for when you face your family.a There was a rustle of hay as Harriet stood and made her way to the water bucket. Water plopped in fat drips to the ground as she washed.

Chase watched her silently, noting the lush curve of her backside, the tight muscles of her calf. She was a nymph of ancient lore, was.h.i.+ng herself at the bucket, the slanted afternoon light that cut through the cracks in the barn walls stripping across her smooth creamy skin and touching her hair with gold. But for all that her outer beauty tantalized him, it was her inner beauty that held him, captured him, and refused to release him. The unfairness of his situation cut to his soul. d.a.m.n it, why had he met her now, when he had no choice but to leave?

Chase turned toward the barn door, his chest tight. aI should go and see if Stephen and Derrick need any help.a aWhat you should do,a she said in a matter-of-fact voice that brooked no argument, ais pack your things and get yourself home as soon as possible. You cannot run from yourself, you know.a There was a soft whisper as she pulled her clothing from where Chase had hung them and began to dress.

Chase stiffened. aIam not running. I ama"a aRunning.a She was right, and he knew it.

aYou made a mistake, Chase. We all make mistakes.a aNot mistakes that cost lives.a aNo. But whatever our mistakes are, they werenat performed because of malicious intent. They happened because we were careless or didnat realize the consequences of our actions.a aItas not that easy.a aIsnat it?a She came to stand before him, calmly pinning her hair. aTell me what youave been doing since this accident.a aDoing? I donat know. I suppose Iave been drinking. Trying to forgeta"a aYouave been wallowing in a sea of self-pity. That is your grossest error.a Chase didnat know what to say. She looked so d.a.m.nably sure of herself. He envied her in that moment, envied her calm certainty about life, her intrepid spirit, her refusal to let life sour her spirits. He wondered how head been so fortunate as to have met her. aYou, Harriet Ward, are an exceptional woman.a Color flooded her cheeks. aIam nothing special,a she said gruffly.

aReally? Do you not run this entire estate all by yourself?a She laughed, the light slanting over her sparkling eyes. aNo. Garrett Park is run by committee. Derrick is in charge of household repairs. Heas very talented at tinkering with things. Stephen is in charge of keeping up the stables. Heas always been good with horses, though we had to sell most of them three years ago.a aWhat a pity.a aYes, Stephen was devastated, though he refused to admit it.a aWhat do your sisters do?a aSophia helps with the books. Sheas almost as good at figures as she is at playwriting.a A faint smile softened the line of Harrietas mouth. aBetter, in fact, though Iad never tell her that.a aAnd your mother?a aWho do you think sees to it that we all have fresh linens every week? That the meat is cooked well and the floors always scrubbed? She makes sure there is enough so that we can eat through the winter, and she spoils us with clothes that she herself sews.a When he stopped to think about it, it was amazing how this family, left in near poverty and distress, had banded together to make a success out of their seemingly dire straits. But he supposed he understood that concepta"in a way, his brothers were never closer than when facing adversity. aWhat does the intrepid Ophelia do?a aShe sees to it that we are not remiss in our attention to our neighbors.a He frowned. After hearing of the contributions of the others, that seemed far less than important.

His thoughts must have been evident on his face, for Harriet sent him a sharp frown. aOphelia spends a good portion of every year helping Cook with the herbs. She also makes Christmas gifts for our neighbors. She does far more than her fair share.a aGifts? Why bother with gifts?a She turned to fix a gimlet stare on his face. aNeighbors, Mr. St. John, are important to us all. When our plow horse strained her foreleg in the midst of spring plowing, our neighbor to the west, Baron Whitfield, sent one of his horses to take her place. When Ophelia became ill and we needed medicine, but were unable to get to town because it had snowed so deeply that our poor farm mare could not make it out the drive, Mr. Nash came to our aid. He made the trip to town himself, wrapped head to foot in wool and riding in an old farmeras cart to cut through the roads.a She eyed Chase up and down, as if uncertain whether to spit on him or kick his s.h.i.+ns. aI can give you other examples, if youad like.a aNo. No, that wonat be necessary. I had just forgottena"a He raked a hand through his hair. He couldnat forget what head never known. The St. Johns were the community. Not a mere part of it.

