The Rakehell Regency Romance Collection Volume 2(94)

Suddenly a huge coach and four came barreling straight towards them. Sarah tugged at Alexander, but he seemed confused, almost frozen to the spot.



She grabbed him and yanked with all her might, sending them sprawling backwards into the dirt and mire. She clenched her teeth in anticipation of excruciating pain, but the coach careened by without touching them. She offered up a silent prayer of thanks, and then rolled to her knees and began to examine Alexander for any injuries.



"I'm fine, just fine. Are you all right?" he asked breathlessly as she helped him to stand.



Several passersby now came up to offer their help. Soon a small open carriage arrived to take the badly shaken couple back to their house at the top of the town.



"Thank you so much, we'll be fine," she reassured them all.



"Bloody coach drivers. Mad, the whole lot of them," one elderly gentleman grumbled as he walked away. "Never even tried to stop."



Once back at the townhouse, Sarah paid the driver and helped Alexander out of the carriage. In the privacy of their own suite, she looked him over, but apart from some abrasions on his elbows, he was fine.



"Your coat has holes in it now, but it'll do nicely for the servants with a patch or two in the sleeves. My gown is ruined, and my hands scraped, but that's the least of my worries. At least we're both safe."



He kissed her warmly. "Let's go down and have some coffee, and then rest. I find I'm quite exhausted all of a sudden."



"It's been a great shock for us both."



"Oh drat. What about those errands you wanted to run-"



"Never mind them. I shall send the servants to fetch everything. Just rest, my love."



They had their coffee, and eagerly retired to bed, where she held him tenderly as he drifted off to sleep.



Only then did she allow herself to give vent to her feelings, tears trickling out of her eyes as she thought of how close she had come to losing him.





Chapter Twenty-six



Another two days passed uneventfully for the happy couple, with trips to the Cross and Hot Baths, the Abbey, Sally Lunn's and the Pump Room taking up most of their time. There were concerts and lectures in the evening at the Octagon, and Sarah had just about put behind her the terrifying incident in Cheap Street when another accident plagued them.



They were leaving the house to go off to the Cross Baths early one morning when Sarah heard a rumble behind her. Turning quickly, she saw two huge beer barrels rolling towards them.



She shoved Alexander back into the entryway to the house as the huge hogsheads crashed and bounced past. One came so near as to smash against the wrought-iron railing, before breaking apart and splashing their prone forms with gallons of beer. Both of them were soaked but unharmed. After ascertaining that they had escaped unscathed, Alexander laughed.



"My goodness. I'm soaked through. What we smell like! Let's hope the servants don't think we've taken to drink."



Sarah managed to laugh, but was disturbed by the incident, for the draymen of the brewery cart did not stop to apologize for the accident. They simply whipped up their horses and left.



They wrung out their clothes as best they could before re-entering the house, though the butler had told them not to bother.



"We're going to need another bath, Travis, please. And tell Bob we need some fresh clothes for Mr. Alexander."



The boy bustled to and fro helping Alexander get the saturated garments off. Sarah told him the story as he worked. He listened wide-eyed, but said nothing until he was just about to leave the room with their sodden clothes. He paused at the door.



"That's strange. There are no taverns or pubs nearby. Who would they have been delivering entire barrels of beer to in the Crescent, and at this hour of the morning?"



He shrugged, and headed off, leaving Sarah to scrub Alexander's back and check him for bruises. He pulled her into the huge black marble tub with him, and the whole incident was forgotten in the joy of the moment.



All the same, Sarah came to the conclusion that a town was a dangerous place for a blind man. She was as vigilant as she could be, but there was no chance she could be alert to a potential accident at every moment.



"I think your back is much better, is it not?" she asked when they finally rose from the bed made damp by their bath and eager amorous encounter.



He rippled his impressive muscles, making her mouth go dry with desire even though he had already fulfilled her wildest fantasies. "It's improved a great deal. Nearly all the stiffness is gone."



"Then we should start thinking about going back to Brimley."



"At last," he sighed. "I thought you would never say that."