Page 74 of Lady Graceless
He ran to the window and raised the sash, leaning far out to see how close the next window was.
Lady Grace had her head out, breathing the air there as the smoke would have overcome her in the room. He could see it drifting out over her head.
He looked down. The drop was too far to try a jump. He would somehow have to get her on the ledge. It was a foot wide, which was wider than most. It could be done. It must be done.
She stared at him wide-eyed, as if she’d lost the faculty of speech.
Miles climbed out and inched toward her. “Lady Grace, you’ll have to climb out.” Seeing the look of terror in her eyes, he said, “It’s not far to go. I’ll steady you.”
“I cannot,” she whispered. “I am dizzy.”
“That’s just the smoke. Your head will clear when you are away from it.”
“No,” she said softly.
No? What choice did she have?
Miles realized she was in a state of panic. He would somehow need to jar her out of it. “Lady Grace, do as I say this instant! Climb out and I will help you over.”
She stared at him for a moment. Just then, he could hear the crackling of the fire. They did not have much time.
She nodded, picking up her skirts, and slowly climbed out. She stood up and then wobbled. Miles grasped at her to stop her from falling, but her balance was giving way.
He threw himself in front of her as they plummeted into the rose bushes below.
The fall seemed to take a very long time, though it could not have been more than a second or two. They crashed into the greenery, the branches and thorns prying their way into every bit of uncovered skin. The final landing was far worse than any fall off a horse he’d ever taken. It felt as if he’d hit a stone pavement rather than earth.
Miles had the wind knocked out of him. He forced air into his lungs, though the pain was immense.
“All right?” he choked out as Lady Grace lay on top of him.
“I think so,” she said in a small voice. “I was locked in.”
“Who? The fire?”
“Oh, I started it. Accidently.”
“Are you alive?” the duke shouted from above.
“Papa,” Lady Grace answered.
From his prone position looking up at the sky, Miles saw the duke leaning out. “They finally got the door opened,” the duke said helpfully. “The fire was on its way to burning itself out. Stone walls, you know.”
The duke’s head disappeared.
“We should have waited,” Lady Grace said, quite unnecessarily.
She rolled off him, causing further pain to his chest. “You are hurt,” she said, again quite unnecessarily.
“Yes.”
She took a sharp breath in. In a voice no louder than a whisper on the wind she said, “If you are paralyzed, Lady Lavender will never forgive me.”
Lady Lavender? He wiggled his toes to make sure he was not, indeed, paralyzed. He was not, though something was wrong. Speaking had been a monumental effort. Breathing was no less a challenge.
“Papa!” Lady Grace said, fighting her way out of the rose bushes. “Lord Dashlend is hurt!”
“Can’t say I’m surprised. I don’t know why you two thought to jump. Can you walk, Dashlend?”