Harriet turned and made her way to the door. She grabbed the bar and lifted it to one side, then pulled the door open. Sunlight flooded the barn, turning the hay to spun gold.

Her gaze fell on the pile of shears and she laughed. aI almost forgot those.a Her eyes crinkled and her mouth curved in such a beguiling fas.h.i.+on. He caught her amused look and an unaccustomed heat traveled up his neck.

She straightened, her gaze suddenly fixed on the driveway. aSomeone is coming. I thinka"oh, itas just the cart from the inn. Mother must have asked them to send some spiced wine.a Chase glanced indifferently at the cart, watching as Derrick walked up to speak to the driver. They spoke for a moment, then Derrick gestured toward the barn. The man looked toward Harriet and Chase, nodded once, then hawed the horses on.

Harriet frowned. aI wonder what that was about?a Derrick stood in the drive, watching the cart rumble away before he walked toward them. aThat was strange,a he said on reaching them.

aWhat did he want?a Harriet asked.

aHe said head heard about the captain and wondered if he could meet him.a Derrick flickered a gaze at Chase. aHe was wondering if you were the same Captain Frakenham that he sailed with two years ago.a aI doubt it,a Chase said.

aThatas what I said,a Derrick returned, a disturbed look in his eyes. aI even pointed you out, thinking that would turn him. But instead, he seemed to recognize you.a Chase frowned. aAre you certain?a aI think so. He nodded as if you looked exactly the way head expected you to. But then, when I offered to introduce you, he said that wouldnat be necessary.a Harriet sighed. aI wonder if Mr. Gower is up to his tricks again.a aI canat imagine how,a Chase said. aBut if so, heas too late. Weall be done with the shearing in another two days and he wonat be able to do a thing to you after that.a Derrick nodded, a relieved look on his face. aThatas true. Well, Iad best get back to the pens. I have some shearing to do.a He grabbed a set of shears and then walked away, whistling a sprightly tune.

aI must help,a Harriet said, collecting the other shears. She turned to go, but Chase caught her wrist.

Against her brown skin the talisman ring glittered as if jewel-encrusted. aYou wore this to irk me.a She bit her lip. aActually, I canat get it off. I havenat been able to get it off since the first time I put it on.a She grasped it with her other hand and pulled and pulled, but the ring would not budge. She stopped and sighed. aI tried b.u.t.ter and oil, but itas stuck.a Chase looked down at her fingers. They seemed so slender beneath the heavy silver band. He rifted her hand in his and gently tugged on the ring. It hung for a second, as if not wanting to move. But then it released and easily slid off her finger.

Harrietas mouth opened. Then closed. Then opened again. aHow dida"I tried so hard! I canat believe you justa"Oh, piffle!a Chase looked at the ring. Mother had said that it would lead the possessor to his one true love. Could it bea"

aHarri!a Stephen and Sophia waved from across the barn yard.

Harriet sighed. aTime to get back to work, I suppose.a aYes, it is.a At least for today. aHarriet, about the ring. Perhaps you shoulda"a aNo. It belongs with you. Ia"a Stephen and Sophia called again and Harriet sighed. aI have to go. Weall discuss this later.a Chase nodded and watched as she joined her brother and sister. Chase wondered if the ring felt as bereft as he did. His fingers curled over it.

After a moment, he slipped it into his pocket and went to help Derrick with the shearing.

This time, Chase worked as hard as he could, though his mind never stopped mulling over the th.o.r.n.y problem that faced him.

He was beginning to care far too much for Harriet Ward. He had to leave Garrett Park. And soon.

