To Defy A Duke

Chapter 21

Eliza falls off the bed with a squeal and lands on the hard floor with a thump, she scrambles to her feet in a hurry and stares at his very much awake and alive face for a few seconds. He's alive, the realisation sets in and her heart feels like air and relief tears spring into her eyes.

"You are alive, oh thank god." She dives on top of him and hugs him, afraid that if she let go he would go back unconscious.

"Hello, to you too." He laughs but then winces as she jostles his wound.

"Oh sorry." Her hands fly to her mouth, she pulls back immediately with a pinched face.

"It's just a small wound." He places more pressure on his better side as he tries to sit up, Eliza scoffs but reaches over for pillows and places them behind his back and head.

"You were unconscious! And in that time I almost went insane, riding without shoes and attacking people." She insists, plumping the pillows and shooting him a mock glare.

"Sounds like I missed a lot," Jasper says setting into his crown of pillows and offering his hand to her.

"A little," Eliza replies taking hold of his hand and sitting next to him. She studies his face, the rugged line of his jaw, the tousled mess of his hair and the way his blue eyes sparkle.

"Oh, I should tell everyone you are awake, we have been dreadfully worried." She says remembering the clueless people waiting downstairs.

"Everyone?" He asks with a frown, not letting go of her hand.

"My uncle, Luis, your mother, sister and James." She informs him.

"My mother and sister are here?" Jasper repeats in disbelief.

"They arrived this morning, I presume James let them know."

"I see."

"I'll be back in a moment." She promises as she peels her hand from his grasp before running for the room. She hurtles down the staircase and skids into the dining room. The table is laden with food, a roast chicken, a terrine of soup, plates of vegetables, slices of bread and butter, jugs of wine and a lamb stew, the kitchens evidently didn't stop working even when their master is near death.

"Eliza!" Benjamin stops halfway through eating a forkful of chicken, "When did you arrive back?"

She shakes her head and ignores him, catching her breath a little before crying, "He's awake, Jasper, he's awake."

Helen drops her wine glass and it shatters, staining the tablecloth a burgundy and Benjamin gasps.

"Really?" Penny pokes her head around her mother to look at Eliza with shining hope.

"Really." She confirms with a beaming smile. Penny springs from her seat, quickly followed by her mother and they tear from the room and hasten up towards the bedroom. Eliza goes to follows them but stops before the first step and sighs, she walks back to the dining room and takes a seat next to her uncle.

"Aren't you going to go up as well?" He asks, tucking into his meal once again.

"I should give them some privacy." She says picking a slice of bread from the bowl in front and taking a bite.

"Ahh." Her uncle cuts into his potatoes and chews thoughtfully.

"Did I hear you say sir is awake?" Luis steps into the room with a hopeful expression.

"Yes, he just woke up," Eliza confirms with a smile.

"Brilliant, I shall send for the doctor at once." He replies with a buoyant grin, he skips from the room, forgetting to bow at all with excitement.

"They will probably wish to catch up," She says referring to Helen and Penny, "I think I might go for a walk around the grounds to clear my head." She finishes her bread off and stands.

"It has been a stressful few hours." Benjamin pats her hand sympathetically. "Take all the time you need."

Eliza smiles and hugs her uncle around the shoulders. In the hall she takes the coat she arrived in off a hook and fits it over her green jacket. She pulls open the door and slips into the cold evening. The wind is battering, it makes the old trees groan as they lean into the pull. Leaves whip around her as she runs to where she left her horse. In her rush before she left him tied to an old fence. She undoes the knot and jogs with him towards the stable. The stables provide s safe warmer place and they are deserted apart from a few horses that pour at the ground and nicker as she leads her horse into an empty stall with a bed of hay, she lifts the saddle off his back and removes his reins, he immediately dips his head and takes a long drink from the water trough.

"Damn." She curses as she watches him, "I forgot....damn."

She shuts the stable door on him hydrating himself and hunts in the stable for feed and rugs, towards the back she finds a tub of grain and a rack of carrots. She pours some grain into the feed bucket in the stall and offers him a carrot but he turns his nose up and buries his face in the grain instead. Sighing she leans against the door and looks around at the other horses. There are 6 including Captain, all strong looking with shiny coats, the two closets whine to her. They still have tacked on and their food troughs are empty.

"Oh, you poor things." She says and she lets herself into the first stall. She places her hand in front so the horse can smell her before she advances.

"Good girl," Eliza whispers to the mare as she undoes the buckles on the saddle and slides it off her back, next to go is the reins. She repeats the process with the stallion next door. Eliza fills both horse's feed buckets and carries three rugs from the back over, she throws them over Captain's and the two horse's backs.

"They must have forgotten about you with all the chaos regarding Jasper." She tells the mare, "But don't worry he's well." She rubs her nose and kisses her cheek.

Captain tosses his head in annoyance, he doesn't like his mistress fraternising with another horse.

"So we have finished our food have we?" Eliza shakes her head and the mare glares at him pointedly and nickers gently into Eliza's neck making her giggle.

"Miss!" An alarmed Luis steps into the stables holding his hat to his head as the wind tries to steal it.

"What's wrong?" Eliza hurries over.

"Nothing miss." He reassures. "Sir requests your presence."