Elizabeth rushed out of her consulting room. "What is it?"
"It is Miss Rebecca, ma'am. She has fallen and I am feared she is dead."
Elizabeth grabbed her black case and came charging out of the office, a grim look on her face. Reg danced behind her, wanting to help and not knowing how. They returned to the hall, where everyone was gathering. The children were crying at the furor, the adults were looking horrified and ineffectual.
Elizabeth dropped to her knees beside Rebecca's limp body and quickly checked her pulse and respiration. Both were thready but reasonably normal.
She looked up at the gawking onlookers. "Get those children out of here and settle them down. Reg - you go find Colonel Polk and get the Colonel back here immediately. Lizbet - go get her bed ready. Sarah, Beulah, go get two heavy blankets. I want you to put them together into a sling so we can get her upstairs without jostling her."
As people moved to fulfill Elizabeth's orders, the doctor carefully examined her patient. Nothing appeared to be broken, although Rebecca would have some spectacular bruises. The one that concerned her was the large lump and rapidly darkening bruise on her right temple.
The three women gently straightened Rebecca's limbs, moved her onto the makeshift stretcher and transferred her to her bedroom.
--*--
Reg ran into Polk's office at full speed, nearly taking the officer off his feet as they collided. "Whoa, boy. What is so urgent that you can not knock and enter properly?"
"Colonel Polk, sir, it is Miss Rebecca. She has fallen and Doctor 'Lizabeth sent me to get you to get Colonel Charlie back here immediately."
"Easy, lad. Is Miss Rebecca going to be all right?"
"I swear I just do not know, sir." The man wailed. "I thought she was dead there on the stairs."
"All right. Can you ride?"
"Yes, sir. I ride good. Mr. Gaines used to use me to exercise the horses."
"Fine." Polk turned to his aid, Captain Harriman. "Get two horses, one for you and one for Reg here. Saddle up for a hard, fast ride. Meet me at the Colonel's office and I will be able to tell you where to go."
Polk hurried over to Charlie's office, where he knew his boss had been plotting his surveying trips. He hoped the maps were still on the desk. As he entered the office, he saw the maps on the staff table. With a sigh of relief, he looked them over and figured out Charlie's plan for the day.
As Harriman and Reg entered, he showed them the map. "Here, he was going to start at Fordsville, then Leon, Tryme, Novum, Reva and then Griffinsburg and Pelham Manor. He left just after dawn this morning, so I would go directly to Reva, then either catch up or back track until you find him."
The two men nodded and set out at a hard pace.
--*--
Upstairs, Elizabeth finished her examination of Rebecca. Lizbet and Beulah made the young woman comfortable, stripping her of her daywear and putting her in a nightgown.
"Well, my dear, you did work yourself into a swivet. And unfortunately, I cannot let you just sleep." Gently, Elizabeth set about reviving the young woman. Slowly, Rebecca returned to the world of the living.
"Uh...steps..."
"Uh steps indeed. I told you to go take a nap."
"What……what happened?"
"You fell. I would imagine your lack of food and sleep left you a bit dizzy. The rest, as they say, is history."
Rebecca raised her hand slowly to her throbbing head. "Hurts."
"I am sure. You have a lovely bruise and a nice little concussion. So now you will stay in bed, drink fluids, rest, and one of us will wake you every hour for a while, just to be annoying."
"Charlie……" She let her eyes close as a tear escaped from the corner of one.
"I have sent for him, dear. I expect him back within a couple of hours." Elizabeth fussed over Rebecca briefly. "And when he gets here, please be kind."
"Yes. But he is...busy."
"Rebecca, if I know Charlie like I think I do, what he has been doing is trying to control his own feelings. Remember what you told me about the night he went drinking with one of the men?"
"Yes."
"Well, if he is trying to get his desire for you under control, he might want to put a little distance between you. He may be embarrassed about that night."
Her eyes closed yet again and she nodded. Her head hurt and the thought that Charlie wanted distance, made it hurt worse. "I understand."
"I honestly do not think you do, dear. I think our good Colonel, who has been so in control of his life for so long, is spinning very much out of control around you."
A long pause lay between them, and then Elizabeth added, "The problem is probably that he just can not figure out how to keep his hands off you."
Rebecca turned teary eyes to her friend, smiled and reached for her hand. "I love him so. I only want him to be happy."
Elizabeth soothed the hair back from Rebecca's bruised forehead. "And he loves you, my dear. I am very, very sure of that. I have never seen my old friend like this over anyone. And to be honest, I never expected to see it, either. I know you two will find a way to make your relationship work. Now, you, rest. Close your eyes and I will keep watch and wake you in an hour."
--*--
Reg and Harriman rode like demons. They found Charlie and Jocko in Novum.
"Colonel Charlie!" Reg cried out as soon as he saw the tall man.
"Reg, what is it." Charlie looked startled. The only reason that the servant would be here is if something had happened at the house. "Is Miss Rebecca all right?"
"No, Colonel Charlie. She fell down the stairs and Doctor Elizabeth sent me for you."
Before the words were out of Reg's mouth, Charlie was sprinting for Black Jack. He pulled himself up into the big stallion's saddle and shouted back at the three men standing behind him. "Follow as you can."
Then he took off for home.
--*--
The miles melted under Black Jack's steady ground eating gallop. Riding cross-country, Charlie arrived at the farm in slightly over an hour, covered in dust and Black Jack's lather.
Charlie, distraught, flung himself out of the saddle and threw Black Jacks reins to some trooper; he did not notice who it was. Up the steps to the portic,o and through the door, he charged, barely stopping to drop his sword, hat and gloves in the hall before he roared up the stairs to Rebecca's door. There he stopped, frozen, terrified of the worst. And since he had considered every possible scenario in his frantic ride home, he was already prepared to find her dying or even dead. Carefully, he opened the door and slipped into the room.
Elizabeth rose as he entered. There was anguish and fear in his eyes. "Shush, Charlie. She is fine. Nothing that a few days rest and some good food cannot fix. She has a mild concussion, and needs to be wakened every hour until tomorrow evening. Other than that, my dear, she is fine."
Timidly, Charlie asked, "Can I see her?"
"Of course. In fact, I think it will do you both a world of good if you awaken her."
"But I am filthy."
"So? She needs you, Charlie. Go to her."
Charlie approached the small still figure in the big bed very gently. He stroked her cheek with his fingers, and softly called her name. "Rebecca. Darling. Rebecca, honey. Wake up, please?"
Slowly her eyes opened and she focused on him, smiling as soon as she realized he was real. "You came."
"Of course I came. Oh, honey, I am so sorry. Are you all right?"
She moaned a little and smiled as much as she could. "I love you, Charlie, please do not stay away……" She knew she could not hold the tears in her eyes. She just felt so bad and the stress had finally gotten to her.
Charlie swept her up into his arms and held her close. He cradled her head in his hand against his chest and softly rocked her. "My love, my dear heart. I did not mean to hurt you. I am right here, where I want to be; where I need to be…… with you."