Chapter 25.

b.l.o.o.d.y h.e.l.l, canat you get this contraption to go any faster?

Mr. Devon St. John to Little Bob, the coachman, as they rumbled through the dark That day and the next, Chase worked harder than he had ever worked in his life. Derrick had at first asked what the hurry was, but had soon gotten into the spirit of things, and it was with huge satisfaction that they stood two nights later and looked at the bales of wool that filled the barn. Theyad had to move the horses to the shed for the night, just to make room for it all.

They were almost finished. The time had come for Chase to leave. Sighing, Chase hung the lantern on a nail and pulled a pair of gloves from his back pocket and tugged them on.

Derrick groaned. aWe donat have to stack the bales tonight.a Chase looked at the untidy bundles of wool that littered the barn. aIam going to at least get them sorted into wagonloads.a aThat will take hours.a aI havenat anything better to do.a aI have.a Derrick put his hands on his hips and stretched, then groaned. aIam going to get a hot bath, then go to bed. If I donat, I wonat be able to move tomorrow.a Chase smiled. aYouare going inside to read a book. Donat pretend otherwise.a aOh, all right,a Derrick said with a lopsided grin. aI was going to read a little. But I was also going to take a bath, and I really am sore.a aWe all are.a The sun had set an hour ago, and now all that was left was one last dinner with the Wards. For some reason, the thought of facing them seemed impossible. It would be better if he just quietly went away. His good humor slipped a notch, then disappeared altogether. aGo on to the house. Iall do what I can before dinner and join you then.a aVery well,a Derrick said. He walked toward the barn door, then hesitated. aBy the way, Iave been meaning to saya"well, youave worked hard and you didnat need to.a aOf course I needed to. Weave a payment to make on Garrett Park, donat we?a aWe.a Derrick smiled. aYes, we do. Thank you.a aItas my pleasure.a Chase watched as Derrick walked out the door. A murmur of voices in the yard and the glimmer of a lantern through the cracks in the walls told him that Harriet was on her way. She appeared a moment later, Stephen by her side.

If Chase looked weary, so did Harriet. Her eyes were shadowed, her shoulders stooped. He could almost feel the weariness seep from her.

Stephen stepped forward. aThere you are, Chase. We did well today, didnat we? Harri says weare a good day ahead of schedule.a aWe did very well.a Chase picked up a bundle of wool and stacked it on a neat pile by the back wall. aI daresay we wonat have more than a few hours of work left in the morning. Weall have the wool ready for market two days ahead of schedule.a Stephen grinned. aI cannot wait to see Goweras face when we make that final payment.a Chase straightened, trying not to look at Harriet, who stood quietly inside the door. aStephen, I have something for you.a aWhat?a aThe clothing that is in my wardrobe.a aBa"but thatas your clothing!a aIndeed it is. Iave been wearing your clothes, so now is the time for you to wear mine.a aButa"why?a aWear them when you go to town tomorrow and make certain Miss Strickton sees you. If she is impressed with that popinjay you were telling me about, sheall be quite smitten with you. You can even ride my horse.a Stephenas eyes brightened. aBy Jove, thatas the very thing! Are you sure you donat mind?a aOf course I donat mind. I have plenty more clothes where those came from.a So many that he was almost embarra.s.sed to think about it. Strange how things had changed. How he had changed.

aDo you mind if I look at them now?a Stephen said eagerly. aIad like to try on your blue coat. Oh, and those buff breeches! Those are quite the thing. And the wine-colored waistcoat isa"a aGo!a Chase laughed. aYou may try them all on.a Stephen turned, then stopped when he saw Harnet. aOh! Almost forgot you, Harri. Here. Iall leave the lantern so you can see your way to the house.a He handed her the lantern, then hurried off.

Chase began stacking the bundles once more, wondering what he should say. What he could say.

