Caught in the Storm of a Duke's - Abby Ayles Page 0,12
put all his weight into his seat, using his feet as an anchor as he fought to retain control.
He could feel the leather straps eating into his palms, causing him pain. Every part of him dripped with water and it was proving impossible to hold on with hands so wet.
Yet, he pulled harder, grunting. If he lost the horses, then truly, they would have no hope.
His heart flew out of his chest as the first horse broke free. His stomach fell when the second did, too. His head spun as the third join them.
Shocked, in despair, he watched helplessly as all three horses ran for dear life in different directions.
Just then, the carriage came to a slow stop. He quickly pulled himself together, knowing this was not the time to mourn.
So long as he still had breath in him, he would continue to fight to keep them safe. All of them.
He leaned in, to peer closely at the last standing horse. He wondered why it had suddenly stopped moving. Perhaps, since it couldn’t break free, this was its own form of rebellion?
It didn’t take long before Mr. Giraud saw what the problem was. They had gotten into muddy earth, and the wheel was stuck.
He began to think hard. This was the worst place to stop. Even if he managed to get the wheel out, it would simply get stuck again.
Before he could decide what to do, the storm became more treacherous. The skies roared again, and, the next thing he knew, he was being thrown off the carriage.
As he flew into the air, Mr. Giraud saw his end approaching. His dear Marie’s face, and those of his lovely girls, Anne and Claire, flashed before his eyes.
He wished he’d had more time to tell them how much he loved them and how he would always be with them, even in death. He hoped they would not suffer too much.
That they would find happiness quickly, comfort, too.
Pain racked him as he fell against a tree and rolled to the ground, ripping a loud cry from the depth of his soul.
He heard the cracking of bones and another roar, then his world went dark.
***
Judith jumped in her seat as the anguished cry pierced through the storm, penetrating her ears.
She turned to Amy, meeting her wide-eyed gaze.
“Mr. Giraud!” they chorused.
They wasted no time getting out of the carriage. All thought of their safety was forgotten. All that mattered in that moment was making certain Mr. Giraud was well.
They screamed as they jumped into the mud, immediately getting stuck.
Fear seized Judith once again, but they could not stop. Not then. Finding her strength, she pulled her feet out from the mud and continued to move, putting one foot in front of the other.
The storm that had threatened hail only a moment ago began to lessen, affording them a clear line of vision. Shaking from the chill seeping into their bones, they laboriously made their way to the front of the carriage.
Judith’s jaw dropped as she beheld the sight.
It was worse than she could have imagined: Three horses were gone. The only one left was futilely trying to get itself out of the mud.
Mr. Giraud was nowhere in sight.
“He’s not here, Amy. Mr. Giraud isn’t here! Oh heavens! Where could he be?” she said at the top of her voice.
“Let’s look around, my lady. He could not have gone far, I’m certain of it,” Amy replied, shouting.
“We have to find him soon. He might be in danger. We must help him.”
Amy followed her in wordless agreement. They went around the carriage, eventually leaving to go further into the woods.
There were no houses in sight. Only trees. Just as Mr. Giraud had warned, they were now stranded in the middle of nowhere, with no shelter to be had.
Pushing that aside, Judith tried to concentrate on what was most important: Finding Mr. Giraud.
They must have searched for an eternity, for it certainly felt that way.
At least the storm appeared to have ended its tyranny. The wind had dropped, and the clouds no longer threatened to wreak havoc.
However, the rain continued to pour, only now more softly, so they could see more clearly, easily finding their way around.
Judith’s chest continued to rise and fall as she panted and shivered. She looked around frantically, still searching for signs of Mr. Giraud.
Just then, a shrill scream pierced the air, and she froze in fear.
Amy!
Quickly, she recovered and started searching for her maid.