Silence hung loud and heavy, and then Harriet walked farther inside the barn. She set the lantern on the ground by the loft pole and surveyed the bundles of wool for a long moment. aWe did well today.a aYes, we did.a Chase didnat trust himself to look at her. Not now. Not ever.

She was silent a moment more, watching as he piled the bundles higher. Finally she said, aI will see you at dinner.a It wasnat a question, so Chase didnat answer it. Clenching his teeth, he continued stacking the bales. G.o.d, but it would be hard, leaving her tomorrow. Leaving everything at Garrett Park. But what else could he do?

A moment later, he heard her give a soft sigh before moving toward the door. aHarrieta"a The word was torn from him. He turned to face her.

She stood by the door, her back to him. aYes?a Her voice sifted gently to him, a whisper of silk on the silence of the night. Chase closed his eyes, his chest so tight that it ached. But what could he say? That he loved her?

The thought slammed into his heart and sucked all his breath from his lungs. He loved Harriet. Loved her so much that the thought of being separated from her made him ache with a physical pain. He loved her and needed her, but love wasnat enough. What if he couldnat get forgiveness from his family for his sins? What if he became an outcast, a pariah? He would never put that burden on another soul.

Especially not on Harriet. aGood night, Harriet. Iam not coming to dinner this evening.a She didnat move for so long that he wondered if shead heard him. But then she sighed and nodded. The next instant, she was gone.

Chase stayed where he was for a long time. The night air grew damp and chill, the wind picked up and blew through the cracks in the barn walls. Chase wiped a hand across his face, surprised to find it damp. He cursed, then turned to finish stacking the bales.

Much later, he finished, his body so weary he could barely move. He took off the gloves and laid them on a bench by the door so that he would find them the next day. One more daya thatas all he had left.

Chase turned to collect the lantern. As he lifted it, the nail on which it was hung came loose from the pole and fell to the floor. Chase cursed, then bent to pick it up. As he did so, he saw something in the scattered hay on the ground.

What was that? He brushed aside some loose hay and found the St. John talisman ring. How had that gotten here? Chase picked it up and turned it over in his hand. It lay in his palm, cold and dull. It must have fallen from his pocketa"

A whisper of movement stirred the air behind him. Chase whirled, but he was too late. The world exploded in a blinding flash of color and pain. And thena there was nothing.

The clock chimed midnight when Harriet finally gave up trying to pretend to sleep. She rose and lit a candle. She was tired and aching, her eyes hot and dry. d.a.m.n Chase St. John. Not only was he stealing her heart, but head stolen her peace of mind, as well.

She sighed. She wasnat being fair and she knew it. Head done far more than anyone could have asked. It was just that she wanted the impossiblea"she wanted him to love her, to love her and to love Garrett Park.

Harriet looked at herself in the mirror over her dressing table, grimacing at the circles beneath her eyes. She rubbed her cheeks, trying to find some color. Heavens, she was as pale as a ghost. Sinking onto the cus.h.i.+oned seat, she began combing her hair.

It was lamentably thick and sadly brown. When shead been a child, shead spent an entire summer without her hat in an effort to get some sort of color to it. Shead thought perhaps a startling reddish hint might appear, but instead, all shead done was turn her skin a lightly toasted color that did little to alleviate the overall brownish cast of her appearance, but had added several unfortunate freckles to the bridge of her nose.

aBrown, brown, brown,a she muttered with dissatisfaction at her reflection in the mirror, pulling the brush through an especially troublesome knot. Perhaps, if shead had flaxen hair and apple cheeks and not boring brown hair and a thin face, then Chase might have fallen deeply and irrevocably in love with her. Like a prince in a fairy tale.

That would have been divine. Harriet imagined what it would be like to have a man like Chase St. John all to herself. Her heart ached at the thought.

Someone pounded on her door. aHarri!a Stephenas voice, raised in fear.

Heavens! What was wrong? Harriet hurried to open the door.

Stephen leaned on his crutches, still dressed in his nightclothes. His eyes were wild, his face white. aThe barn is on fire! The woola"a His voice broke.

Dear G.o.d, no! Harriet ran to the window and yanked back the curtains. A bright reddish glow lit the predawn blackness.

Harrietas eyes filled with tears. She couldnat believe it. How could this havea"aChase!a She whirled to face Stephen. aHave you seen him?a Stephen blinked. aNo. No, I havenat. Do you think he set thea"a aNo, you fool! He was in the barn. By himself. If he fell ora"a Harriet brushed past Stephen and ran down the hall to Chaseas room. She knocked once, then yanked the door open. It was painfully empty, the bed unslept in.

aDear G.o.d, no,a Harriet said. She would never remember running down the stairs through the foyer, or out the front door. One moment, she was looking at Chaseas unmussed bed, and the next, she was standing in the yard, looking up at the barn as it bellowed huge flames. The entire structure cracked and hissed as if furious at the black sky that stretched above it.

Derrick ran up beside her, followed by Sophia and Ophelia. Ophelia had a thick robe over her nightgown, but Sophia had only a blanket over her gown-clad shoulders.

Harriet looked around wildly, her heart thumping painfully against her ribs. aChase is inside and we have to save him. I need toa"a aNo,a Derrick said firmly. aYou canat. Just look at it.a aBut Chasea"a Sophia put her arm about Harriet. aIam certain heas not in there. I daresay heas in the house right now. Maybe he went to the kitchen to get a drink ora"a aI checked his room! His bed hadnat been slept in! Please, we have toa"a aMaybe heas in the library,a Ophelia said desperately, though her voice warbled and a tear leaked down one cheek.

aNo!a Harriet cried, her heart pounding painfully. Please G.o.d, she had to find him. She had to.

aLook!a Sophia said, tightening her hold on Harriet. aSomeone is coming! Maybe they can help.a They all turned and there, riding down the driveway was Mr. Gower. He pulled up at the sight of the fire. Then he turned and looked at them, meeting Harrietas gaze for a long moment.

She could feel his superior smirk all the way from here.

aI daresay he saw the flames from his house,a Ophelia said. aItas only over the ridge.a aHe can help find St. John,a Derrick said, turning as if to go to the banker. But before Derrick could take two steps, the banker turned and left, walking his horse calmly back down the lane.

Derrick halted, his hands in fists. aThat cowardly b.a.s.t.a.r.d!a Harriet broke from Sophiaas side and caught Derrickas arm. aWeall have to do this ourselves. Come, Derrick. Sophia, give me your blanket.a Sophia unwrapped the blanket from her shoulders. aWhat are you going toa"a Harriet whisked the blanket into her arms and ran to the trough by the railing. She tossed the blanket into the cold water and pushed it all the way under.

Then she picked it up and wrapped it around her, s.h.i.+vering as the cold water soaked her night rail to the skin.

Derrick grabbed her arm, Stephen and Mother followed behind him.

aWhat do you think youare doing?a Stephen demanded, almost shouting over the crackle of the fire.

aI have to help. He was stacking the wool, head have to be near the door anda"a aHarriet, we canat let you do anything foolhardy,a Mother said, coughing as a thick billow of smoke covered them.

Derrick nodded grimly. aWeall stop you if we have to.a aOh for the love oha"When have I ever been foolhardy? Look at the barn! The fireas mainly on one side. If we go now, we can find him. If we wait, the smoke will get too thick.a Derrick hesitated, then glanced inquiringly at Stephen. aSheas right. We could possiblya"a aNo. Itas madness. I canat allowa"a aIt isnat your choice.a Harriet tightened the blanket about her and turned to the barn.

Mother moved to stand before her. aDear, just listena"a Harriet quickly stepped around her and ran.

Behind her, Derrick cursed, but then yanked off his coat and plunged it into the trough.

Harriet didnat wait. Holding the edge of the wet blanket over her mouth, she ducked low and went though the barn door.